Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 448,000 Peers!

Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!

What distinguishes A.T. Kearney ? Why A.T. Kearney? (fit interview)

fit interview
New answer on Nov 22, 2020
9 Answers
16.0 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Oct 23, 2018

Hello everyone,

I have an interview coming up with ATK and I am a bit unsure how to answer the question of why A.T. Kearney (Dubai), I know why I want to work in Dubai but I am not very sure how to answer the first question without making my answer something that would fit every firm. The true reason why I want ATK is because my final rounds for MBB didn't end up too well but I don't think that's what they want to hear.

Overview of answers

Upvotes
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best answer
Francesco
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Oct 23, 2018
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi Anonymous,

to properly prepare "Why ATK", it is crucial to understand why consulting companies this type of questions.

Of course, every consulting company knows that the majority of the candidates are doing multiple application in consulting, and probably prefer an MBB company. Thus why such question?

The key reason is that they want to see if you are able to do due diligence in advance on your target/prospect. If you are going to an interview and have not studied the company you are going to interview with, chances are you are going to do the exact same thing with the client. And a consulting company definitely doesn’t want this to happen.

Thus the question translates in how you can show you have done due diligence on the company. A general structure to identify elements that distinguish a company is the following:

  • Company potential: how much the company grew in the last year, which is a good guarantee for your future career as well
  • Sectors of interest: specific focus of the company in areas interesting for you
  • People you met and culture: specific people of the company you discussed with, and the things they shared on the company
  • Your growth opportunities: specific programs of the company you heard about to enhance your growth
  • Size/reputation of the firm: smaller companies usually offer a more entrepreneurial culture, with higher growth potential internally. Bigger companies have more resources and support staff, and more prestige in terms of exit.

Whatever topic you choose, you can apply a simple rule of thumb: if you can substitute the name ATK with another one, and have the answer still making sense, it means your answer is not specific enough. To be specific, you should talk about growth rates/specific people you talked to/specific research paper you read on the company.

This means you will have to spend some time preparing this question. But it also means you will have higher chances to stand out - very few candidates invest time in such due diligence.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Was this answer helpful?
Vlad
Expert
replied on Oct 24, 2018
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

Why "Company" question can include the following arguments:

  • The general marketing story the company is trying to sell (e.g. Bain is a small "Family" company)
  • Brand / positioning / market share in the region
  • More clients / projects / expertise in the industry you are interested in
  • More well-known stories of success in your city
  • Your friends working there
  • Your interactions with the other consultants before the interview
  • Your prior experience of working with the Firm on a client side
  • Office traditions
  • Work experience with firm alumni
  • etc

Best!

Was this answer helpful?
Benjamin
Expert
replied on Oct 23, 2018
ex-Manager - Natural and challenging teacher - Taylor case solving, no framework

Hi,

Indeed its not the best idea to remind them they are not MBB.
So basically, you can use similar arguments pretending they are as attractive as MBB from your stand point (without making a direct comparison). On top of this below are a few specific arguments :

- Vision 2020 : ambitious target of growth to double size (compared to 2015)

- Co-creation workstyle : involving client in recomandation definition, so you ensure a full buy in

- atmosphere of work : challenging yet nice environment to work with good atmosphere over the different offices

Best

Benjamin

Was this answer helpful?
Guennael
Expert
replied on Oct 23, 2018
Ex-MBB, Experienced Hire; I will teach you not only the how, but also the why of case interviews

You are right, this is probably not what they want to hear (even if everyone pretty much knows it). Ha!

At least in the US, ATK is a Tier 2 with strong background in IT work (google their history); I suppose you can always explain that you want a company that's human sized but with a very strong international brand.

Has the Dubai office been growing nicely? Probably so, since it is Dubai - if so, that's also a ready-made argument that won't look too canned.

Was this answer helpful?
Anonymous replied on Sep 23, 2020

Dear A,

AT Kearney - is based in US. In Dubai it's Kearney.

About why Kearney you can find some information about how this firm grows and develops. Below I can share with you some information about this firm in Dubai which I have shared in a more broad post:

  • Kearney is growing historically fast with 30%+ CAGR (this is absolutely insane!) and struggles to find enough good candidates for their pipeline. Nowadays, more than 30% of firm's global revenues are coming from the Middle East region. Therefore, they are temporary transferring people from other regions to ME in order to stuff adequately their projects and compansate the shortage as well as hiring excessively.

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-are-the-consulting-career-opportunities-in-the-middle-east-dubai-qatar-and-kse-5924

Best,

André

Was this answer helpful?
5
Anonymous replied on Oct 23, 2018

A build on top of what other experts have said - a way to get some solid reasons which will also seem genuine is to try reaching out to some current ATK employees on Linkedin and asking them for a brief phone call / chat. Based on this conversation, you can say "I spoke to X from your Dubai office who told me of A B C which really excited me about the firm".

Was this answer helpful?
5
Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jul 06, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

On top of the insights already shared in the post, 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.

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes, since we still have some left from the launch!

Was this answer helpful?
Anonymous B replied on Oct 23, 2018

Are you an Arabic speaker? or at least are you living/studying in the Emirates?

Was this answer helpful?
2
Gaurav
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Nov 22, 2020
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Hi there,

Answering this question, you need to prove that you share the same values and goals with the company. You should point out the reasons - why you are a good fit for them and explain that you can see your future within the firm.

I would also recommend mentioning the inspiring atmosphere and that you've liked communicating with people who work there. Moreover, you can point out that you would be happy to develop in such a successful company. However, try not to give typical answers which usually candidates do. Answer the question according to your personal values and motivation!

Do you need any further help?

GB

Was this answer helpful?
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely