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 there,

In general your answers should be 1-3 minutes long (depending on the question and body language of the interviewer). Remember, you need to be prepared with answers for "Resume Walkthrough", "Why consulting", and "Why BCG". Furthermore, you need to have 5-7 stories prepared.

You should expect 2-4 questions.

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

Why x company

• Start with a "mini" why consulting
• Then have 2-3 reasons why x company is your target
• Every "reason" needs to incorporate 1) That you know they value x 2) That you not only value x but have exhibited it and done it in the past
• Be very very mindful of what they want you to want

Hello!

Happy new year to you too!

Process is similar among MBB, with sligh differences. However, the 4 types of questions FIT can have are found all across MBB -and other consulting companies-. 

If you are looking for materials, 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!

Hey there,

Correct, the interviewers may ask whatever they find interesting in theory.

Questions to expect

In practice, most of the time the questions are the same and are along the lines of (in decreasing order of importance and relevance):

• Tell me something about yourself / can you guide me through your resume / how did you end up applying at our firm
• Why do you want to work in consulting?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• Tell me about a time you failed and what have learned from it (very common at BCG)
• What are your strengths / weaknesses?
• What was your biggest achievement?
• Tell me about a time you led a team during a difficult situation
• Tell me about a time you influenced a senior leader or group of people
• How do your skills match the job description? How can your previous experience benefit us?
• What are you enjoying outside of work? What drives you?

Timing

• For rapid-fire questions (what is one of your weaknesses?), between 30 seconds and 1 minute
• For behavioral questions (tell me about a time you led a team), prepare 2-minute answers and then be prepared to deal with some follow-up questions

Repeated answers

Other than for McKinsey and its PEI, here you can repeat your answers when dealing with rapid-fire questions. It's rather important to show consistency and not tell 2 different interviewers 2 different stories or reasons why you want to join BCG for instance.

For behavioral questions, it makes sense to have different stories available for the same question.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

It is totally possible that the interviewers will ask you exactly the same questions. I have a db with 700+ real questions asked in different offices and the fit ones are definitely asked over and over, even in the same round.

You definitely don’t need to have a different answer for some questions. If they ask you why BCG of why consulting for example, it would actually be quite strange if you provide different answers and they discuss it ;)

The questions for which it is better to have different answers are the stories (eg leadership, convincing others or drive in achieving something).

You can find a list of common questions asked here:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/bain-london-can-anyone-share-insightsexperienceadvise-on-behavioral-interview-pastforward-looking-9156

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

You normally get 2-3 fit questions at BCG.

The length depends on the question itself. For example:

• Walk me through your CV. 1-2 min
• Why BCG? 1-2 min
• Tell me about a time when xxx. Your story, 2-4 min. The interviewer may interrupt you to ask for clarification and make the whole delivery longer.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hi there,

It's not common for them to discuss beforehand and yes you could absolutely get the same question twice. My strong advice is to treat each interview independently - give the best answer you have for the question you've received, even if it's a repeat from the prior interview!

Hi!

there are no "typical" fit questions at BCG Germany. It is up to each interviewer to shape this part to their liking / whatever worked best previously.​

In general it always helps to stay genuine (e.g., better think about it for a second; even admitting you don't know the answer is fine - definitely better than making things, which a good interviewer will always find yout).

Hope that helps a bit!

There is no guarantee that the interviewers discuss among themselves if they will be asking the same questions. You can, however, tweak your answer depending on the interviewer's framing of the question as well as their experience. You get a chance to learn a bit about your interviewer before the actual interview takes place and that helps you get a flavor for what kind of answer they might be expecting. 

Hi Tadeus,

First of all, fit interview has 2 parts: a set of questions to you in the beginning of an interview and then your questions to the interviewer after you solve a case

Interviewer usually asks 3 sets of questions:

1. “Tell me about yourself” or “walk me through your resume”- this is how Consultants usually begin the interview. It's an opportunity for them to learn about you and to pick some interesting facts.
2. “Why consulting?”, “Why McKinsey” or “Why BCG” questions are used to assess your motivation to be a consultant in general and to work in that particular firm. 
3. Next the interviewer will also ask you to provide examples from your background to assess how good you are as a leader or a team player; how you can create impact and persuade people; or how you can achieve your goals. 

Fit interview length and depth may also vary by a company:

• Mckinsey is a bit more structured and demanding in its approach with fit part, taking up to 30 minutes. They will ask all sets of questions including a story on 1 of 3 competencies: Leadership, Achievement, Personal Impact
• BCG interviews are a bit shorter, a bit less structured and detailed. They will also test competencies like leadership, Impact, Teamwork
• On the contrary, Bain consultants will be less concerned about your stories and will not have strict guidelines. They will mostly check your background and motivation

Good luck!

Hello there!

The common practice is 2 to 4 questions like
Why BCG / Why you / Why consulting, walking through your CV and fit stories.

Your answers should be about 1 to 3 minutes depending on the question
(stories might take longer as there may be clarifications from the interviewer.

Try to stay structured and consequent when giving answers.

Happy holidays!

GB

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!

Hi Tadeus,

I think there's a few great posts out there that I can attach re: the fit interview. So, in order to avoid not giving credit to others for their posts, please find attach some sources that I recommend viewing. The main takeaway is that the interview process for firms becomes more personalized the further you are into the recruiting process. 

