Hi everyone!
I am invited to a pre-interview at Bain (Germany), which will consist predominantly of personal fit questions and one mini-case. What should I expect from this mini-case (what type of case etc.)? Any insights would be helpful!
(edited)
Hi everyone!
I am invited to a pre-interview at Bain (Germany), which will consist predominantly of personal fit questions and one mini-case. What should I expect from this mini-case (what type of case etc.)? Any insights would be helpful!
(edited)
Hi there,
First, congratulations!
Second, what do you think? :)
It'll be a case, but shorter/quicker.
So, prepare for all the same things! I.e. structuring, problem-solving, hypotheses, math, chart reading etc.
It'll likely be more focused on the case prompt + framework aspect AND will have a good amount of brainstorming. You should be prepared for charts/graphs, but they are certainly less likely. They will likely give you your information verbally (as in, yes, it has grown by x %, or yes this is the largest piece changes, etc.), and you will have to evolve your framework/hypothesis along the way.
Obviously, the type of case, as always, is completely unpredictable! With Bain, you always have more of a chance of PE/DD/M&A, but really anything is game!
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There will be a pretty strong emphasis on FIT. How do you nail the fit?
Resume walkthrough
Why Consulting
Why x company
Personal Stories
Step 1 - Categorize the main stories
There are 5-10 "themes" you need to prepare for. i.e. Leadership, teamwork, challenge, etc. Figure out this list and make sure your stories cover this range (PM me and I can provide you with a template for this list)
Step 2 - Create FLEXIBLE stories that cover a range of categories
You need to create 4-6 stories that each cover a range of topics. They need to be powerful stories that can be adjusted and adapted based on the question asked.
One of my "core" or "killer" stories was usable for Initiative, Achievement, Leadership, Challenge, Change of direction, AND Persuasion.
Write down these stories along STAR or similar format...use bullet points
Step 3 - Organize these stories so you know which ones can be used for what and PRACTICE
Make sure you cover the whole gambit. Then, practice getting asked a question and thinking of which stories apply. I can assure you, no-one is coming up with full stories in a few seconds. Rather, they have practiced how to adapt an existing story to the question asked.
Hi there,
The typical questions at Bain are the following:
Also, not as common as at McKinsey but sometimes asked:
To prepare your stories, I would recommend the following checklist:
In terms of the case, it could be any type, so it is difficult to give tips there. If you are well prepared for standard cases though you should be fine.
Best,
Francesco
Hi Anonymous!
First of all, congratulations for making it there!
I've helped a few candidates to get offers from Bain Germany recently, so happy to help with this. For the FIT questions, you should prepare just as you would for a regular interview. Go through the typical questions and prepare your answers to project your best self. Expect them to ask a few questions on your CV and then dig down a bit into one of the experiences. Furthermore, make sure to be well prepared for the questions "Why consulting?" and "Why Bain?".
The mini case is typically a simple business case as you would use them for any other interview case as well. The interviewer then usually asks you to develop an approach on how to solve the case and discusses it with you a bit briefer than they would do in a real case. This means that your preparation should look just like it would for the actual interview cases. With a slight bias on the development of a strong and MECE framework.
I hope this helps. DM me if you need more details.
Hi A,
My congratulations!
Well, I would recommend preparing for the regular fit questions and standard cases. The only difference, a mini-case might obviously take less time.
Fit (~90% of questions) & PEI questions (~10%). Prepare a few good stories to tell and also make sure you can answer such regular fit questions as "Why consulting?" or "Why Bain?", etc.
Good luck!
Best, André
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