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The interview

The interview
At BCG, “The hiring process is considered very warm and friendly. We try and make everyone know that they have a fair shot and that we respect them, regardless of interview performance. We try to establish the human connection very early on,” a source says. This is also a way to gauge how well a candidate could handle one-on-one interactions with senior-level clients: “The ability to work closely with senior client executives from very early in your career is one of the key factors BCG is looking for in its recruits,” says an insider. At the same time, a source stresses, “doing well on cases is fundamental. You can be the nicest person in the world, but we won’t lower the bar if you can’t perform well during the case interviews.” “The case will make or break your interview,” another insider warns. An insider describes a “standard set of case interviews, two in the first round and three in the second. Each interview lasts 45 minutes and is usually based on a case that the interviewer has participated in.” Another says to expect “four to six case interviews.”
What to expect in a BCG interview
At BCG, we look for something beyond intellect. In the interview, we want to learn who you are as well as how you think. So each interview has two parts: the personal discussion and the case.
The personal discussion is our way of getting to know you. There is no fixed format or agenda, but interviewers often focus the discussion on an experience or a period of your life. There is very little that can be done to prepare, so relax and use the time to help us get to know you better.
The case interview makes up the greater part of the interview time. The best preparation is to familiarize yourself with types of analysis you may employ and practice generating sound, defensible hypotheses. To help you, we've assembled several resources as well as some tips to prepare for the case interview.

Prepare for problems
A focus on real-world applications is the norm for BCG. Says one manager: “I don’t do rainteasers. Finding out how many golf balls you can fit in a 747 doesn’t give me a great read on a person’s skills.” Be advised, however, that BCG does provide brain teaser examples on the case prep section of its web site – so it’s wise to come prepared for the golf balls, just in case. In most instances, however, “Over a period of 30-40 minutes the interviewee needs to develop a proposed solution to the problem, by engaging in a dialogue with the interviewer. The case interview gives you a taste of what it would actually be a consultant at BCG and the kinds of work that we do.” “Most people get a charge out of these – they like being able to solve problems,” says a manager. BCG advises interviewees to “interact with the interviewer,” noting that the case “should be a dialogue, not a monologue.” Or as an insider puts it, “Be sensitive to when your interviewer is open to questions,” which lets you “give the person the opportunity to appear knowledgeable.”And don’t forget the other types of questions you might face – including the big one: “Why consulting?” Beyond that, a management source says, “we’re looking for people who can make change happen, with a focus on getting things done.” This means interviewers place a premium on “being able to articulate stories of how you’ve driven change in team situations.”

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