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Why didn't you join company XY, why join us now?

internship Personal Fit
New answer on Dec 30, 2020
6 Answers
2.0 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Dec 09, 2020

Hello,

one question in an MBB interview (Internship) I found hard to answer was, why didn't you join company XY (former employer - Big 4), why join us now for an internship? (I have only done internships at Big 4 firms). Actually, the company I worked for is not bad (and I enjoyed the time there as well), but I would like to work multi-perspectively and I can only do that at a management consultancy. That was my answer to that. He did not agree with the answer and expected something else. My question would be, what is the best way to answer such a question. He also asked, what did I enjoyed there and what not? So I was a little bit confused by this type of questions.

Best

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Best answer
Vlad
Expert
replied on Dec 09, 2020
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

Here are some other ideas that you can use to structure your thoughts:

  • You can start with general facts about the local office. Something like “Sidney office is the fastest growing McKinsey office worldwide.”
  • If you have an interest in a particular industry or client this may also be a great reason. For example, BCG can be the only consulting firm working with airlines in your region.
  • You may address the different Global opportunities and office initiatives. E.g. international staffing can be a good opportunity to learn about business in a particular country
  • Try to combine professional and Non-business rational. If you have friends working in that company, don’t forget to mention them and what you’ve learned from their experience.
  • You may use your other personal experiences like working with this BCG, it's deliverables or as it's client
  • You can provide your personal experience of working with McKinsey Alums
  • McKinsey women / LGBT / etc. initiatives

Good luck!

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Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 09, 2020
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

This is really just a masked "Why us" question! You should always be prepared for "why x company".

If clear from your answer that you weren't quite prepared for "why MBB" and that's where you struggled. I'm not going to give you the answer here (you need to reflect on it yourself, and it changes based on the individual), but it can be anything regarding breadth of exposure, depth of exposure, training/learning/development, culture, impact, type of work, etc. etc.

In terms of the "What enjoyed in past role" types of questions, you need to be sure to remain positive and demonstrate learning/development during that time! So, talk about a,b,c being good, and these things should all be traits that MBB looks for in candidates (so, client work, teamwork, problem-solving, etc. etc.). Then, segway into 1-2 things that were missing. By missing, I mean not there (i.e. bredth of exposure). I do not mean "these things sucked about the company". Again, keep it positive and with a "forward-looking" view!

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Adi
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 09, 2020
Accenture, Deloitte | Precision Case Prep | Experienced Interviewer & Career Coach | 15 years professional experience

Hey there,

The best way to approach this question is as follows:

The story of your life is in progress, how does firm X fit into that story at this stage- their culture, values, poeple you know there, pipeline of work, attitude towards risk/innovation, reputation, Digital transformation projects etc- You have to do your homework and find some attributes that genuinly fit.

Also, answer why should firm X hire you? What do you bring to them- values, skills, experiences, network, innovative ideas etc. Go a step further and talk about your 90 day plan when you get hired. Come across as if you are already in the firm!

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Henning
Expert
replied on Dec 09, 2020
Bain | passed >15 MBB interviews as a candidate

I feel your reason is a good one, but you could

(a) flesh it out a bit more: what exactly do you mean with multi-perspectively? I assume something about different industries, different capabilities, generalist education, etc. Explain what exaclty you mean and why you like it, rather than just I prefer

(b) just list 2-3 reasons, so add something else that excites you about the work the MBBs are doing vs the work the Big 4 are doing.

Hope this helps!

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Antonello
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 30, 2020
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi,

the differences between MBB and Big 4 are large. You can simply highlight how motivated you are in switching to top-notch strategy consulting firms

Best,
Anto

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Gaurav
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 10, 2020
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Hi there!

The main purpose of your answer is to show that you really want to work exactly in this company, that you can perfectly fit. Emphasize that you share the same goals with this company and want to grow here. Also, it is important to let them know which impact you can make.
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GB

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