Personal Fit Interview Questions - Get into McKinsey, BCG, Bain

Summary

In this video, former McKinsey consultant Heinrich shares insights on personal fit questions in consulting interviews. He dispels myths about firm-specific consultant profiles, emphasizing the importance of appearing capable and confident. Heinrich provides tips on answering common questions, such as why one wants to join consulting or a specific firm, and offers advice on discussing one's CV. He also cautions against generic or prestige-focused motivations, advocating for personalized and authentic responses.

Takeaways

• 😀 Personal fit questions in consulting interviews are crucial and often underestimated, focusing on whether the candidate would be a good fit for the team and the client.
• 🔍 Heinrich, a former McKinsey consultant, aims to provide guidance on personal fit questions, emphasizing that these are not just relevant for consulting but also for corporate and banking interviews.
• 🤔 The misconception that each consulting firm seeks a very specific type of consultant is debunked; personal fit is more about the candidate's ability to perform and represent the firm well to clients.
• 💼 Interviewers primarily want to assess if the candidate can do the job and represent the firm professionally in front of clients, regardless of the specific consulting firm.
• 🌟 Strong personal fit answers often draw on past experiences, such as internships, to demonstrate a genuine interest and understanding of the consulting field.
• 🚫 Avoid citing exit opportunities as the main motivation for joining consulting, as it may imply a lack of commitment to the job itself.
• 📚 Do not mention interests that are incompatible with the consulting role, such as a desire for long-term, in-depth research, which contrasts with the fast-paced nature of consulting projects.
• 🏢 When answering 'why this firm?', leverage specific opportunities the firm offers, cultural aspects, or personal connections to demonstrate both research and a genuine desire to join.
• 📈 For smaller firms with a niche focus, highlight passion for that specific area and provide evidence of related past experiences to show alignment with the firm's expertise.
• 💡 Use personal network connections to the firm to convey insights about its culture and why those aspects appeal to you, showing you've done your research and begun networking.
• 📝 Prepare a structured answer for questions asking to guide through your CV or introduce yourself, and be ready to engage in a conversation with the interviewer to demonstrate interpersonal skills.

Q & A

What is the importance of personal fit questions in a consulting interview?

Personal fit questions are crucial as they help interviewers assess whether a candidate would be a good fit for the team and the firm's culture, and whether they can represent the firm well in front of clients.

Why is it a misconception to think that each consulting firm looks for a very specific type of consultant?

It's a misconception because the personal fit among top consulting firms is rather homogeneous; differences among firms are not as pronounced as some might believe.

What is the main question interviewers want to answer when evaluating a candidate's personal fit?

The main question interviewers want to answer is whether the candidate would be able to do the job effectively and represent themselves and the firm well in front of clients.

What should a candidate avoid when explaining their motivation for joining consulting?

Candidates should avoid focusing on exit opportunities as their main motivation, as it may imply they are not genuinely interested in the consulting work itself.

Why is it not advisable to mention enjoying long-term, in-depth work when interviewing for a consulting role?

This is not advisable because the nature of consulting work is often fast-paced and involves a variety of projects, not allowing for long-term, in-depth focus on a single topic.

How can past experiences, such as internships, strengthen a candidate's answer to why they want to join consulting?

Past experiences, like internships, show that the candidate has a clear understanding of what consulting involves and that they have actively pursued and planned for a career in consulting.

What are some approaches to answering 'Why this firm?' when the differences among firms are not significant?

One can focus on the specific niche of smaller firms, the opportunities provided by larger firms, or leverage personal connections and insights about the firm's culture to show genuine interest and research.

What should a candidate avoid when explaining their choice of a specific consulting firm?

Avoid stating superficial reasons like prestige alone, as it shows a lack of understanding of the firm's values and the benefits it can provide to the candidate's career.

How can a candidate effectively guide an interviewer through their CV during an interview?

A candidate should prepare a structured summary of their experiences and how they relate to the consulting role, while also being open to engaging in a conversation with the interviewer.

What is the purpose of asking 'Can you guide me through your CV?' at the beginning of an interview?

This question serves as an icebreaker, allowing the candidate to talk about themselves and their experiences, which is typically easier than jumping directly into case interviews.

How can a candidate demonstrate their interpersonal skills during an interview?

