All questions tagged PrepLounge: Personal Fit - Consulting Q&A - PrepLounge.com

This is one of the most classic questions: Make sure you have this answer prepared!

During your answer make sure you:

1) Start with a quick summary of the context/challenge and what ended up happening

2) Highlight not just the challenge, but what the anticipacted consequence would have been

3) Make sure you took action AND articulate why you did it (i.e. the logic)

4) Finish with a positive end, with tangible results (i.e. we delivered on-time and with glowing reviews)

Wonderful pencil, i would rate it 9 out of 10. You can improve both your productivity as well as be entertained with hust this object! Priceless

Essentially, failure experience is regarded very positively by MBB: if you failed, you took risks, i.e. you have proven your entrepreneurial nature. So, do not be afraid to talk honestly about the times you failed.

However, an important thing to focus on in your answer to this question is what you have learnt from your failure. And I would try to turn these “lessons learnt” into something valuable for consulting. For example, you tried doing everything by yourself and after this failure you really started understanding the importance of team work and really improved on this front. Or, you tried doing everything perfectly and after that failure you understood that it’s important to have trade-offs and to compromise to achieve the results you want (80/20 or “better done than perfect“).

So, be honest, talk about your failures, but remember to highlight some lessons learnt to give your story an overall positive twist.

Hi,

This is one of the most frequently asked questions. The response to this question is quite generic, but it works all the time. When I interviewed with MBB, this is how I answered the question and you can follow a similar logic:

I focused on the fact that I was a recent graduate who did not know what to specialize in, in terms of industries (e.g. healthcare, consumer goods, retail, etc.) or functional topics (e.g., finance, HR, strategy, digital, etc.). Thus I emphasized that I wanted to get into consulting to better understand what I am passionate about by working on a different set of projects.

Moreover, I also mentioned that the skillset that I will acquire in consulting (e.g., team management, time management, client management) would be applicable anywhere I go next.

Lastly, I also highlighted the opportunity to take up significant responsibilities in the early stages of my career, as it is rare to find someone who is in his/her mid-20s sit on the same table with key industry leaders and make recommendations to them.

Best,

Deniz

Hi!

To answer your question directly: Your interviewer expects that you provide very concrete and clear examples of leadership in a difficult situation to show. So here's what you need to do:

1. Think of an example that truly demonstrates you taking leadership. An example where you ran a team successfully to a specific goal or through a difficult challenge. The interviewer does not want to hear that you've been in a leadership position, but instead that you have evidence of being an effective leader. So, saying you were responsible for a large team is not good enough because you may not have been very good at it :). But explaining that you led that large team to deliver a multi-month project through major challenges is impressive. And be sure to highlight what the challenges are. Which brings me to...
2. Summarise at a high-level
   1. ​who you led
   2. what you led them to do
   3. what was difficult about it
   4. what you did to be successful
   5. Bonus: what about you specifically made it successful (e.g. your confidence, tenacity, etc.)
3. And then be prepared to go into detail with your interviewer:
   1. Explain what you did, said, and thought. Remember, this is not about your team, it is about you so get comfortable using words like "I did...", "I said...", "I figured out that...", etc.
   2. Describe specific difficult moments and how you overcame it (again, it's all about what you did)
   3. Explain any planning you did beforehand and why
   4. Share and celebrate the outcome (which should be positive) and maybe any learnings or things you would do better.

All the best!

Hi!

The first thing to recognise is why interviewers ask this question. Ultimately, they want to know how aware you are of your development areas, how you feel about you "weaknesses", and whether those "weaknesses" are red flags :)

I advise my clients to:

1. Answer honestly & directly... but not too honestly (this is not a confessional :)). Interviewers can tell if you're being ingenuine and know when you're trying to cover up your weaknesses. For example, "I work too hard" is not a weakness so don't say that. And don't say something that will obviously be a complete deal-breaker.
2. Pick a "weakness" that is important for consultants to have. i.e. it should be relevant to the role. Saying you want to be a better investor is not relevant to the role. However, saying you could be better at managing your time is something that is relevant to being a consultant
3. Show that you have already worked on this "weakness" and have a plan to improve it even more. Interviewers want just want to see that you have "weaknesses" (they already know you do because we ALL have weaknesses). They want to see that you're the sort of person who is doing something about it to improve yourself because as a consultant, you have to be open to feedback and take steps to address that feedback.

