Bain Pre-screen call

Hi there,

Most of the time prescreening calls involve fit only, but that's not always the case - you may also have a small case interview. Bain is not as unified worldwide as McK and BCG, so it is difficult to say which may be the case for your specific office without additional information. Your best bet is to clarify with HR.

If it is fit only, standard questions you can expect are:

• Tell me about yourself
• Why consulting
• Why Bain
• Give me an example of when you led a team
• Tell me about a time when you had to convince someone not agreeing with you
• What has been your major achievement so far
• Why should we hire you

Below you can find some tips for a video call:

• Prepare the place for the call. A quiet environment is a must-have. Also, be sure that there is not strange stuff in the background ;)
• Smile during the call. It is an excellent way to show energy
• Use numbers when communicating your structure. This will make it easier for the interviewer to follow you, since they probably cannot see your notes. As an example:“In order to help our client, I would like to focus on three main areas. First, I would like to focus on [FIRST TOPIC], secondly on [SECOND TOPIC], finally on [THIRD TOPIC]. Let me start with the first one."
• Prepare your own questions. Relevant questions at the end are a great way to show your interest in the company and get additional points. This is particularly important in a phone/video interview, as the interviewer will naturally connect less with you. In the first reply at the link below you can find some tips on the ideal questions to ask at the end of your call: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/open-house-at-bcg-311

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Yes there will! Please be prepared with your "Resume Walkthrough", "Why Consulting", and "Why Bain". Please be very ready to explain why you're interested in Bain and where you view yourself professionally.

Also, make sure to have some questions for them! Ask about their experience at the firm, where they see you fitting, etc. etc.

Resume walkthrough

• Needs to be chronological
• Only keep important details that make you look good (i.e. I worked across 7 industries and rose up the ranks twice in the course of that role)
• Keep a theme of "why consulting"
  • I.e. at each step you need to show that you both got exposure to aspects of consulting AND thrived + enjoyed them
• Finish with: And that's why I'm here today looking for consulting with your company

Why Consulting

• You need to summarize what you did before along the theme of consulting aspects you liked and consulting aspects that were missing
• You then combine those two - i.e. I know I like + am good at x, y, and z which is required for consulting, and I really am excited to get a, b, and c
• You finish with a "mini" why x company

Ian provides a solid basis.

On top, please make sure not to have a generic Why Bain and please include why your specific office too. There are certain things I would expect a very serious-about-Bain candidate to know. Saying the culture is great and a stint in the PE ringfence is nice, paired with the office-centric model vs BCG / McK wont cut it. You want to walk and talk like a Bainie and let them know you did your homework (i.e. talking to as many people as possible). Deeds matter more than generic words.

Reach out if add'l help is required.

Best,
Denis

Hey there!

The pieces of advice here are very valuable! 

I would also add a couple of important things: 

• Think about your answers for the most probable questions in advance;
• Don't show that any of the questions made you confused;
• Keep it trustworthy, reliable and imaginative. Do not give boilerplate responses to the question like "Why should we hire you?" etc. 
• Show your knowledge about the company - that's the best way to make them sure that you are interested!

Good luck! And if you have any other questions, feel free to write to me!

GB

Hello!

Yes, it´s going to be mostly behavioural

If you want to deep dive on the topic, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)

It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

Furthermore, you can find 3 free cases in the PrepL case regarding FIT preparation:

Intro and CV questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/introduction-and-cv-questions-fit-interview-preparation-200

Motivational questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/motivational-questions-fit-interview-preparation-201

Behavioural questions (ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE) >https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/behavioral-questions-entrepreneurial-drive-fit-interview-preparation-211

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the Integrated FIT Guide, since we still have some left from the launch!