By being open to conversation, responding to the interviewer's questions thoughtfully, and showing the ability to engage in a professional dialogue, a candidate can demonstrate strong interpersonal skills.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Importance of Personal Fit in Consulting Interviews

Heinrich, a former McKinsey consultant, introduces the video's focus on personal fit questions in consulting interviews. He emphasizes the significance of these questions, which are often underestimated, and outlines the structure of the video. Heinrich will provide tips for answering personal fit questions, discuss common mistakes to avoid, and share his own example answers. He clarifies that while he offers valuable insights, there is no single 'correct' way to answer these questions, and encourages viewers to consider his advice thoughtfully.

05:02

🤔 Addressing Misconceptions About Personal Fit

The paragraph delves into common misconceptions about personal fit in consulting, challenging the idea that each firm seeks a very specific type of consultant. Heinrich argues that the personal fit among top consulting firms is relatively homogeneous and that interviewers are more concerned with whether a candidate can perform well and represent the firm professionally in client-facing situations. He suggests that confidence and the ability to do the job are key indicators of a good fit, rather than fitting a specific firm's criteria.

10:02

💼 Navigating the 'Why Consulting' and 'Why This Firm' Questions

Heinrich provides guidance on how to answer the common interview questions 'Why consulting?' and 'Why this firm?'. He advises against citing exit opportunities as the main motivation for joining consulting, as it may imply a lack of genuine interest in the work itself. He also warns against mentioning desires that are incompatible with the consulting lifestyle, such as the need for long-term, in-depth research. Instead, he suggests drawing on past experiences, especially internships, to demonstrate a genuine interest and understanding of the consulting career. For 'Why this firm?', he recommends leveraging personal connections and emphasizing specific opportunities or cultures that attracted the candidate to that particular firm.

📝 Crafting Responses for CV-Related Interview Questions

In this paragraph, Heinrich discusses how to approach questions asking candidates to guide the interviewer through their CV or introduce themselves. He stresses the importance of preparation and having a structured narrative about one's experiences and how they relate to the consulting role. He also highlights the value of engaging in a conversation with the interviewer, showing interpersonal skills and the ability to connect with potential colleagues. Heinrich shares a detailed example of how he might answer such a question, providing a personal story that includes his educational background, internships, and the development of his interest in consulting.

Keywords

💡Consulting

Consulting refers to the practice of providing expert advice and guidance to individuals or organizations. In the context of the video, consulting is the career path the speaker is discussing, emphasizing the importance of personal fit and the ability to perform and represent the firm professionally in front of clients.

💡Personal Fit

Personal fit in the video script pertains to the alignment of an individual's characteristics, values, and skills with the culture and requirements of a consulting firm. It is a key consideration in the hiring process, as the speaker suggests that interviewers assess whether a candidate would thrive in a consulting role and represent the firm well.

💡Interview

An interview, as discussed in the script, is a formal meeting where a candidate is assessed for a job position. The video focuses on the types of questions that are asked to evaluate a candidate's suitability for a consulting role, particularly those related to personal fit and motivations.

💡McKinsey

McKinsey is a renowned global management consulting firm. The script uses it as an example when discussing the type of consultant that firms like McKinsey hire and the common misconceptions about personal fit among different consulting firms.

💡Case Interview

A case interview is a method used in consulting to assess a candidate's analytical and problem-solving skills by presenting them with a business problem. The script mentions this as a component of consulting interviews, distinct from the personal fit questions it focuses on.

💡Project Lead

A project lead is the individual responsible for overseeing a project from start to finish. In the script, the perspective of a project lead or partner is used to illustrate what interviewers might look for in a consulting candidate, such as their ability to contribute effectively to a project team.

💡Exit Opportunities

Exit opportunities refer to the career paths or positions one can move into after gaining experience in a particular field, such as consulting. The script advises against emphasizing these as the primary motivation for joining a consulting firm, as it may suggest a lack of genuine interest in the work itself.

💡CV (Curriculum Vitae)

A CV is a document outlining an individual's educational and professional background. In the context of the video, guiding someone through one's CV means providing a summary of one's experiences and qualifications, which is a common icebreaker question in interviews.

💡Strategy Consulting

Strategy consulting is a specialized field within consulting that focuses on advising clients on their business strategies. The speaker mentions this as an area of interest and a potential career path, highlighting the appeal of working on strategic and conceptual tasks.

💡Network

Networking refers to the cultivation of professional relationships. The script suggests leveraging personal connections within a firm to demonstrate research and interest in the company's culture, which can be beneficial during the interview process.

