Tell me three things that are not mentioned in your CV

Question

Hi all,

in my first round interview at Bain last week, the interviewer asked me to tell him three things about myself that are not mentioned in my CV. My CV covers pretty much all important stages from school, internships, etc. including detailed information about specializations, projects, etc.

What exactly are interviewers really interested in, when asking such a question? What are dos and don'ts when answering this type of question?

Thanks in advance & looking forward to reading your answers.

Elena

Answer 1

Hey Elena,

This is an opportunity for you to take charge and highlight key points you want to get across, so use it wisely. There are a few potential topics you can address when asked this question.

Explain your motivation in your career transitions; make a coherent story of what drives you to interview for a consulting career
Tell your key strength areas or your working style; make sure they fit the culture of the firm
One hobby or activity outside work that can showcase your determination and resilience

Hope it helps,

Emily

Answer 2

Hi Helena,

That's a tricky one! In a way, this is a "what are your 3 greatest strengths" question disguised ;)

Answer 3

Hello Elena,

Try to think something related to your personality and your soft skills that could impress your interviewer. You can use the answer that I imagine you prepared for the fit question "what are your strenghts?"
Do not forget to be fact based, prepare some good examples that can prove your sentences.

Best,
Luca

Answer 4

Hi Elena,

talk about your social engagement, extra curricular activities, hobbies&interests.

Maybe you could bring some fun facts which will make the interviewer smile or laughing.

Anyway be yourself!

Best,

André

Answer 5

Hello!

As you say, a good CV emcompasses all the relevant aspects from the experience and studies of a person.

Hence, in this case, I believe he was referring to things related to your personality, what passionates you, the things you like, etc.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 6

Tell about your hobbies, you as a person, how good of a friend you are etc.

Something that will make them remember you, it doesn't have to be professional.

Answer 7

Hi,

Don't talk about weaknesses
Talk about positive things
Since you have everything in your resume - most probably should be work related
The objective is to understand you as a human beyond work. Talk about your hobbies and interests
You can also mention some interesting / funny stories from the past

Best

Answer 8

I would talk about 2 strengths supported by impactful stories + a nice hobby

Best,
Antonello

Answer 9

Interviewers want to hear a mix of personal and professional stories. Therefore, don't be afraid to share a personal hobby or personal story. In terms of professional stories, prepare one or two stories that are not on your CV (above all your CV is only 1 page) beforehand.

Answer 10

Hi,

Basically the question behind this question from the interviewer is to get an understanding how is your experience, skills and accomplishments make you an ideal candidate for that specific role.

So, to answer brilliant on this question take out from your resume the most relevant experience and structure your narration in a way that will reply to the following questions:

How led you to that role?
What did you learn from that role?
How did that influence your next steps?

Also, you can mention your motivation in consulting, in this company and how you can be useful as a potential candidate.

Does it make sense to you?

GB

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