All questions tagged BCG - Consulting Q&A - PrepLounge.com

Absolutely! It is always helpful to know that you have done similar work in the past and genuinely enjoy it. I would focus on sharing the specifics of each enganement, what your role was and what you accomplished. Also use it to draw on questions related to leadership, communication or working in a team environment.

Hi there,

1) "Lessons chances a little" Stop being obsessive! Don't worry about this. Your odds are already 5%....if you worry about the additional 1 or 2% change, you're wasting energy.

2) Everything you need to demonstrate/know in "normal" times stays the same. Meaning, don't change any of your prep just becuase it's online. You will still get a prompt, you will still need to read/interpret charts, you will still need to be hypothesis driven, create a solid framework, drive the case, communicate clearly, think in a structured manner, etc. etc.

3) Get comfortable with virtual

• Make sure you have a strong internet connection
• Make sure your sound+video work
• Get multiple monitors so you can look at 3 things at once (1 screen makes thought linear which is tough),
• Have a good desk space and keep using paper for solving the case,
• Make sure you'll be in a quiet space with no distractions
• Still dress for the occasion

​4) Think about COVID-19 implications to your case

You might either be given a COVID-19 case directly, or need to consider its impact. Clara and I have create a few cases to help you feel prepared with this!

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/brain-teaser/beginner/coronavirus-times-covid-19-brainteaser-194

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/intermediate/chinese-chess-airline-business-during-covid-19-191

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/intermediate/covid-19-impact-on-heathrow-airport-197

Hi there,

It is difficult to answer without more information on your CV and what exactly you did in your additional experience.

In general though the #1 thing you can do to land an invitation is not related to your CV, but to finding someone that can refer you.

You can find more on referrals at the link below:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hey-everyonehope-all-is-well-3176

If you need help with that please feel free to PM me, I helped several candidates to get referrals in MBB.

Best,

Francesco

I have a genuine question for you - why spend 5-7 years on a PhD just to go into consulting? The PhD students I met during my time at McKinsey ended up there because they did not enjoy their time in academia or decided at some point that they did not or could not pursue a career in it. To go into a PhD to get into consulting seems like a very convoluted route to take. Why not just do an MBA or MPA which are much shorter programs? Or just try to get in right now based on your work experience

Hi Margot,

It depends on the country. In general the countries opening the earliest (eg UK) have an application deadline starting 9 months before the beginning of the internship.

Keeping that as a benchmark, you can contact HR or - even better - network with someone in your target office for more specific information. That should also help to clarify the best time to apply given the COVID situation in your particular country.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

in the first months you usually have:

1. An introductory week with some training. The formal training for new joiners may happen straight when you join or a few months after, as it is structured at regular intervals
2. Work on either:
   1. A project, if you are immediately staffed
   2. Proposals or support to other teams, if you are not staffed

Below you can also find a list of things that could be useful to practice during your first weeks:

1. Take notes when your manager tells you something – this will help you to remember details and will show you care about them to the team.
2. Always double-check. The first impression is very important in consulting: if you show you are reliable from the beginning, you create a reputation of a reliable person. Double checks should be done on expectations for your job, your Excel analysis, your slides – basically everything.
3. Define priorities before starting any set of tasks. The majority of the results usually come from a subset of activities – this is true also for your tasks in consulting. You have to identify which they are and prioritize them – the application of the so-called 80-20 rule or Pareto Principle. Alignment on priorities and expectations is particularly important with your manager at the beginning of the project.
4. Socialize with your colleagues and start to build a network. Consulting is a people business and you should build a good network both within and outside the company. A good start is key to develop good relationships long-term
5. Organize your private life activities. You want to organize your calendar to leave some space for personal activities (sport/ friends/ family). This is not easy but can be managed if you organize well, and long-term will be critical to keep a balance between work and private life. Also, it is better to align with your manager/teammates from the beginning on your core needs, so that there are no surprises later on.
6. Ask for feedback every two-three weeks – this will show you are proactive and willing to learn.
7. Ask for help when you don't know what to do – better to let know you are in trouble with meeting a deadline then missing the deadline.
8. Be social and respectful with the support staff – these people are great and influential as well in the company.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hi, sounds like a great networking opportunity! A few thoughts I'd share:

• Networking is known in the consulting community as a way towards receiving an offer, so I'd be explicit about your interest in the firm
• Focus on what you'd bring to the firm, i.e., what's in it for them to bring you on board
• Also focus on what development you're missing in your current role that you'd gain at this firm
• Related to point 1, I'd ask for a referral to a recruiter at the end of the call, as well as any other contacts that came up in the conversation; always try to leave a networking experience with 2 contacts, exponential growth in network :-)

Good luck!

Focus more on prepping for the discussion itself rather than focusing on getting referrals. Make sure that you showed him/her that you are sharp and prepared, but also coachable (eagerly listening and taking in opinions). I'd say towards the end subtly mention that you're interested to pursue consulting upon graduation and explain why.

Hi,

I would appreciate if you can actually share the graph and the case here

Best,

André

Hi!