💡Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are the abilities to interact effectively with others. The video emphasizes the importance of these skills in consulting interviews, as they indicate a candidate's potential to build relationships with colleagues and clients.

Highlights

Importance of personal fit in consulting interviews and how it's often underestimated.

The misconception that each consulting firm seeks a very specific type of consultant.

The true purpose of personal fit questions from the perspective of an interviewer.

The key question interviewers want answered regarding a candidate's potential fit for a project.

Heinrich's personal approach to answering personal fit questions in interviews.

The common mistake of citing exit opportunities as the main motivation for joining consulting.

Avoiding discussing interests that may not align with the consulting role.

Using past experiences, such as internships, to convey genuine interest in consulting.

Strategies for answering 'why this firm?' with examples for both large and small firms.

The importance of leveraging personal connections when explaining a preference for a specific firm.

Avoiding answers that focus solely on a firm's prestige.

An example of a strong answer for 'why this firm?' highlighting firm culture and personal aspirations.

Preparing a structured answer for the 'guide me through your CV' question.

The value of engaging in a conversation with the interviewer during the CV walk-through.

An example of a comprehensive CV walk-through that includes personal background and professional experiences.

Invitation for viewers to share their thoughts and tips on consulting interview questions.

Heinrich's closing remarks, including his presence on various social media platforms and the release schedule for new videos.

Transcripts

- Why do you want to join consulting?

Why do you want to join this firm?

Please guide me through your CV.

So in consulting interviews,

questions like this will be often asked.

As, you know, consulting interviews

have also other parts such as case interview sections.

But these more personal fit related questions

definitely are important.

And often people underestimate how relevant they are.

So this video focuses exactly on that,

so on questions that are more related to the personal fit.

So welcome to another Coffee Break

here on my channel, Firm Learning.

My name is Heinrich, I'm a former McKinsey consultant,

and I want to help you to become successful

in the first years of your career.

So I structured the video in the following way for you:

First, I will share some overarching considerations and tips

on these personal fit type of questions.

Clearly this will not only be relevant for consulting,

but also if you're interviewing for a corporate job,

or maybe even a banking job.

And then I'm going to go

into a couple of very specific questions

that you will frequently hear

in these types of interviews.

I'm going to share a couple of tips

of what you probably should say,

also what you likely should not say.

And I would also provide an answer

of how I might answer these questions

in a real interview situation.

And also just to get this straight in the beginning,

I would never claim

that I'm the biggest interview master of all.

I would never claim that the way

that I would teach this to you in this video

is the one and only way you can be successful.

But I do think that there are a couple of considerations

that will make sense for you as well.

So let's think for that and let's dive into it.

- Hi, pleasure.

- Pleasure to be here.

Thank you for inviting me.

- Yeah, great.

Let's sit down.

- So let's start with some overarching reflections

on personal fit type of questions.

And first of all,

I want to talk about a misconception that I often perceive

when people talk about this topic,

and this is the personal fit means

that every single consulting firm out there

has their own type of consultant that they want to hire,

and they will look whether you are this very specific type

that fits the criteria of this very individual firm.

And frankly, I do not think that this is correct.

I do not think that the typical consultant

that, for instance, McKinsey would hire,

is very different from the typical consultant

that Boston Consulting Group or Bain would hire.

Right?

I do think that personal fit is rather homogeneous

among these firms.

I don't think these differences are that pronounced.

In my mind, personal fit questions are about something else.

And to better understand this,

try to put yourself into the shoes of an interviewer

who will often be a project lead or partner

of that consulting firm.

What do you think would be important to that interviewer

when the interviewer evaluates a candidate

with whom he or she conducts the interview?

So in my opinion,

the main question that these people want to answer is,

what would happen if I take this potential consultant

with me next week, on my next project,

if I sit him or her in the team room,

if this person is doing his or her job,

if this person sits in front of a client for the first time?

Will this person be able to do the job?

Will this person be able to represent him or herself

and the firm in a great way in front of the client?

Or will this not be the case?

When you answer questions,

are you perceived as confident or rather insecure?

And if you tick all these boxes,

if you really portray yourself as someone

who could really do this job, well, then yes,

you will have the personal fit to be a consultant

at one of these firms.

And again,

I don't think that these criteria very different,

comparing a firm like McKinsey,

with Boston Consulting Group, Bain,

or any other of these firms.

Let's start with question number one.

And this is why consulting?

Why do you want to become a consultant?

Why do you want to join this career in the first place?

