What should I ask? Is talking about my industry enough? What should I demonstrate or how should I present myself as a potential consultant at the firm? What are the questions that I shouldn't ask?
Thanks
Ask For Yourself
While a coffee chat is a way for you to make a good impression, please remember that it's also about you making sure this job + path are right for you!
To prepare, think about things you'd like to learn about the company. Ask about your person's experience at the firm, where they've come from, if they have any advice for you etc. Be inquisitive and interested in what they have to say, and feel free to ask thoughtful follow-up questions.
Have Your Pitch Ready
In terms of what they'll ask you, make sure you have your 30 second pitch prepared! Who are you in a nutshell and why are you interested in BCG and strategy consulting?
Ask About Them
People love to talk about themselves. Just ask them what they've worked on recently or what their journey at BCG has been like. Importantly, do your research beforehand - find out what they've done and try and pick something from their past that looks interesting to you. Tailor your questions just like they tailor their FIT questions to your resume.
"So, how did you end up in the Industrial Goods sector?" "I saw you worked on a big digital transformation for a financial services company - I experienced one myself and it seemed so hard to move such a big organisation. What did you see as the major challenges and breakthrough moments?"
Here are some other great related Q&As
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/points-to-highlight-to-a-senior-partner-over-a-coffee-4588
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/curve-ball-questions-to-expect-with-partners-6268
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/networking-with-partners-7005
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/skype-call-with-mbb-hr-manager-after-referral-what-can-i-get-out-of-it-4135
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hr-screening-rejection-6851
Hi Anonymous,
Do NOT ask any obvious questions which you can gather from other sources as well - there is definitely a better way than that to use valuable partner face-time.
In general I like candidates asking "personal'" questions, since this really gives unique and interesting insights from the specific person. Some questions I am thinking of are e.g.
Hope that helps to guide your thinking into the right direction - if so, please be so kind and give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!
Robert
The most important thing: try to put yourself in his shoes by understanding what he expects. Show in your speech certainly your motivations but also that you have already developed good consulting skills through your past experiences. Take the opportunity to ask the questions you have about BCG but don't forget that the most important thing is to convince him to refer you I imagine.
Hi
You should try to learn more about what is happening in the industry and BCG's views on it. It makes for an interesting conversation and helps you subtly showcase your thiking skills. You can learn more about the culture at BCG and what it takes to succeed from the partner. You can also talk about your experience and understand how that could translate into the consulting world if this will be your first consulting career.
The purpose of the call is for you to understand as much about BCG as they would like to understand about you and your experience.
Avoid any personal questions or the obvious ones which potentially HR could answer.
Hello!
I would try to be genuine and truly connect.
Think of meeting your partner´s parents: you want to somehow impress them on how smart and prepared you are but also be enjoyable and leave a good impression.
Similar thing here!
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
Hello,
The golden rule is not to ask general questions that could be answered looking online. Try to leverage his expertise and to get some real insights about the BCG world, showing your enthusiasm and motivation. Prepare some original and not common question that will "challenge" him in a kind way (e.g. "What don't you like of your job?")
Best,
Luca
Dear A,
It's great that you have a chance to talk with partner.
Well, in general, you need to be lightly person on order to do so you need to google the most relevant information about your partner with whom you are going to talk about his background, his competence and focus, past projects. Maybe, you can even find any publications where he was an author. Through this, try to ask him the questions and find similarities with yourself: maybe you cam from the same school, town, or interested in the same topics. This will help you to establish both profesional and personal link.
Listen more than you speak, be an active listener. Partners normally like those person who are smart and listen to them. So make the partner feel great during this conversation. And I'm pretty sure that afterwards he will be eager to help you to get into the firm, which is your ultimate objective.
Hope it helps you,
If you need further tips, just drop me a message,
Good luck,
André
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