Our interview process is aimed at getting to know you personally, learning more about your analytic capabilities, and also introducing you to our people and our work. We assess your ability to listen, communicate effectively, and present yourself with tact, energy, and persuasiveness. We look for intellectual curiosity and creative thinking. And sometimes, we just want to find out what it would be like to spend a week on the road with you, working together on a client project. Interviewers value a sense of humor and a bit of "sparkle" in your personality.
Typically, we divide interviews into three parts: personal background, consideration of a case study, and an opportunity for the applicant to ask questions about us.
During the interview, we want to find out more about you and how you would fit in at BCG. For example, you might be asked to describe ways you have been able to make an impact in a team environment in the past. Or you could tell us of a time when you were able to overcome obstacles, persuading others to go along with a decision that they had initially resisted. The interviewer may also simply be curious to hear your motivation for choosing to pursue a career with BCG.
We use a case study to give you an opportunity to demonstrate your problem-solving skills. Because the case is likely based on a real client project your interviewer has worked on, you will gain a unique insight into what strategy consulting at BCG is like.
The case study will feature a business problem that you and the interviewer will seek to solve together. It will not require extensive knowledge of specific industries or processes, and often our cases have no right or wrong answers. Your questions and thought processes are more important to us than coming up with an actual solution.
We hope that you will find the discussion of the case study intellectually stimulating. There is no better way to simulate what we do than to work through one of our cases.
Preparation for the Case Study
To prepare for the case study discussion, you can review some practice cases at www.bcg.com/careers. The Web site examples will give you an idea of what to expect in the case study portion of the interview.
While there are no set rules on how to solve a case, we have found that some advice can help you succeed. You should
- avoid rushing to a solution without making sure you understand the problem
- ask questions to get all the relevant information you need and rely on your interviewer to help you get on the right track
- make assumptions, but be transparent about the assumptions you are making
- perform a sanity check when doing calculations-you will score extra points for this
- take hints from the interviewer; we want you to succeed, and we don't play games
- be flexible: if your approach is not leading to a solution, pause, rethink the key issues, and adjust your approach
- explore what is important and what is not; focus on the former and don't let yourself be held up by the latter
- resist the urge to rely on a textbook approach or conventional wisdom
- seek creative and innovative approaches to solving the case
One last piece of advice: be yourself and have fun discussing the case. If you find this an exciting and entertaining experience, you'll likely enjoy being a consultant at BCG.
