BCG final round coming up soon, how to relax?

Hi There - many congratulations on making it to the final rounds. Sharing a few thoughts hoping that a few would resonate with you:

• You got what it takes to receive that amazing phone call: Remember, making it this far is no small feat. You've already demonstrated the qualities BCG is looking for, so continue what you've been doing. You have all the tools needed to secure that offer—just rinse and repeat

• Being a little anxious is OKAY AND NORMAL: everyone (whether they admit it or not) is anxious before their final round interviews. The degree might vary but you are not alone in feeling this way. Even the greatest performers, like Roger Federer before a Wimbledon final, experienced nerves. Embrace it, experience it, let it wash over you and say it is okay to feel this way because I care about that offer

   

• Avoid things that will shake your confidence 2-3 days prior to the interview: Avoid doing cases with inexperienced folks or don’t do cases at all 2-3 days prior to your interviews. You don’t want to hurt your confidence at this stage. Instead focus on rehearsing your stories, brushing up your fundamentals, doing a few drills etc.

   

• There is no magic pill but physical activity can help: sorry there is no magic potion I can offer that can help evaporate the interview nerves (at least I can’t talk about it on public forums :)). But what you are feeling is emotional energy and the best way I know to reduce it is physical activity (e.g., run, weight training, cross-fit, hiking, sports). Use exercise to transform/burn-off your emotional energy

Hope this helps and good luck with your final round interviews. 

Cheers

Nilay
 

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process with BCG thus far!

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

• First of all, I would advise you to engage in activities that reduce stress without requiring much mental effort, like light exercise, yoga, or even a leisurely walk.
• Moreover, ensure you are getting enough rest. Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule leading up to your interview to keep your energy levels stable.
• Lastly, practice mindful relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing exercises. These can be done anywhere and only take a few minutes, but they are very effective in managing stress and keeping your mind clear.

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 BCG final round interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Congratulations. It's amazing to make it to the final round as you know very few people make it so far. 

While there are many techniques to relax, as long as you believe that this job is super important for you and you give it more priority than other things in your life that will be difficult. Because then you are attaching too much to the outcome. So one effective technique is to focus on all the other great things in your life and also the other strong opportunities you have work wise even if bcg doesn't work out. Then the strong pressure to nail the interview no matter what goes away and helps with relaxing. 

You will never be completely relaxed that's human nature. All the best with your interview!

Hi, there

Congrats on getting to a final round. You are almost there and you can already be proud of it!

Since you have already received many great answers on how to de-stress, I will only comment on connecting with the interviewers. There are 2 main things that you can consider, in my opinion:

1. Before the meeting (optional): try to find out who your interviewer is going to be. If you know it, then do a quick search on LinkedIn to find out simiarities (on career, hometown, hobbies, etc.) so that you can comment on it when the proper moment appears. If you feel that that moment does not appear, at least you will feel more relaxed by interacting with someone that has something in common with you.

2.  During the meeting: the most important thing, as other coaches have already mentioned, is to feel calm and grateful to be there. I could not emphasize more the importance of it. Do clear your mind, don't put too much pressure on you (I know, easier said than done but that's the way to do it). Then, from the moment you enter the room, ensure that you show an upright posture, a firm handshake, a big, gentle smile, a confident voice and an excitement look. Finally, try to face that moment as a very special, exciting case interview preparation session with a Preplounge coach, not at all a final round interview. That way you will likely eliminate all the unneeded pressure and anxiety and will shine.

I hope that helps a bit and I wish you the best of luck!

Hi there,

Q: How do I de-stress and any last minute advice to connect well with my interviewers?

You can find some tips below:

1. Mental attitude: It’s great if you get the offer. But if you don’t, it won’t be the end of the world. If you really want to work in consulting, you can get there by interviewing with other companies or with BCG again in 1-2 years if you don't succeed now. Also, there might be other/faster ways to get where you want in your career. If you see this as “the only option in your life” this would be (i) most likely, not factually true and (ii) increase stress a lot.
2. Practice: Stop doing new cases 24 hours before the interview and just review past cases/ material to avoid excessive stress.
3. Sleep: The night before the interview, go to sleep early and try to relax a few hours before that.
4. Energy: Have some snacks ready for breaks.
5. Breaks: Take a break between interviews if you have some time to relax (eg. listen to music, read something).

In terms of connecting with the interviewers, if you have the chance, you can ask HR their names, study their profile and ask questions you are genuinely curious about their experience.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

Great question!

Reduce your preparation efforts: There is a slowing growth curve with case interview prep, which can turn negative for some people (case burnout) if they are handling multiple priorities at the same time and stress out over their interviews.

Stop casing before the interviews: Slow down 2-3 days before the interviews and focus on something else to go to the interviews hungry again for cases and with a relaxed mind. If you want to work on something, let it be fit stories and answers.

Find something that takes all your attention: “Just relax” usually does not work. You need to find something that takes all your attention away from focusing on the upcoming interviews. For some, nature walks are enough to achieve this, others might need something more intense like HIIT or a martial arts class, where you have no other choice than being completely in the moment.

Sleep well: Sleep well 2 nights before the interview. How well you sleep the second night before a big event has actually a bigger impact on your performance than the night directly before.

Be confident in your abilities: You have what it takes and have proven that. Now it's just more of the same.

See your interviewers as allies: The interviewers are your allies in this situation. They want you to succeed.

Don't try to be perfect: Making mistakes is okay - you are not expected to be perfect!

Reach out! I have written a detailed guide on stress and case interviews.

All the best,

Florian

Hi,

Sounds like you are in a good position already :) Sharing some things that have worked for me

How do I de-stress?

• Breathing: deep breaths before stepping into the office / before the interview starts. 
  • See this technique Navy SEALs use
  • https://time.com/4316151/breathing-technique-navy-seal-calm-focused/
• Visualization: When I was playing in competitive sports and music, I would often visualize the whole activity in my head and try and imagine as much detail as possible on every aspect of the activity (i.e. when do i step on the piano pedal, what will I do when i pass the ball to my teammate). This helped to "acclimatize" my mental and emotional state and get my entire body ready and less stressed
• Relativize: Before my interviews, I used to think and reflect on an experience that was even more stressful/difficult that I had overcome. So I drew on my military experience.
  • I still remember taking the elevator up to the Kearney office for my final round interview and feeling extremely nervous, and I thought to myself “I jumped out of a moving plane and parachuted safely down, I can do this now”

How to connect well with my interviewers?

• As someone who has sat on both sides of the table, the biggest advice I can give you is to be yourself. Nothing connects better than authenticity - and if you are trying to force something out or be someone you are not, interviews can tell this 

All the best!

Hey congrats on the final round!

My tip is always to appreciate to be able to do the interview! Be happy about your achievement and see it as a chance to prove yourself! 

Also, I would tell myself that I did everything possible / in my power! That also calms down! :) Sometimes there are just things we cannot control, e.g., the mood of the interviewer / the case / the personal fit questions. 

Good luck! 

Sorry to hear about feeling stressed. 

First of all, this is completely normal and something to accept rather than try to ignore. 

Being stressed shows that you care, which is important for the entire process. 

What you can try at this point is to get some distance. Rest, take walks, do things that you enjoy. 

It's a bit like the ‘tapering’ that professional athletes do before a race. 

It's a critical part of the recovery process and necessary to ensure that you peak during the actual interview.

Best,
Cristian

The trick here is to breathe, close your eyes and envision yourself having success, and when the interviewer gets in the room, smile smile (emotions tend to follow physical behavior), and make some harmless conversation to create a human connection: ask them about their day or how their project is going right now.