What to expect during the BCG expert track case interview?

Question

I was requested to apply by a BCG recruiter for the role of Expert Consultant.
After having coffee with the hiring manager and discussing the job description, which matches my area of expertise, we decided to move forward with the interview process.

I have two one-hour meeting invitations right now for the case interviews in three weeks.

Could someone please offer some advice on the kinds of cases to prepare for this interview?

Will they select cases that fit my area of expertise or will it be a general business case?

Answer 1

Hi there,

I am an experienced hire at BCG myself. If you are applying for a consulting track (even as an expert), the recruiting process is exactly the same as generalist. You may eventually get 1st case from your expertise, the rest will be any strategic case as applying for a generalist role. Your expertise is checked based on your CV but also during the FIT part.

I would recommend you:

1. Understand well the recruiting process https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles

2. familiar yourself with the type of cases you can get https://www.preplounge.com/en/bootcamp.php and check cases published on PrepLounge

3. Practice math!

4. Dont learn any framework by hard, understand rather how to structure a problem and form a hypothesis to prove/disprove with an analysis

5. Practice with peers and take a few sessions with a coach, eventually do one diagnostic session to tell you where you stand and what your next steps should be

Feel free to reach out if you need a coach to support you, I am rewarded as a top BCG trainer, training new hires all the consulting skills (including how we create frameworks), as well as experienced coach.

If you want to find out more, please feel free to reach out directly and I also invite you to check this article that can answer some of your questions: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-into-consulting-as-an-experienced-hire

Good luck!

Lucie

Was my answer helpful?

Answer 2

Hi there,

You should mostly be preparing in the same way as the Generalist track. Be prepared for all case types.

Additionally, make sure to be particularly well-read/versed in your specialization (and be ready to do brainstorming exercises around it).

Here's some case reading for your prep: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

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

Answer 3

Hi there,

Congrats on reaching this stage!

You have quite a wide question, so it's difficult to give a direct answer. In short, you are about to have the first round of interviews and should spend considerable time preparing for them. Aim to do cases on your own, with other candidates and if possible, with experts, to help correct some of your practices.

In terms of the type of cases, my expectation would be that they are from across industries, but it's best to check directly with the recruiter / HR.

Best of luck and reach out if you need any support!
Cristian

Answer 4

Hello,

There will likely be some variability on what to expect based on the geography, and practice, so I recommend reaching out to recruiting and/or people at the firm to see if they have any advice on what to expect.

That being said, generally expert track interviews look similar to generalist tracks in the sense that you can expect a case and some behavioral questions. There is some likelihood that you will get a case that fits your area of expertise, but this is not guaranteed - firms will sometimes pull from a general case pool for the first round. My advice is usually to prepare all sorts of different cases across different industries, but devote additional focus on your area of expertise. Ideally you will want to cover all of your bases.