I applied online. The process took 7 weeks. I interviewed at Boston Consulting Group in Jan 2015
Interview
After applying online, I found out a few days later that I had an interview and offering the chance for some practice interviews with people from the firm. I conducted 2 practice interviews with different people from the firm. I met a lot of people throughout the whole process
First Round:
Two 45-minute behavioral/case interviews with consultants from the firm. The cases were pretty different in nature, and you really need to structure your thoughts up-front in order to be successful. The first case had a lot of graphical exhibits from which you needed to do calculations, the second only had 1 exhibit. Make sure you tailor your structure to the problem! For example one of my cases really had to do with costs, and so if I had suggested we look at profitability, that would have been incorrect.
• You get feedback from your interviewers after the first round. Take notes when they call you to chat about this, and make sure that you take the feedback into account when preparing for final round interviews.
Final Round:
One 45-minute behavioral/case interview, plus one 90-minute written case interview (45 minutes to prepare + 45 minute behavioral/case interview where you present etc.), this time with principals & partners from the firm. The biggest thing here is managing your time and discerning what's relevant information from the slide deck they give you. You are expected to select 4-6 relevant slides to go over with your interviewer, as well as craft an executive summary of your findings to explain your thought process. You also really need to be able to transition to the standard, oral case style after the written case. During the talk with the partner, it turns into more of a standard case, and then the second interview is again an oral case.
• I also really want to stress the importance of networking. I do not believe that I would have gotten the offer without the networking that I had done throughout the whole process. Also, if you don't hear back day-of your decision-round interview, don't despair because there is still a chance that you can get the offer. I heard back 1 week after my final interview.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
• Name a time when you set a lofty goal for yourself and how you planned for that goal
• Why consulting
• Describe a leadership position that you've had or when you've led a team. What was a challenge you encountered during this, and how did you over come it?
• What are the components of a good team? How do you know when a team is working well together?
• What is your usual role on a team? How do you contribute?
• How do you organize yourself and make sure that you are hitting a long-term goal? Describe a time during which you have done this.
Generally, they're trying to get a feel for your personality and if you're going to be a good fit at BCG. Have really good questions prepared, and do your research to figure out what it is they're looking for so that you can say the right things
Multiple rounds with consulting case interview portions and fit portions. Each round of interviews had multiple interviews, and the interviewer gets more senior as you progress through the interview process
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Standard typical cases that can be more nuanced than other firms
I interviewed at Boston Consulting Group (Lisbon, Lisbon District)
Interview
1st phase: CV & Online assessment
2nd phase: 2 back-to-back interviews with the first 15 min of each being personal questions followed by 30 min of case
3rd phase: didnt reach it.
1. Online case AI interview - interacted with AI chatbot
2. 1st round virtual - case and behavioral; asked why I wanted a certain office
3. 2, final rounds - case and behavioral