I will have a first round interview with Bain. Today, I received the interviewer's profile summary. Seems like his experience mostly consists of clean energy projects. Does this mean I will likely get a case in clean energy / renewable sector?
Thank you for your reply
(edited)
Hi,
It could be that the interviewer might use a case based on some real projects they have worked on before, given their experience in clean energy. However, this is not always the case. The best part is that it DOES NOT MATTER at all! This does not impact your preparation or expectations because, in a case interview, you will NOT be tested on your specific industry knowledge.
On the normal consulting track, MBBs are NOT hiring for knowledge! This is one of the most fundamental principles of how McKinsey, BCG, and Bain have built their entire assessment methodology!
The reason is that MBB firms are only interested in your principle skills (such as problem solving skills, communication skills, capacity to influence, maturity etc.). If these principle skills are given, then all relevant sector or functional knowledge will be absorbed on the job and via structured training curriculums at the firms! When I recruited for McKinsey and BCG, my guiding principle was: "I need to hire the right brains and personalities. I am not interested in their business knowledge, since if they have the right capabilities, they will be able to quickly absorb the relevant knowledge anyway". This is the reason why MBB firms insist on the point that your major doesn't play a role in whether you can get an offer or not.
Again: On the normal consulting track, MBBs are NOT hiring for knowledge! They are hiring for skills!
Good luck with your interview!
Cheers, Sidi
_______________________
Dr. Sidi Koné
(🚀 Ex BCG & McKinsey Sr. Project Manager, now helping high potential individuals join the world's top Strategy Consulting firms (McKinsey | BCG | Bain))
Nope, it is not more likely.
Based on my personal experience at BCG, where interviewers do their own cases, it was rather rarely that they would choose something from their own sector.
That being said, if you do have a genuine interest in clean energy / renewables, it can be a nice point of (informal) discussion, for example in the last part of the interview.
Hi there,
First of all, congratulations on the invitation from Bain!
I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:
You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.
If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming Bain interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen
Not necessarily. At all.
No, it doesn't.
80% of the cases I gave were not related to my (current or previous) projects or expertise.
Of course, it increases the probability of having a case in that area. Doesn't hurt (and would be smart) to consider typical value drivers, industry specificities, and research industry trends.
Hi there,
Q: Seems like his experience mostly consists of clean energy projects. Does this mean I will likely get a case in clean energy / renewable sector?
It is possible to get a case related to the background of the interviewer, but there is no guarantee that this will happen. Based on my experience, this is more common in final rounds with partners.
It is still a good idea to review the industry of the interviewer as (i) you may get a case on that and (ii) you could have a discussion/question on their experience in the Q&A at the end.
Good luck!
Francesco
No, you shouldn't expect that.
If anything, what I noticed empirically, is that most interviewers want to amuse themselves and do a case from a different industry than the one they are focused on the entire day.
So prepare across topics.
It's still useful to read up on the interviewer's profile and see if you share anything in common. That might be a good hook for the chit chat at the start.
Best,
Cristian
Hi there,
While it can happen, it is by no means a guarantee.
All the best,
Florian