Here's an example of what this might sound like (remember, this is just an example that demonstrates an example that is direct, honest, relevant, and improvement-focused. You will need to cater this to yourself:

• "A weakness of mine is my ability to present confidently in situations where I'm less familiar with the topic. This stems from a complete fear of presenting just a few years ago, which I worked on through the support of my colleagues and by putting myself in situations where I had no choice but to present, get feedback, and then refine and try again. So I feel like I've already come a long way. The work I'd done preparing myself for these interviews have helped me gain additional communication skills to improve how I feel presenting less familiar topics, but it is still an ongoing effort, which I continue to work on."

Hope this helps! Get in touch directly to get some specific practice in.

Best!

This question is usually asked in the very beginning of McKinsey interview and does NOT strictly constitute a part of personal fit questions (which are situation-based). In contrast to business cases and personal fit questions there is also no exact system for evaluating your answer to this question. The “tell me about yourself“ question during McKinsey interview serves just one purpose – to actually help you relax, let you talk about something you are familiar with and to help your interviewer to get to know you a bit better (sort of to put a face to whatever she read in your CV).

So, I would use it as a chance to make yourself memorable and to leave a positive impression. What do I mean by that? I mean, of course, do say a few words about your studies and work experience, but also say what you are passionate about and what you want to achieve in life. Are you passionate about swimming? Say it! Are you passionate about singing? Say it! Do you want to eventually build your own business? Say it! It’s important for an interviewer to understand what kind of person you are and for you to leave a memorable mark, so make sure you highlight those things which throw a bit of light on your personality.

Why consulting. (or why her particular firm).

Best,

Antonello

most people believe that external factors like money motivate others, while knowing that intrinsic factors like happiness and satisfaction are their main motivators. i think the main lesson here is that we are all human, and what motivates us at the core is likely what motivates most others. motivating people comes down to satisfying emotional needs. people want to feel valued, impactful, and that they're growing into a better person than they were even yesterday. providing people with the guidance they need but with a healthly dose of autonomy, challenge, and constructive/actionable feedback is one of the best ways to motivate people (as long as they make a living wage)

That’s again your chance to let your personality shine. Try to choose something, which highlights what kind of person you are. I would, of course, choose something which is acceptable in a work-place, but do not hold yourself back too much. By the end of the day, consultants are looking for the future colleagues with whom they will be locked up for lots of hours in a day, so letting your fun side out when this kind of question is asked, is not a bad idea.

Best,

Daniel

This is a key part of the interview! Please do not overlook it at all.

DO

Ask questions about one the below 3:

-consulting industry (how have clients need evolve?)
-case (did you wind up proposing this to the client? which were the roadblocks during the project?)
-himself (which step of the consulting career did you like best?)

AVOID

Ask stupid questions on:

-questions you can ask to HR (how long before I have an answer?)
-basic consuling career stuff (how often do you promote people?)

Dear A,

This is highly individual question. So as for me my motivation, my objective and my wiliness to make this day the best day in my life are the thongs that really drives me. However, I'm not sure that they are transferable to you. So I would simply recommend you to be yourself and to be authentic.

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

Best,
André

How you answer this question should vary for when you are answering it.

• In a cover letter
• In person - after a few interviews
• In a final round - once you've got to understand the company better

The critical factor here is to be specific. The best way to do it is to think about yourself. If you had an offer from this firm along with the others you applied to - would you reject all the others in favour of this one? Why would you take this offer? (though as a grad doing my first interviews for myself it was more why not!)

There is no magic formula but there are various ways you can come up with a great answer for yourself and for the interviewer

In order of priority:

• Speak to people working at the firm - why do they like it, what's good / bad (reach out to friends of friends, mutual LI connections, even cold emails - you'll be surprised how few do this and how most people will respond)
• Reflect on your own interactions - during the interview process ask the right questions at the end to refine your understanding of "what makes this place different, really)
• Read the latest thought leadership - build an idea in your head of what this firm is good at or known for
• Good old google is your friend - look at forums like this

A great answer is specific around a few different areas that make consulting firms different:

1. Culture - team, history, work style
2. Specialisms - type of work they are known for
3. Sectors - e.g. OW is FS, Bain is IP/Retail/CPG, BCG is TMT
4. Clients - working with the biggest and best vs. the small but cutting edge vs. government/non-profits etc

1. Versatile experience, spanning from TMT unicorn to boutique M&A house;

2. Strong transferrable skills, from financial modeling to project management;

3. Get along well with C-suite people, chill, bold, fun-loving and bald.

Firstly, when answering this question always be truthful. Perhaps firms want to see certain skillsets / qualities in their candidates and your achievement does not cover those. But that does not mean it will count against you and therefore you must embellish or create new stories to reflect what they look for.

