Second-Round Interviews at BCG

Hi,

Congratulations on reaching the second interview stage!

To strengthen your structure, I recommend becoming very comfortable with the frameworks provided in PrepLounge's course. This way, you’ll be able to use them directly if they fit the case or adapt them as needed for any scenario they present. And as always, practice is key—make sure everything stays MECE!

During the interview, focus on explaining your approach clearly, breaking down your thought process step by step so it’s easy for them to follow.

For BCG's interview style, remember they’re continuously assessing how you handle feedback, so anticipate pushback and respond gracefully, applying critical thinking (don't feel obligated to accept their feedback if it doesn’t add up). And most importantly, take a moment to pause, breathe, and stay confident.

If you follow these steps, I’m sure you’ll do great.

If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out.

All the best,

Javier

Congrats on the 2nd round interview!

Q: (...) any tips on handling BCG’s stress test and maintaining composure with their poker-faced interview style? (...)

I was an interviewer when I was at BCG and never heard of any 'stress test' -at least not in my region.

Also, the interview style is individual to each interviewer. You may have just met with people who did not share any feedback through their facial expressions. 

Just get your confidence level up, and maybe don't overthink the 'poker faces'.  You did well and that's why you're on the second round.

Good luck!

PS. Ditto to Javier's advice!

Hi there,

Congratulations on the second round!

Focus on these points:

1. Build mental flexibility – Train yourself to handle any case without relying too heavily on pre-set frameworks. This will help you adapt quickly in the interview - This is especially relevant as you got the feedback to improve your structure
2. Showcase your personal fit – Highlight who you are and why you’re a strong fit for McKinsey during the personal fit portion of the interview.
3. Mindset matters – Approach the interview with confidence and a positive mindset. This often forgotten in the training prep and I guarantee will make a big difference.

Also, when it comes to structure - have a clear approach for your case openings and endings. Make sure you summarize the challenge and ask the right questions before diving into the case. At the end, a well structured summary is key. 

I offer a free 30-min chat if you'd like some more personalized tips before your interview.

Best of luck!

Kairavee

Hi there,

1. Working on structuring

A one-size-fits all framework leads to an average performance, which leads to a rejection.

My advice is to move away from putting cases into certain categories, e.g., market entry, product launch etc. These might have been relevant 15 years ago, but they are not anymore. In top firms' interviews you won't find a case type where any standard framework would fit.

If you even receive a case about a company trying to enter a new market, there will be a specific twist in the prompt, rendering any cookie-cutter framework useless.

If you want to receive an offer you need to learn how to create structures from scratch and move towards a first-principles problem-solving approach.

Quoting parts of an article I wrote on that:

Why framework memorization fails

1. No points for problem-solving

Case interviews are designed to test your problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, not your ability to regurgitate memorized information. Frameworks are meant to be a guide, not a script. Using a memorized framework can make it obvious that you are not thinking critically about the problem at hand. Interviewers want to see tailored, relevant, and concrete analytical constructs. Using generic categories and ideas not tailored to the case will score poorly in problem-solving.

2. Creative and unique scenarios

Case interviews often involve unique and unpredictable scenarios. No two cases are the same, so a memorized framework will not apply to the specific problem you are presented with. For example:

"You are working with an operator of a specific type of machine. They break down at different rates at different locations. What factors can you think of why that would happen?"

Which Victor Cheng framework or Cosentino idea would you present here? There isn’t a single bucket that would work. We covered that before.

Even in more traditional settings, firms want to see your own perspective, no cookie cutter approach

3. Limiting creativity

Using a memorized framework limits your ability to think creatively. If you always have something to fall back on, then your mind will automatically stop looking at new ideas and angles for a case.

When you try to fit the problem into a pre-existing framework, you may miss opportunities to come up with innovative solutions. Welcome to the 99% of non-offer holders...

4. Lack of rationale

Case interviews also test your ability to communicate and present your thought process effectively. When relying on a memorized framework, you may struggle to explain the reasoning behind your solutions. You have no clear hypotheses.

Interviewers want to understand why you think a certain way, not just what you think. Memorizing frameworks can hinder your ability to support and defend your choices.

The memorized framework approach was developed by Marc Cosentino, a career advisor with no skin in the game who has never seen a consulting firm's office from the inside. When I was at McKinsey there was a saying that his advice is preventing more offers than the actual difficulty of the interviews. Something that makes you think…

There is a reason why only 1% of applicants get the offer, yet everyone continues to rely on the faulty framework approach.

How to change this?

At the core, all consulting firms want to see creative ideas communicated in a structured manner, the more exhaustive the better.

Your goal should be to develop a tailored and creative answer that fits the question. The framework should - broadly speaking - follow these three characteristics:

• Broad
• Deep
• Insightful

You would need to go into detail and qualify your answer with practical examples and more details.

The key here is to learn

• the right thinking techniques

• the correct approach

• the perfect communication to bring your points and explanations across

Reach out if you need help here!

2. Managing the partner round

95% of partner rounds are just as standardized as the first round, yet be prepared to expect everything. Sometimes they are more conversational and friendly, only with light-touch evaluation, other times they are more challenging. Usually, they are the same. 

The reason why you read about freestyle partner experiences is that they deviate from what people expect, hence they post about it more frequently online, hence giving others the impression it is much more common.

Additionally, partner rounds are often perceived as more challenging, just because it's a partner sitting across the table rather than a more junior colleague. It is purely based on the impression and not on the content. :-)

If there are any deviations from the standard interviewer guidelines, expect them to be in the following realm:

• Focus on one or two areas where you were perceived as not as strong in round one, which can be specific case questions or fit questions
• Only doing a case, only doing fit instead of both
• Doing two shorter cases in quick succession
• Challenging your answers more
• Not providing any time for you to think about the answer, making it more conversational

In any case, the most important thing is not to be startled by this and just keep working on the case and fit in a calm manner. 

All the best for your second round!

Cheers,

Florian

Congrats on reaching the second round with BCG! Here are some quick tips to refine your structure and handle their interview style:

1. Structure Improvement:
   • High-Level Outline: Start with a clear, MECE-based structure.
   • Prioritize: Address the most critical issues first to show focus.
   • Practice Transitions: Use smooth transitions between points to keep your approach cohesive.
2. Handling the Poker-Faced Style:
   • Stay Calm: Focus on your process rather than looking for reactions.

   • Pause and Reflect: If they stay silent, use the moment to double-check your thoughts.
      

     Thanks Ashwin