Points to highlight to a senior partner over a coffee!

Question

I have secured a meeting with a senior partner at a Big Four to discuss if I can join for consultancy positions as experienced hire. Theoretically he will be the person who would have ultimately interviewed me had I gone through all stages. Appreciate any tips on how to handle 20 minutes, what I need to aks for and what to expect at the end of this meeting.

Answer 1

Hi,

This is a great opportunity to get the know the company better and show your interest. In addition, after this chat, you may be able to:

Secure his reference which will almost guarantee an invite for the interviews
Leave a good impression, which will increase your chances when you reach the final round and interview with him

During the chat, you can ask questions around:

The typical profile of the projects
The current growth strategy of the office overall (or the sector of your alignment)
The culture of the office
What he likes about the office/company
Any advise he can give you for the recruiting process, or consulting overall
Any other people he may put you in contact with to better understand the points above

Best,

Deniz

Answer 2

Dear A,

My congratulations on this opportunity. If I were you, I would try to understand, what kind of projects does the senior partner doing and try to establish both personal and expertise fit, so that he sees that he could benefit in the firm from having you in the team.

Hope it, helps

Best and good luck,

André

Answer 3

Ask For Yourself

While a coffee chat is a way for you to make a good impression, please remember that it's also about you making sure this job + path are right for you!

To prepare, think about things you'd like to learn about the company. Ask about your person's experience at the firm, where they've come from, if they have any advice for you etc. Be inquisitive and interested in what they have to say, and feel free to ask thoughtful follow-up questions.

Have Your Pitch Ready

In terms of what they'll ask you, make sure you have your 30 second pitch prepared! Who are you in a nutshell and why are you interested in BCG and strategy consulting?

Ask About Them

People love to talk about themselves. Just ask them what they've worked on recently or what their journey at BCG has been like. Importantly, do your research beforehand - find out what they've done and try and pick something from their past that looks interesting to you. Tailor your questions just like they tailor their FIT questions to your resume.

"So, how did you end up in the Industrial Goods sector?" "I saw you worked on a big digital transformation for a financial services company - I experienced one myself and it seemed so hard to move such a big organisation. What did you see as the major challenges and breakthrough moments?"