Instead, communicate that achievement clearly and concisely, highlight the value of it, your skillsets and qualities, and the importance of it to you. And if the achievemnet does not tick certain boxes that a consulting firm would appreciate, mention that although this did not involve me doing X, I did do that in another initiative for the firm on a separate occasion and I would be happy to detail what I did on that front and why I am great at it.

Firms typically value qualities such as being a self-starter, being proactive, having the ability to figure things out especailly with a great deal of uncertainty and a lack of direction/clarity, they will be looking for how well you applied problem-solving and analytical thinking, how you managed stakeholders, and what level of self-awareness / EQ you have. Consulting is a peoples business and therefore they will also be interested in how you manage relationships with others, in particular difficult characters, those that challenge you, those that give you feedback...

Tip of the day: for each firm, ask a consultant prior to the interview how their evaluations are performed (against what metrics / areas). And more likely than not, those areas will be sitting in the back of the interviewers mind when assessing your response (and in accordance to the position you are applying for)

The wrong answer to this question: it depends who's asking

The right answer to this question: an honest answer. As a former MBB interviewer, if I'd ask this question, it would be so that I can see what you care about other than consulting, work, or B-School. If you have a specific hobby that you do during vacation, say so. If you can demonstrate that you know when you need to do nothing except sit on a beach, do so.

Bottom line, just be authentic and show some parts of your personality.

Bonus marks - determine if the interviewer is interested or shares common interests. If so or if not, turn it into a conversation, not just a story.

Helpful?

All,

Describe an area which shows authenticity and a personality trait that is sought after in consulting.

For example:

I would be doing X sport with my friends

Or

I would be travelling the world and exploring new places and cultures

Often in these types of questions, it is as important (if not more important) to focus on the way you deliver the answer, rather than the content.

Hope this helps.

Best, Aws

This question tests your ability to do things 80/20. What is 80/20? It’s a rule which basically states that 80% of the results come just from 20% of your efforts.

So, in practice it means that during the stressful situation you need to be able to prioritise and make trade-offs to complete more work in a given time vs striving for perfection in one specific task.

The 80/20 principle is very important in consulting industry, because in most cases you don’t have time to do things perfectly (there are literally not enough hours in a day). So, when preparing for your personal fit interviews make sure you think about situations where you had to make sacrifices along the way (meaning applying 80/20) and make sure to bring those situations up during the interview.

This is quite an unoriginal question to be asked and also rather outdated, but apparently, some consultants keep asking it (not really reflective of the times either).

I generally believe honesty is the best policy, and for someone at the start of their career whilst you may have a view of where you want to get to in 5 years, it is unrealistic to expect either

a) you know specifically what exactly you will be doing in 5 years

b) that you won't change your perspective along the way

Having interviewed 50+ candidates both in and outside consulting, I would be skeptical of anyone who gave an answer that was too specific or tailored for consulting as being either ungrounded or disingenious e.g. saying they want to be a partner (yes I've heard this before!), principal or thought leader.

At the same time, you don't want to be too broad or unclear e.g. saying you have no idea, as that wouldn't send a great signal either.

A good middle ground might look like something like:

• You don't really know what the world will look like in 5 years so couldn't say specifically (good, signals honesty and realistic)
• But you want to work in consulting to apply your current skills (tailor this), develop new skills and also figure out what sectors / types of work you are good at and enjoy (good, signals you are giving and also taking)
• That said, you have had an ambition to be a business leader or thinker... (tailor this)

Increasingly, firms are more open to an honest exchange to maintain the appeal of consulting vs. big tech to grads. MBBs highlighting the alumni network, exposure/training for 2/3 yers, the exit opps into tech/politics/industry etc.).

The best answers I heard when interviewing Associate Consultants at Strategy& balanced a humbleness (wanting to deliver / learn / work hard), honesty (consulting being a great first career) and ambition.