Hi there,

Some good answers are already here, however, one important thing is missing.

You should always be in the know about what is going on at every step of the recruiting journey. Hence, reach out to your HR contact and ask them what this step is about. 

It sounds like it is just going to be an informal chat, where you will discuss

• the role and the company
• the interviewing logistics and process
• (your motivation)

However, as mentioned, to avoid any surprises, clarify beforehand!

All the best,

Florian

Hi Sally,

Well done on passing the chatbot! In terms of your questions:

1)  So, is this like a first step interview? Or really for me to ask questions. How should I prepare?

It could be one or a mix of the following:

1. Call to provide information on the process/position to be sure you are aligned 
2. Call with fit questions. Questions usually include the following:
   1. Tell me about yourself
   2. Why consulting
   3. Why us
   4. Why hire you
3. Case interview. Usually the case is shorter than the standard ones you will have later on in the process

From what you shared, it seems in your case is option 1. If you didn't receive additional information, if you want you can clarify the exact format with HR.

For general tips on how to prepare for the interview, you can check this:

▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview

2) What usually happens afterward? An in-person case?

If everything is fine, you should move to the next round in the process. Whether it will be in-person or not depends on the office.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi Sally,

From my experience with the BCG recruitment process, it varies a lot depending on the office location you have applied to. 

In some offices like the Middle East, the online case interview is an evaluative step i.e. you need to pass it before you move on to the interviews. 

In some European offices, the online case interview is evaluated together WITH the interviews i.e. your performance across the interviews AND the online case will be evaluated together. 

In either case, if someone from the business team is reaching out to you for a quick call to ask questions about the business - this could indicate that your profile is interesting and they would like to give you a chance to ask some questions to learn more about the business. This would not by itself be an interview.

If selected for the interviews, there are typically 2 rounds of interviews with 2 interviews each. The first rounds are typically virtual and the second rounds are typically in person - but this varies a lot per office. It would be best to contact your recruiter directly to clarify this.

Hope this helps, feel free to reach out to me if you need any clarification!

All the best!

Rushabh

hi 

every interaction you have with the team - take it as some form of evaluation your candidacy. In any case, the interaction with RD is more of an informal first step - more of an opportunity for you to ask any questions you might have about the firm, practice l, people etc. ask good questions. Prepare answers to some basic standard questions - why consulting, why that particular office. And you should be good. 

good luck 

This can be either:

1. An opportunity for you to network and gain deeper expertise on the recruiting process
2. An opportunity for them to do some further fit / behavioral testing in order to get more information before their decision.

Be prepared for both.