So what most people likely will answer,

is talking about the learning opportunities,

talking that you're intrigued about getting to know

so many different industries,

so many different functions,

in a rather short amount of time.

Of course,

I hope that also by watching videos on this channel or so,

you understand a bit better

what a consulting career would be all about,

and what you might find fascinating about that,

and sharing exactly that shortly would not be a better idea.

And of course the more personal it is,

and the less generic it is,

the more sense it makes.

What's always strong here,

is to be able to draw on past experiences.

So clearly,

if you you already did an internship at a consulting firm,

it's great to talk about that,

because this also shows that you do know

what you're getting yourself into,

that it's not just a crazy idea for you to join consulting,

but that you've really planned this out.

But let's also talk about a couple of things

I would not recommend you to say,

those things that you should rather avoid.

And first thing is about explaining your motivation

due to the exit opportunities.

So I do not think it would be a great idea

to answer the question, why coinciding,

by saying something like, oh,

I heard that if I work a couple of years in consulting,

that I can exit, and then I can have a great career.

So while it's not a secret,

everybody would understand

that many people leave after a couple of years,

probably this should not be your main motivation

to start consulting,

because then who knows whether you would enjoy

the actual job as well.

A second thing to avoid is to talk about things

which you really enjoy,

but which will likely not be possible in consulting.

And this for instance,

is true for people maybe with a PhD,

with many years of experience in academia,

then in such an interview say that you really enjoy

working for a long time on a topic,

really understanding it to the smallest level of detail,

and that this is your passion.

I hope you understand,

if you watched a couple of videos on this channel that this

just does not resonate with your reality as a consultant.

But now let's look into an example

of how you could answer such a question.

- So Heinrich,

tell me, why do you want to work in consulting?

- So likely since the beginning of my studies,

this career in consulting really always intrigued me.

And what I likely had in mind first,

is just this learning opportunity,

of working in so many different industries,

so many different functions,

in just such a short amount of time.

And I only wanted to just find out

whether this would be something that I would enjoy,

which is also why after my second semester,

when I did an internship in IT consulting.

I worked on a big SAP implementation project,

and I did learn a lot of things there.

And among these things that are learned,

I found out really a second thing

that I enjoyed so much about consulting.

And this is really working together with clients.

From my reflection so far,

I think there would be very, very few other careers,

where in such a short amount of time,

you can talk to so many smart colleagues,

but also smart clients,

and really help them solve their problems.

This is what I always found extremely fascinating.

Now hoping strategy consulting,

that now I even have the opportunity to also work more

on more strategic, more conceptually tasks,

and projects, which I would enjoy even more,

which is why I'm sitting right here today.

Let's move on to the next question.

And this is one where I know that many people

struggle to answer this a lot.

And this is why this firm?

Why do you want to join this specific consulting firm?

And people struggle with that,

because clearly the differences among consulting firms

are often not that great,

especially the differences among firms in the same niche.

So for instance, MBB firms, or maybe the Big Four,

or other similar firms.

So how do you approach this?

And I think there are two ways to do that.

The first, maybe most seem to be for smaller firms,

and the other most suitable for larger firms.

And probably then there's a third,

which you can apply to all of these firms.

So for smaller firms,

these firms offer really have very specific niche

or focused topic that they operate in here.

I'm thinking especially about these

boutique type of consulting firms.

So if you're interested to work for a pricing boutique,

definitely makes sense

to talk about how passionate you are about pricing,

and of course, ideally also underline this

with past experiences,

show them what you already did in pricing in the past.

Show them, prove them that this is really your passion,

and that this is really what you want to do.

With larger firms,

what often works a bit better

is to really stress the opportunities that you have

with this specific firm.

So for instance,

if you're joining a firm like McKinsey,

or Boston Consulting Group,

you will definitely have a much larger selection of projects

you can work on, on topics that you can cover.

Now, the third approach,

which I do think can be relevant

for firms of different sizes,

is really to leverage a personal network,

personal connections that you have to other people

working in the firm.

So clearly it's very strong to say

that you recently talked, had a long conversation,

with someone working at the firm.

Or maybe you attended a career event,

or maybe one of your friends was at the firm.

And I'll stress a couple of things that this person told you

about the firm, about the very specific culture

of this firm.

What's something that you really, really like,

really enjoyed,

because this not only shows that you did your research,

but clearly you're also already started

building your network in the form.

And this is always a great way to do anyways.

So what should you not say?

