Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 446,000 Peers!

Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!

BCG 2nd round insights

BCG MBB MBB Interview
New answer on Oct 31, 2020
5 Answers
3.2 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Apr 15, 2019

Hi all,

to briefly summarise my current situation - I'm an experienced hire from consulting (non-MBB) applying to BCG:

  • Applied to BCG and was first invited to an informal lunch with a partner
  • Invited to 1st round interviews (online case, 2 interviews)
    • Feedback was: "not much feedback, maybe feel free to draw a bit more from your experience when answering the case questions"
  • Invited to 2nd round interview
    • After receiving the invite, the recruiter told me that the partner I had lunch with said that I can call him if I have any questions before the 2nd round

My questions:

  • What would you do with this feedback? My concern is that if I draw too much from my experience in the 2nd round that they will dismiss me as profesionally biased. I guess it's just about finding the right balance...?
  • Is there any particular reason the partner extended the invite? I think it's very kind of him and I would like to speak to him about expectations in the 2nd round (e.g., what should I prepare for that is office-specific), but I don't want to ruin my chances in any way

Thanks!

M

Overview of answers

Upvotes
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best answer
Francesco
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 16, 2019
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi M,

the feedback you received seems to suggest you have to be more creative in your answers. This means that after structuring an answer, you may provide more examples of a solution (eg instead of just mentioning distribution channels for a pharmaceutical company as a way to increase volume, refer to the fact they could partner with local doctors). As mentioned by Vlad, I don’t think you have to provide experiences related to your particular work experience.

As for the partner, I would use the opportunity to (i) ask questions office-specific that you cannot find in other ways and (ii) strengthen the relationship with him with questions on his experience, similar to those you would ask at the end of the interview.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Was this answer helpful?
Guennael
Expert
replied on Apr 15, 2019
Ex-MBB, Experienced Hire; I will teach you not only the how, but also the why of case interviews

Congrats on moving to the 2nd round. Some thoughts:

1. You are going to the 2nd round, so they liked you

2. Implicitly, they are telling you that you can do the job; the question now will be whether you are the best suited. I often equate this with a "job is now yours to lose"

3. Little to no feedback even though they apparently tried... suggests to me you did very well and just don't have much to improve

4. Partner offering for you to call directly... very rare, looks very good. These guys are busy; making himself avaialbe speaks volumes of the impression you made

5. Oh, btw - your background is largely irrelevant as soon as you are invited to an interview. They already weighed that, it more than likely won't come into the equation anymore

Keep practicing the cases, review the fit and your why, but I think you should feel pretty good about yourself right now. Good job!

Was this answer helpful?
Serhat
Expert
replied on Apr 25, 2019
BCG | Kellogg MBA |82% Success rate| 450+ case interview| 5+ year consulting | 30+ projects in ~10 countries

Hi there,

1- As you said it is all about balance. Considering your seniority, it would be safe to leverage your industry knowledge where you feel confident

2- Probably there is no particular reason other than they believe that you are a good candidate whom they do not want to reject due to small mistakes.

Cheers
Serhat

Was this answer helpful?
3
Vlad
Expert
replied on Apr 15, 2019
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

Several things:

  • The feedback probably means that you should demonstrate more business judgment. It's not about professional bias but rather about understanding the business and demonstrating it. It's not related to your particular expertise
  • Re the partner - it might be the case that this partner is responsible for hiring experienced hires and its one of his target. You can meet with him and ask questions about BCG. I would use it as an opportunity to practice the fit part and to get more insights on the particular office you are applying to

Best

Was this answer helpful?
Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Oct 31, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

Congrats for moving to final round!

As it has been outlined, its very similar, but :

  • Cases you can expect are more "free riding" - less organized than the ones your found in the 1st round or most prep pages
  • Stronger emphasis in the FIT part, as outlined before by other coaches.

If you are interested in deepening your knowledge and preparation on the FIT part, 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!

Was this answer helpful?
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely