BCG Personal Fit

Hi Rob,

usual topics for BCG are leadership, flexibility, teamwork and tenacity. In practice, questions will be mostly the same.

The usual differentiator between other firms is: “Why BCG?”. Many people provide a generic answer to this question (top company, good culture based on the people I talked to, etc) that doesn’t really stand out as unique for BCG. My suggestion would be to be very specific in you answer, and in particular provide details that would be unique for the company when presenting a point. The reason why the ask this question, indeed, is not simply because they want to hear that BCG is the best company for the candidate – they know you have likely applied for McKinsey and Bain and may even prefer one of the other MBB. Rather, they want to know if you are able to do due diligence on a company/client, before approaching them. Thus, you should show you have done such due diligence. For example:

• If you mention the fact that BCG is a recognized leader, mention also the growth rate of the company/increase in the number of offices worldwide in the last years
• If you mention people and culture, explain the specific things these people mentioned about the culture (eg specific example of training programs/opportunities)
• If you mention learning opportunities, refer to the actual programs in place that could allow for your personal growth (when I was at BCG, was common to apply for example to the “Ambassador programme”, allowing to move to another office for one year and then come back).

The rule of thumb is: could you substitute in your answer the name “BCG” with “McKinsey” or “Bain” and have an answer that still makes sense? If so, you probably want to customize it more as it would not be unique for BCG.

Best,

Francesco

Hi,

In general BCG personal fit interviews are a bit less structured and detailed. They declare that they test Leadership and Making Impact. In reality, they will test competencies like Leadership, Impact, Teamwork, Achievement. If you prepare several backup stories for McKinsey questions - it will be more than enough.

Here are some ideas of what you can use to structure your thoughts around "Why Company" question:

• You can start with general facts about the local office. Something like “Sidney office is the fastest growing McKinsey office worldwide.”
• If you have an interest in a particular industry or client this may also be a great reason. For example, Bain can be the only consulting firm working with airlines in your region.
• You may address to different Global opportunities and office initiatives. Using 1-year relocation as an opportunity to learn about business in a particular country can be a valid reason
• Try to combine professional and Non-business rational. If you have friends working in that company, don’t forget to mention them and what you’ve learned from their experience.
• You may use your other personal experiences like working with this company on a client side.

Here are the typical "Why our company" mistakes

• The most common mistake here is to use the Facts applicable to any company like "BCG serves the largest Fortune 500 companies". All big 3 companies work with top companies in all industries.
• Candidates also tend to use outdated facts or historical misconceptions like "BCG is the best in strategy." Try to use only up to date facts
• Finally, stop blindly Repeating company marketing materials

Good luck!

(edited)

Hello!

On top of the insights already shared in the post, next week will be pusblished in PrepLounge´s Shop material related.

In concrete, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB". 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.

Hope you find it useful!

Hi Rob,

I believe it is quite similar to McKinsey, although BCG might be slightly more biased towards teamwork and interpersonal communication. So they want to hear from you how you function in a team, how you persuade others, overcome challenges, etc. They're also in general interested in you as a person; are you fun to hang out with? So make sure to smile every now and then during your interview, also when cracking the case :)

Good luck,

Ralph

Dear A,

Yes, they are also asking about this quealities, although less structured. But you have to be nicely prepared for that.

If you need any further help or advice, feel free to ask.

Best,

André

Hi Jackson,

The fit section of BCG's interview is nowhere as detailed as McKinsey's PEI. You should be comfortable discussing your CV, motivations for different career moves and of course why BCG / consulting. Not much more than that. While it may vary by office, in my experience, BCG doesn't generally ask the "give me an example of leadership / conflict / failure / ..." kind of questions.

Hope it helps.

Cheers,

Ben

There is no strict rule. I general, I suggest you develop 3 or 4 stories you can reuse in a variety of settings.

For each question, follow a framework. A good one is STAR (situation, task, action, result); each section should be 1 or 2 sentences long, but dont forget to also explain what you have done versus what the team has done.

Last but not least - yes, there will be some behavioral.all this is very standard, nothing really specific to BCG.

PS: dont forget to also explain why consulting/BCG

Hope this else; good luck!

Guennael - ex-BCG Dallas

Hi Rob,

basically, the goal when answering these questions is to show the interviewers your critical thinking and problem solving skills and how suitable you are for the job.

Behavioral questions can be like:

• Why consulting? / Why company XX? / Why are you the perfect fit for this position?
• Describe a time when you disagreed with a team member
• Tell me about your biggest mistake at workplace
• Name three improvements you made in your most recent position
• PEI questions
• Etc.

You can find other questions online, just pick some of them and start answering them in a way that makes sense:

• Keep it short (1.5 minutes max)
• Use storytelling techniques (Structure your speech!)
• Try to get the interviewer to participate, e.g. while telling about your experience in place XX, ask them whether he has been there

The more questions you practice, the easier it becomes for you to come up with a nice and suitable answer.

Hope it helps,

Cheers,

GB

Hello,

The set of questions for the Fit Part is pretty much the same of McKinsey. They are gonna challenge your motivations (why consulting?why BCG?) and then to ask something about you (weaknesses, strengths, a situation in which you have failed).

Feel free to contact me for any further detail,
Luca

Hi,
yes, fit interviews are almost identical in MBB. Why consulting, why BCG and questions related to your background are practically certain. I recommend preparing some impactful stories about your experiences that highlight your personal impact, entrepreneurial and leadership skills.

Hope it helps,
Antonello