Dont read too much into it. The best you could do is learn about the speakers and connect.

Hello!

I honestly disagree with previous answers, and I am exhibit A.

Family reasons are indeed a very valid and respected argument for an office transfer. I precisely built a case arround that for a transfer between the Madrid and the Zurich MGI office.

PM me if you want more details.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi Alex,

you first need to isolate what numerical driver causes your profit decline. Revenue is too high level, you need to find out whether it is an issue with pricing, or the product mix, or the quantities. If, e.g., lower quantity is the problem, then you drill deeper to understand the concrete numerical driver (e.g., the average number of items per purchase has not changed, but the number of purchases has gone down --> then you drill deeper to understand what is driving this --> e.g., the number of customers has not changed, but their average frequency of purchasing has gone down --> this is the numerical problem driver! You isolated it just by means of a driver tree).

Once you have isolated the problem driver (WHAT is the problem?), then you check on the qualitative reasons that might have caused this very problem driver to develop negatively (WHY does the problem exist?). You exclude all other areas of the tree because they are not relevant. This is how you run effective and efficient diagnostics. This second step of qualitative analysis might indeed require some extra structuring once you reach it!

Cheers, Sidi

Hi Serdar,

The short answer is no, GMAT won't act as a substitute for University grades.

A Good GMAT score could be helpful though in some cases, for example:

1) If you are doing a non-quantitative degree, a good GMAT quant score can demonstrate your quantiative ability

2) If you are studying at a University where the scoring system is not easily understood by the office you are applying to, then GMAT could serve as a decent benchmark.

A 3.6 GPA by no means would be an application killer, so I wouldn't worry too much at this point, and work on the other parts of your CV (e.g. extra curriculars, getting more work experience) and on pushing up your GPA with the courses you have left.

Hope that helps!

Alessandro

Hello!

Sorry, do you mean Imbellus?

If this is the case, some toughts and tips:

• It's a gamified test
• Divided into 2 games, 1h to complete both of them:
  • 1st one is a game about keeping an ecosystem balanced
  • 2nd one is a defense game

It´s fun and there is not really a "way" to prep for it.

My advise would be to be fresh when you do it and pick a right enviroment -during my BCG test in their office there was construction in the patio and the screen was even shaking-.

HOpe it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi, I did the Imbellus test recently, it took me 13 days to hear back from HR. As expected, the hiring situaton is quite messy due to COVID-19.

Hi - congratulations for your two job offers! This is awesome!!

Concerning your questions

• How is the culture in those 2 firms and what are the differences? I read that the culture is better at BCG, but why (or why not) and is this also true for Germany?
  • it's hard to say - because in Germany too, most offices have their own culture
  • but in fact there are a few differences between the typical McK and BCG person;)
  • I would never say that BCG's culture is better - it depends on what kind of person you are and what culture suits you better
  • I worked for McK and fit very well with the people who worked there. But I also have some friends who work at BCG - if you want more specific information, just give me a call!
• Who is the market leader in Germany (not only for healthcare) / is viewed as more prestigious (although this is not too important for me, but I read in a “vault ranking” that McKinsey is leading here)?
  • This is a head-to-head race - I think McK is leading
  • But honestly both companies are very prestagious - so don't worry about this one!
• In which company is it easier to support social impact projects?
  • At McK you can choose the projects you want to work for (e.g. Social Impact Projects)
  • At BCG you will be assigned to projects - you cannot choose

I hope this helps. If you are interested in a more personal view on the different cultures, send me a direct message.

Best

Giulia

Hello!

Totally depends on (1) how interesting you find the position and (2) which exit opportunities you have.

In you shoes, I would start exploring the market:

• Looking for opportunities
• Talking to some head hunters
• etc.

Then, whever you have some tangible offers on the table, you can decide with real facts, comparing real offers.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi,

I have uploaded both test samples here (Online test is about airlines). I've also added BCG written case sample (Next round) and Bain written case:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zor4m49eyx5qxal/AABeUN6mtiGkWhEklRjszX2Oa?dl=0

(PM me for a password)

As for particular recommendations for online test:

1. Try to find as many people in your country as you can who have done the test. Ask them for the topic, industry, and questions they remember. For example in one of the countries there was a test about airlines and reading a couple of articles / company reports / wikipedia articles with industry terms could significantly improve performance
2. Try to practice tests with strict time-management. McKinsey PST from the official web site and all mck and bcg -like tests you can find online
3. Additional resources can be GMAT Integrated reasoning from the official guides and apps if you feel that you are not p[erforming well
4. As far as I remember calculator is allowed on BCG test. Make sure you know how to simplify calculations and use it fast

Best!

Hi there,

campus recruiting is normally dedicated to students. You can check with your career service if they have events open to recent graduates – some universities offer them.

If your goal is consulting, I would still go for it, using a referral. If you target another job, chances are you will stick to that for 1-2 years, which is the usual ban period in consulting anyway. Thus you can keep consulting as your first choice and target an alternative and apply again later as second best if that doesn’t work.

Hope this helps,

Francesco