BCG Middle East Final Round

Hi there!

Congrats! That's quite an achievement in itself. 

A few things you can expect to be different in a final round with Partners:

1. communicate the feedback from the previous rounds to the final interviewer. It's important then to show the final interviewer that you have a growth mindset and are reactive to feedback. This matters immensely. Make sure you are clear on your development areas and that you get the right support to polish them before the final interview.
2. Expect less structure. Senior interviewers already have the confidence that you are a decent candidate, your skills having been already vetted by their younger colleagues. They are rather more interested in your as a person and your way of thinking. So they might present you with an unusual case, or one that is created on the spot or no case altogether. Expect anything.
3. Focus on excellent communication. Senior interviewers care a lot about how clearly you communicate and how you manage to forge a connection with the interviewer. It's important to be top-down and concise as much as possible with your answers, while allowing the conversation to flow in a natural way.
4. Put yourself in their shoes. The one question senior interviewers are asking themselves throughout the interview is what will happen when they'll put you in front of a client they've groomed for years? Make sure that even based on this first impression you seem somebody who can be trusted and who can work with any client regardless of how difficult they might be.

Best,
Cristian

Hi therem

Well done getting into the final round!

In reality, you need to be prepared for anything and everything. 

The more you go in expecting x thing, the more y and z thing will throw you off!

The differences between the two rounds are less than the differences between 2 random interviewers. Build out your objective-driven, structured abilities, clear + concise communication, etc.

Of course, you do need to improve on any weaknesses that may have been apparent in the first round.

Here are some tips that may help.

Fixing your Weaknesses

They have made a note of areas you showed strengths/weaknesses in. Look for them to test you weaknesses to see if they're 1) A fluk or 2) Workable.

So, focus on improving in areas you know you underperformed in.

Fit/Behavioral

You should be more prepared for a pretty in-depth fit interview. I highly recommend you expect "loose" or "random" questions and practice this scenario with a coach. They are less likely to just ask you 20 "tell me about a time" questions. They may have a bit more of a chat, ask you to brainstorm, ask things like "How would you setup x type of project", etc. etc. You need to prepare to be flexible here!

Broader topics/case variability

In terms of being MECE, try out a wide range of "unique" questions to test your MECE structure!

For example, if you were a farmer and had to pick between buying a cow, chicken, or pig, how would you think about which to buy?

Practice breaking these down into MECE structures so that the concept really hits home.

And here's some reading to help:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

Good luck!

Hi there, 

congrats to the final round!

I can second what the other coaches already mentioned - most importantly, please don't try to fixate too much on anticipating specific case types or industry focus. Stay flexible.

I have had quite a few coachees for BCG Doha / ME  recently and also 2 folks currently getting ready for final round in that office. Feel free to reach out via DM, if you'd like to learn more.

Regards, Andi

Hello,

Congratulations on getting on the final round! The good news is, you've made it very far in the process, so whatever you are doing seems to be working - keep doing that! I would keep running a few cases to make sure you're on top form. If there are any particular areas of weakness in your cases, be sure to focus on them in your practice. If you got any feedback in your previous  interview rounds, think about it, incorporate it into your preparation, and try to do whatever they suggested you do in the final round. Run through your behavioral answers a few times and make sure you're ready for the most common behavioral questions too. Best of luck!!!

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process with BCG Doha thus far!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, understanding the structure of your interview is key. Final round interviews are typically conducted by partners. They can be less structured, and there is often a heavier focus on the personal fit part of the interview. Be prepared to explain why BCG, why consulting, and why specifically in Doha.
• Moreover, I would highly advise you to spend time reviewing and reflecting on your past interviews. Feedback from previous rounds can be extremely valuable here. Focus on improving any areas that were noted as weaknesses, and continue to hone the areas where you've shown strength. Partners are likely to probe your business intuition, maturity, and ability to interact at a senior level.
• Lastly, keep in mind that first impressions are truly important. The way you present yourself, your ability to connect on a personal level, and your overall demeanor can significantly influence the final decision. Show confidence, but remain humble and eager to learn.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interview, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

Q: I have my final round with BCG Doha. I would really appreciate any comments, advice, high level recommendations, etc. 

In general, in a final round the interviewers may:

1. Spend more time on fit and your alignment with the company.
2. Ask questions related to the areas of improvement for which you got feedback after the first round.
3. Not use a “standard” case. During one of my MBB finals I had one interview made by two market sizing questions and a brainteaser, without any business case.

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To prepare, you can work on the following:

1. Review your fit answers – they might spend more time on the fit part compared to the first round.
2. Work on the case areas they mentioned you could improve, if any.
3. Focus your case prep on the weakest areas. If you are tracking your performance, do drills for the areas where you are struggling the most / review cases where you made mistakes instead of just doing random cases.

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Extra reading:

▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview

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If you need help please feel free to reach out, I have a DB with 60+ real questions asked at BCG in the Middle East.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hello,

For what starting date are you applying if you don't mind me asking?

Hello,

Have you finished your final round!?

Could I please please ask you a few questions regarding the interview experiences?

Hi, 

hoping your last round was great. I'd like to know about the timeline of the hiring process in BCG Middle East / Doha office. I submitted the online application few days ago and did the pymetrics test. How long was your process? 

Do you know if in the Doha office are still hiring for consultant position? 

Thanks in advance for your help, 

Kind regards