BCG Additional First Round Interview

Question

Good morning,

Last Friday I interviewed at BCG (Madrid) for their first round and they just got back to me explaining that because one of the interviews was better than the other, they wanted to carry out and additional (3rd) first round interview before deciding whether to progress to the second round. That said, I have some questions regarding this invitation:

1. Is it likely that the additional interview is going to be any different or harder than the usual? (i.e: Are they looking for something in particular?)

2. How does this affect my candidacy?

3. Is this usual?

I also made a list of mistakes I made in the case on one of the interviews, which were the following:

- Not laying out a detailed/organized structure due to initial time pressure

- Making several numerical/calculation errors

- Forgetting about major risks/considerations throughout the case and in the summary, as well as their mitigation

- Making rushed decisions without taking key factors/viewpoints into consideration

Any tips on how to address these issues to eliminate mistakes and boost my performance towards this second chance are greatly appreciated.

Many thanks!

Answer 1

Hola!

At BCG, as with most firms, interviewers need to be completely aligned on the decision to pass you or not to the next round. I am guessing that one of the interview was significantly better than the other, and one interviewer is pushing for you to get in, while the other one is no si convinced. For this reason, they are calling another interviewer to give a fresh view on your performance.

1. The interview will be in the exact same format as usual BUT the interview will be around the areas they felt you were boarderline
2. If you pass, it won't have any effect in the overall candidacy (some could say it showed you were boarderline, some could say it showed you acted on feedback and improved)
3. This is quite unusual, indeed, but happens in 5-10% of the time (I have faced this situation a couple of times when I was interviewing at Bain)

I hope this helps!

Suerte!
Ben

Answer 2

Disagree slightly - all the interviewers to NOT necessarily have to be aligned (even though it would be better obviously).

Just like the in black swan story, you just need one example - and I have it: I did poorly / average in the first case of my 1st round interview, so the interviewer (a consultant) suggested I go home; my 2nd case was absolutely amazing however (the case of my life, never did so well before or since), and the interviewer (a senior principal) overrode the first interviewer and pushed me to the 2nd round. She was more senior, and felt more strongly about my application, so she won (and I joined eventually BCG)

To address your other questions: 2nd round interviews won't really be "harder", but the partner is more likely to focus on your overall culture/company fit and how you communicate vs. what you communicate: can they put you in front of the client, will you be able to build a rapport with people?

All your other mistakes can and will be fixed with practice. Kowing about and acknowledging them is the first step; next, try to keep them in mind as you do cases with fellow candidates. Slowly, you will make fewer of them.

Pro tip: If needed at the beginning of the actual interview, you could also write a couple of keywords for things not to forget.

Answer 3

Wow, thanks for the information, guys. It really helped me understand the activity better. I am liking the experience of this forum. Everyone is really well informed. Thanks, I hope I can helpout as well