On MBB firms in general and their recruiting process

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/different-selection-criteria-of-mbbs-327

http://www.caseinterview.com/interview-process-mbb

On BCG

http://www.caseinterview.com/bcg-interview

On McKinsey
http://www.caseinterview.com/personal-experience-interview

On Bain (vs McKinsey PEI)

https://www.firmsconsulting.com/podcasts/key-differences-in-bain-fit-questions/

*Additional Resources*

How not to answer behavioral questions

https://managementconsulted.com/consulting-interviews/8-fit-interview-questions-and-their-fatal-mistakes/

Dear A,

Agree that there is alway room for the interviewer to ask you unpredicatble question. 

The main role is to be genuine, normally reacted on any kind of stressfull questions and be ready to present you skills and qualitis under the different angle. 

If you any further questions, feel free to ask. 

Best,

André

Hi,

The length of your answers depends on a lot of factors (e.g. the question itself, your feeling with the interviewer, etc.) so that it's very difficult to give you an exact answer.

As for the content, there are three questions you must practice a lot:

- Why you?

- Why consulting?

- Why BCG?

Also prepare fit stories that showcase relevant experience, e.g. entrepreneurial drive, etc.

If you are interested in knowing how I support candidates for every step of the recruiting process, and especially the fit part, I'd be happy to set up a quick introductory call.

Best,

Antonello

Hi Rob,

In BCG's personal fit interviews, they focus on several dimensions similar to McKinsey. Here are key aspects they often assess:

Independence:

• Highlight instances where you've been self-motivated.
• Showcase your ability to make decisions even in challenging situations.

Team Contribution:

• Provide examples of your collaboration and teamwork.
• Illustrate times when you've been a valuable team player.

Substance:

• Emphasize instances where you've substantiated your claims.
• Share experiences that showcase your depth of knowledge and expertise.

Learning:

• Discuss instances where you actively pursued self-improvement.
• Highlight your commitment to continuous learning and self-reflection.

Achievement:

• Demonstrate your track record of delivering tangible results.
• Provide specific examples of successful outcomes in your professional journey.

Remember to tailor your responses to align with BCG's culture and values. Good luck with your interview!

Best regards, Frederic

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 there!

I wish you a happy 2021!

Usually this part of the interview takes about ~10 minutes and the interviewer asks approximatelly 2 to 4 questions depending on whether he/she feels confident/satisfied with your responses.

However, you should not base the length of your answers on the duration of this part. You should make sure that your arguments are well structured and you provide specific examples/ points in your answers to make it more tangible. On the other hand, you should not prepare a monologue for each one of the questions.  

Hope this helps!

Please reach out if you have more questions regarding the overall process:)

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

Hi,

Well, most of these companies have pretty common personal fit questions. There are all about your leadership, conflict solving skills, team skills, as well as analytical excellence. I would say that McKinsey put great emphasis on your personality and ability to convince others even if they disagree with you, while BCG is more precise on your collaborative approach and creativity. Bain values tough mathematic and analytical skills. But most of the questions are pretty common and universal for all three companies. 

Hope, it helps.

Best,
André

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,

These are your typical personal fit questions (incl. leadership, personal impact, drive). The main difference with MCK is that your answers regarding personal impact/leadership/drive will need to be more condensed.

So concretely: Why this firm, why consulting, why this location, example of leadership, etc.

Hopefully this helps.
Jorn

Hi there,

focus will usually be on motivational questions..

1. Why consulting
2. Why BCG
3. Why you
4. Development areas / weaknesses
5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years
6. What's your biggest achievement / failure

Wish you all the best.

Regards, Andi

In short, two things they'll ask you about: 

- Impact. Eg. could you please describe a moment (from private or professional life) in which you had a true impact? 

- Teaming. Eg. what are your experiences in terms of teaming? what were some challenges you came across and how did you overcome them?

Make sure to provide some concrete examples, and detail your answer in a structured way. 

Hi Anonymous,

indeed, there is a list of questions that tend to appear more frequently; the most likely fit questions and topics you will find are:

• Tell me about yourself
• Why consulting
• Why BCG
• Give me an example 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

Some BCG offices have specific questions that tend to appear over and over.

Although the company that emphasizes more the stories is McKinsey, following a preparation including the key areas of leadership/teamwork, impact and drive will have you covered for BCG as well.

The best way to prepare is to complete the following check list:

1. Understand the difference between, leadership, impact and drive areas. You can find a link with their differences here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/mckinsey-pei-difference-drive-and-personal-impact-918#a1780
2. Identify good stories for each area. Ideally you want to have at least two stories for each area. Three would be even better
3. Use a structure for your stories. I would suggest to use the STARR model (Situation, Task, Action, Rational for Action, Results)
4. Identify for each story one sentence clarifying what the story is about and start with it. Think of it as the title of a journal article
5. Practice live, collect feedback from people listening to you, reiterate until you get fluent and convincing

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

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 might 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 the workplace
•    Name three improvements you made in your most recent position
•    Entrepreneurial drive 
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 friendly and suitable answer.

Hope it was helpful,
GB
 

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

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

Hello!

FIT is practically identical in all MBB. 

What catches my eye here is that you way in your post you are going to be interviewed by HR BCG... are you sure about that? Interviews are conducted by consultants, HR manages the process and does the screening. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

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,

As a rule of thumb no more than 2-3 minutes and make sure to have a clear structure that is easy to follow by the interviewer.

You need to be ready for at least the following questions:

• Tell me about yourself - focus on key things that you want to highlight or interest them to dig further so you can sell yourself more
• Why consulting - need to have a strong reasoning based on your experience, discussion with people (ideally can directly relate to the next question)
• Why BCG - really try to dig as much as possible about the firm from the coaches / friends / network to get a specific reasoning
• They might also ask about your greatest achievements and failure - make sure you have strong learning to be shared in both questions

Best,

Iman

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