BCG and Bain case interviews are often candidate-led. At the most extreme of this format, the candidate “leads†the problem-solving process breaking down the problem through an “issue tree†and hypothesizing for the root causes. The interviewer assists the candidate by supplying data to test their hypotheses.
A Simple Formula for Answering “Tell Me About Yourselfâ€
- Present: Talk a little bit about what your current role is, the scope of it, and perhaps a big recent accomplishment.
- Past: Tell the interviewer how you got there and/or mention previous experience that's relevant to the job and company you're applying for.
Based on our experience, the following four-step approach makes for a great preparation.
- First, get familiar with the test and question types.
- Second, develop confident maths skills.
- Third, master a fast and consistent answering method.
- Fourth, practice on sample BCG Potential Tests.
6 Steps to Prepare for the BCG Online Assessment
- Study the sample online case questions and answers provided by BCG and/or attend their interview prep webinar (for offices that offer it).
- Study using practice questions for the GMAT test.
Case interviews can be as short as 10 minutes and as long as one hour. The 10 minute interviews skew towards simple math problems.
We seek passionate, open-minded individuals with a wide range of academic backgrounds, work experiences, perspectives, thinking styles, and expertise. Excellent academic credentials are a necessary—but not sufficient—requirement.
Hi, There is no limit, and I've seen the cases when people applied 3 times and got the offer. However, you need to apply for different roles and having some updates in your background.
Prestige and brand name: McKinsey, BCG, and Bain all have the highest level of prestige in the management consulting industry. They each have a long history of being at the top and that is likely not going to change any time soon. There is no question that these three firms are the three top consulting firms.
Bain looks for people with analytics skills; the ability to break down challenging problems into parts they can tackle in a sequence; strong communication skills; the ability to simply communicate complex concepts; strong team skills and the ability to work successfully alongside others to win as a team.
The Boston Consulting Group has been ranked within the top three on Fortune's “100 Best Companies to Work For†list for four straight years. BCG's LGBT-friendly practices and other diversity and inclusion programs have also been recognized as exceptional.
BCG has a more analytical focus, McKinsey is more focused on structure and story. At both firms, I felt that that the quality of the work was incredibly high. However, there is a dramatic difference in what people focus on in the day to day work.
Within the BCG consulting path, the hierarchy includes such roles as (in ascending order) associate, consultant, project leader, principal, partner, and finally managing director. As employees ascend the hierarchy, they take on more responsibility overseeing project operations and client communications.
Ask for a job application at your local McDonald's or look for one online. There is an online jobs portal on the McDonald's website, but many restaurants don't actually participate in this hiring portal. This means that the most reliable way to get an application is to just go into the restaurant and ask for one.
However, as BCG is one of the three most prestigious consulting firms in the industry, landing an internship is highly competitive.
Usually, 2-3 candidates are invited to the final round of interviews. However, there are exceptions. If an employer has multiple jobs available in the group, they may invite more candidates in the hope of hiring more people.
Expect to be interviewed by multiple people - and ask for a list of names and a schedule ahead of time! Expect to demonstrate your skills in the form of a skills test, presentation, design exercise, etc. (depending on your job), if you have not already. Expect to answer the same question from multiple people.
A first-round interview is usually done over the phone or by video call. It's a screen that you have to pass in order to be truly considered for the job. It has its own set of precautions and best practices that should be acknowledged in order to make sure that you're putting your best foot forward.
The final round interview is typically held in the office you'll actually be working in should you be offered the position. It's a way to give you a sense of what you're signing up for, so it's a good idea to show interest in this whole process.
The Eight Steps to Practice Case Interviews by Yourself
- Find cases that are suitable for practicing alone.
- Synthesize the case background information out loud.
- Ask clarifying questions out loud.
- Structure a framework and present it out loud.
- Propose an area to start the case.
- Answer each case question out loud.
How to Prepare for Case Interviews in a Day
- Hour 0: Try to schedule 1-2 live cases with a case partner for later in the day (optional)
- Hour 0 – 2: Read Hacking the Case Interview.
- Hour 2 – 4: Do 5 practice cases on your own.
So, no matter where you interview, use these tips to sail on through.
- Ask Questions—From the Start.
- Engage Your Interviewer.
- Structure, Structure, Structure.
- Recognize Case Archetypes.
- Practice Your Numbers.
- Keep Up With Industries.
- Practice—and Grab a Buddy.
The tough part about case interviews is that you'll have to be specific and demonstrate hard skills — you won't earn any points with vague or fluffy answers, no matter how charismatic you are. Interviewers want to see analytical thinking, creative problem-solving and data-driven reasoning.
Apply this five-step approach while working through the case interview:
- Understand the issue; ask clarifying questions as needed.
- Identify the underlying assumptions.
- Summarize specific issues and findings.
- State your recommendations.
- Outline next steps and expected results/impacts.
Preparation for the case study
- Listen to the interviewer and ask questions.
- Structure the problem and form a framework.
- Think before speaking.
- Focus on high-impact issues.
- Generate a hypothesis and explore options creatively.
- Demonstrate business judgment.
- Make quick and accurate calculations.
Case interviews are not a reliable way of predicting job performance. After all, they seem to be a smart way to evaluate talent: They are designed to screen for general problem-solving skills, which strongly correlates with long-term job performance.
