Bain Fit questions

Hi Sera,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from Bain!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, can you please provide a proposal that I can review? There is no universal structure for answering questions like "Why Bain?".
• Moreover, and I think this is also explained in an email from Bain, conducting "CV-blind" interviews means the candidate not mentioning any organization names. Of course, you still need to be able to describe your background.
• Lastly, please keep in mind that Bain's behavioral interview seems to be about more than only experience-based personal fit questions. As one of the most experienced coaches in terms of consulting, interviewing and coaching, I'd be more than happy to help you prepare for this in great detail.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming Bain interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hey Sera! 

Great that you’re preparing in detail! For CV-blind interviews, focus on crafting a strong narrative that highlights your leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork skills without relying on specific job titles. You can mention your financial services background but keep it high-level and emphasize transferable skills. 

For “Why Bain/Why Consulting?” questions, I always teach my mentees to think beyond the usual and connect personal values with Bain’s culture and approach—this makes answers more unique and memorable. Also, look for experiences from business, university, or extracurriculars to illustrate key competencies. Happy to help you refine your answers in a session if needed! 😊

Alessa

Hey Sera,

Regarding your background, it's rather hard to put this in writing as you better hear it, but, in short, you need to deliver a concise and to-the-point pitch highlighting your main achievements at each of your workplaces, starting from less to more recent. 

It's better to book a coaching session to help prepare your pitch and answers to other fit questions instead of trying to come up with it on your own.

Good luck!
Nick

Hi there,

Given the interview is "CV-blind", which means the interviewer doesn't get to see your CV beforehand, it would be helpful to give a short introduction at the beginning of the interview, so that the interviewer knows you a bit better and feel more comfortable with who they are speaking to. 

Be smart about the intro - keep it within 5 minutes. Do a bit of research of the interviewer on LinkedIn and see if there are common traits between you and the interviewer that you can speak to. Don't talk about things that don't show any connection. E.g., if you'd like to mention your background in financial services - why does that matter to the interviewer? Are you applying to an expert role in FS, or does the interviewer mainly works with FS client? 

For "why Bain/ why consulting", when you answer these questions, you can take a bit time to explain your career trajectory and choices and how they lead you to consulting and to Bain. Just make it clear upfront that you'd like to take some time to walk them through so they would understand your "why" better. 

A bit hard to give further inputs without knowing your specific experience. Feel free to reach out and let me know if I can help with your FIT preparation. 

Best,

Emily

Hi Sera,

• You can and should discuss your background, just leave out the names.
• As for why Bain/consulting, find a personal narrative that combines your previous experience, your values and motivations, as well as potential connections you have in the firm.

Cheers,

Florian

1. You SHOULD explain your background (but not mention any names)

2. Why Bain and Consulting ultimately are questions on why you would be a good consultant and why you would fit well within Bain.