How to answer fit questions if I come from a non-traditional background? (BCG SEA)

Hi,

I believe coming from a non traditional background is even an advantage as firms are looking for diversity. focus on the skills you can easily transfer to consulting (e.g., communication, research, creativity) and that sets you apart. Always answer in a structured way using the STAR method.

Let me know if you would like to practice the FIT questions together.

Mattijs

Great question! Also interviewed with BCG SEA and would say I come from a non-traditional background (was an event organiser-turned product manager and I’m also a content creator)

Assume you will be asked questions like “tell me about yourself” or “tell me about a time you’ve used data to solve a problem”. For these types of FIT questions, remember that they are looking for how you approach problem solving and whether you can do it in a structured way, not whether you have consulting experience. To address this, two things I would do:

1. Search for common FIT questions (definitely leverage ChatGPT here if you can) and write down some bullet points on how you would respond to each. Practice laying out the structure of your answer eg set context, lay out actions taken, establish results of your actions. For example, in response to a question about when you’ve used data to solve problems, you could straight up say: I will tell you about a time when I was asked to improve viewership on a particular piece of content I created. I will share how I approached it, and the result of those actions. Then you go into your story. This shows that you are able to clearly structure your thoughts regardless of what background you come from

2. One thing interviewers will be keen on testing is your comfort level with numbers, so try and recall examples where you dealt with any piece of quantitative data at all from your internships, and build some stories around how you used that piece of data. The more specific, the better. And even if it’s tricky to recall numbers, try to recall the logic of how you brought information together into a piece of output. 

Hope that helps!
 

Hello,

Congrats on getting this far! I can empathise, as I am also from a humanities background.

This can indeed be an advantage as consulting firms really want diversity of thought (which means lots of different educational profiles).

The most important thing is to show examples of tangible, measurable personal impact in your interviews. They do not have to be business related (in my interviews, I talked about a volunteering project, for example).

Let me know if you’d like some help crafting your narrative.

Hi there,
They are not trying to access if you have had business related experiences, but rather if you have the right behavior and decision making rationale that can be replicated in future situations. 
One of the fit stories I told in the final round at McKinsey was actually within a volunteer group setting, and the partner literally said he would never forget that interview.

I have supported several candidates successfully pass the fit interview conveying their stories in a strong and compelling manner, if you would like to know more about it in a 20min free consultation, just DM me. You will see that you’ll have what it takes and feel confident about this portion of the case!

You’ve got this :)

Best,

Mari