What should you avoid?

Here I have a candidate of mine, whom I talked to once.

And this person said in the interview

that his main motivation to join exactly this firm

is that he believed that now for instance,

McKinsey is the most prestigious firm, right?

And this person wanted to join the most prestigious firm.

And this was the main motivation.

And clearly this is not the best answer,

because it doesn't really come out of the values,

or really the benefits and upsides

that this firm can really provide to you.

And the fact alone that you say this,

even though you could have said many,

much more insightful things,

also shows that maybe you're not the smartest person, right,

not understanding that this is likely

not the best answer to give in such an interview.

So avoid answers like that,

and then you should be fine.

But to illustrate that,

let's jump into an example this way.

- Why do you want to work in this specific firm?

So surely every student considering joining coinciding

needs to at least think about your firm,

given that you are the market leader in the segment.

What then really made for my decision to apply,

and to hopefully work here in the future,

is that I talked to a friend, and also colleague,

who works at the Berlin office at your firm.

And he taught me a lot about the culture,

what it's like to be a consultant at your firm.

And one thing that really stuck with me

is this idea of always the best idea,

the best concept wins.

So what I learned is that apparently,

you really have the strong culture

that every single one in the team room,

even the most junior colleagues,

are expected and encouraged to contribute,

to make their point, to think very hard

about what the solution to the client's project would be,

are encouraged to speak up in meetings,

to really already, from day one,

contribute to the problem solving process.

This is really what I find encouraging.

This is what I would love to be

in such an atmosphere of a business,

closely to what it's really like

to work at your firm.

I would love to be part of that.

Last but not least, let's talk about questions,

like, can you please guide me through your CV?

Or can you please introduce yourself?

So these are open questions that ask you

just to go over your CV,

provide a summary of what you did in the past,

and how this relates to your current job.

Questions like that are often used in the beginning

of an interview as an icebreaker,

because the interview will assume that likely,

it's more easy for you just to talk about yourself,

about your past experiences,

than directly jumping into a case.

So what I would recommend you to do are two things.

First, prepare an answer to that ad home.

Don't sit there, surprise by a question like that,

and then just like randomly talking about a couple of things

which you did in the past,

because of this likely within come across as rather random,

not very structured, not very professional.

And second,

also be open to then transfer into a conversation

with the interviewer.

Maybe the interview will ask you a question,

be then open to answer that,

and then evolve a conversation based on that,

this really also just shows and stresses

your interpersonal skills,

that you can have a good conversation with someone,

with a collide potentially in the future,

which would also be likely something

that interviewers will want to see in situations like that.

But once again,

let's jump into an example here as well.

- Heinrich, tell me a little bit more about yourself,

and guide me through your CV.

So I was born in Berlin, but raised in the West of Germany

in a very rather rural area.

Then I decided to study business in Munich,

probably the main reason being,

because Munich is just a city that are always loved,

but of course the business school is highly ranked

here in Munich, as well.

Let me just talked about the passion for consulting,

how I was very early on, intrigued to doing that,

which is why after my second semester,

then I did an internship in IT consulting,

but then shortly after also did an internship

at a Munich-based docs corporation,

where I worked in their business development function.

And this is really also just such a great area

to learn about how you can evolve

the strategy of the company,

what our next big strategic initiatives are.

This is what I really enjoyed there

which is also part of that why I think consulting,

strategy consulting, would be an area where these two things

can come together.

Then in the end of my bachelor, I wanted to do a master,

so applied to some of the big European business schools.

I was always intrigued by finance.

This was always a topic that very interested me

during my undergraduate degree.

I never really was that much into work

in actually investment banking,

but just the topic of corporate finance really intrigued me,

which is then why I decided to do a finance master.

And then I started studying

in the accounting and finance master

at the London School of Economics.

I had a great year there,

and everything that I learned there

just encouraged me further

to really work in consulting,

which is why I'm sitting here right now.

But now let me hear from you.

What do you think about these tips

on consulting interview questions on personal fit,

style of interview questions?

Do you agree?

Do you disagree?

Do you have any other tips

that you would like to share

with the Firm Learning community?

I would very much appreciate that.

Just leave a comment below in the comment section.

And as you know,

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Links to these socials in the video description as well.

Also want to say a big, big thanks

to all the members of my channel.

Thank you so much for your support.

My name is Heinrich.

I release new videos every single Saturday.

So see you again next week.

Until then all the best to you.

And bye-bye.