BCG Interview Round 2

Question

Hi everyone,

I had a pretty straightforward case asking me to evaluate the daily revenue of a grocery retailer. In summary, I bombed my case. Did not ask what day we were looking at, took a demand approach and forgot to include some assumptions etc. that led to errors in my estimation. Overall, it went bad and the feedback was all ‘what I could improve’. The only good thing perhaps was that I managed to answer the questions my interviewer asked me when for example he asked me to identify some potential sources of errors, if I could think of another approach, how to boost the sales etc but again, the feedback was all ‘how I could improve my case’. Am I getting rejected?

Thank you

Answer 1

Hi there,

sorry to hear about your experience. Of course we cannot know if you passed or failed the specific interview as it depends on a variety of factors (and no one here was there with you).

Whenever you don't solve a case during a case interview, it gets tricky. An interviewer will likely look at how you reacted to their feedback (where you able to course-correct to the right approch based on some pointers?), how many “mistakes” you made (was there one major hiccup or did you repeatedly make errors throughout the case?) and will also compare your performance to the peer group of other candidates the interviewer gave the case to before.

I do find it a bit unusual that you received feedback on “what to improve” right then and there in the interview. This is usually something that is shared after the decision about pass/fail has been made.

In any case, fingers crossed that it wasn't as negative as you perceived it. But you can definitely learn a lot from this experience that will help you going forward. Keep applying to many other consulting firms as well to increase your chances of making it to the offer stage.

Best

Answer 2

Hi there,

Was it the one with the discount grocery chain looking to retain market share over the next 5 years? Have had a few candidates get that one.

If you bombed the case, then, quite likely, you are getting rejected. You can't really bomb a case and pass (sorry).

Now, deep breaths. Life goes on, I promise. There are plenty of other firms. There are other years. There will be more shots.

But, learn from this experience! How could you have performed better? Would coaching have helped? More case prep with peers? Etc.

Here's some more reading to help:

The Most Common Pitfalls in Case Interview Preparation

Dos and Don'ts in a Case Interview

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case

Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

Answer 3

Sorry to hear about how the interview went!

Do I understand correctly that you asked for feedback right at the end of the interview and they told you what you could improve?

Overall, indeed, it doesn't sound like the interview went great. But don't lose hope. Candidates tend to assess themselves harsher than interviewers do, so it might also be the case with you.

The only thing you can control is the next thing you do. So continue to prepare and apply to other firms.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 4

Hey there,

The honest answer is that it is very hard to tell from the outside in.

Even candidates often have no clear picture to gauge their performance; some are too negative about themselves, and others are overconfident in the face of a bad performance.

Given what you have stated it does not seem too promising, also given the fact, that you have received improvement feedback right during the interview (which is not really common).

Regardless of the outcome, be mindful that BCG is just one of many potential good employers, and use the experience to learn from.

Fingers crossed for a positive outcome!

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 5

Hi there,

Only your interviewer objectively knows how you performed you will have to wait to hear what happens next.

In the meanwhile, you can check how the recruiting process works from an internal BCG perspective here:

MBB Hiring Hacks - Behind the Curtain Secrets

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Answer 6

Hi there,

Q: Am I getting rejected?

From what you shared, the outcome doesn't look promising, but I don't think we can provide a definitive answer.

I have coached several candidates who believed they did not do well in the case, and they passed the interview. The other way around also happens. That's because most candidates can't assess their performance objectively.

Overall, the only person who can tell you something now is the interviewer. Your impression may be biased, and any external person cannot really judge. Although I understand your desire to get a definitive answer, the only thing you can do is to (i) prepare for other interviews/apply for other companies and/or (ii) wait for the results.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 7

If you don't feel good about your performance - and can objectively explain why it wasn't good, then most likely it was not a great interview…

But only the interviewer can answer that for you. Also, this will depend on how you performed on the other case (and on round 1)