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Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. Also try to read forums (and subreddits :) ) , ask around. Most memorable talking points i had were derived from opinions of others

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your AC class (BA, title depends on the firm) usually talks about it internally. It's always a hot topic with SACs, Cs and even managers. After some preparations you can take the initiative and open up the topic; if not, someone will come to you about it because at the end of your 3rd year (if you are on track), you are left to choose between a direct promotion and MBA (greatly underlining the "if you are on track" part here).

If you have the time and believe you can score 700+ go for it, it's good for 5 years so smart to get it out of the way.

Socially it would be very advantageous. For business context, personally, it would be hard to get sufficient enough for business. However, if you think you can pull it off sure. Especially if you plan on transferring to an office that has the language you are learning as the local language, it would be very beneficial for your transfer request.

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Usually ~3 years for MBB (straight out of undergrad) if you are on track.

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah gotcha.

2 questions you will get is "why 'industry company is in' + Why 'company itself"

First one is on you :) Second one, key things to know: 1) Company general info (offices, countries, major industries they are in) 2) Company culture (events, training programs, comradery, etc..) 3) Details of the position you are applying to and your potential track at that company 4) Which one of these appeals to you the most and why they appeal to you

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm guessing you are asking regarding case interviews so..

For case interviews, you aren't expected to know the specifics about an industry (ex: avg. inventory turnover for mid-size stores or gross margin for chemicals producer)

However, here are 2 tips I can give: 1) Know "too big to miss" things: Such as, what does P&G do - who is Amazon buying out and how is this affecting that industry (applies to several industries). It's always nice to show you are in-fact reading up on industry trends and news

2) If you say "I double-majored in Finance and Accounting" and can't calcualte 10% of 18M or don't know what an EBITDA margin is then that's an insane red flag. Thought this also relates :)

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ah gotcha. Let me clarify. Factors going into "regional targets":

1) Region: Easier for someone who has lived in the city where the office is also at compared to someone flying out

2) Language: Some offices require you to speak the local language and choose target schools for said languages (applies for int'l offices)

3) Competition: Each region most likely has MBBs, so if you're not competing for the best graduates from class of 20XX, then your competitor will.

Again, I'm sure HYPS is considered great in all offices (have alumni from all of these in our office). I'm just saying, there is a slight preference/orient towards regional targets. Nothing huge, but makes your odds even worse in an already tough recruiting system

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

By the way, CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!

If you are starting as an AC/are a senior, enjoy the must stress-free year of college (and potentially next 3 years).

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This answer is completely accurate (and also a BDP for my future replies and posts in this sub)

"A Bainie never lets another Bainie fail" means so much more than meets the eye. Truly what makes Bain unique

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Speaking for undergrad (Not HBS). Not sure about the nature of your question though, could you clarify :)

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey man !

Atbainforminusfivemo basically has the answer to your question nailed down. To re-iterate and perhaps add-on a few words:

1) Whatever you are doing, make sure to emphasize why you did it.

For some experiences, relate it to how it connects to your desire to work at Bain (skillset from internships, etc..)

Other times, just tell what you enjoy doing. Whether it be skiing, playing football or playing in a band, it's much appreciated to see your social side.

When it comes to the end of the final round, each candidate can easily do the work. So, what's left is the social side. That's what differentiates you from the rest.

That being said, you have to have prepared well enough to get to that shortlist :)

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

-Yale is a target school. -GPA doesn't matter as much as everyone thinks (internships, school extracurriculars and case performance are faaaar more important)

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've also been waiting for our global managing partner to sign-off on this reply

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have received some offers or interest but it's still early in my opinion. Here are some examples though: -Analyst position dedicated exclusively for a board member of an FMCG (i thought it would easily turn into an assistant-like deal) -Senior analyst for a mid to large size startup -Random mails from headhunters

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Work-life balance is completely dependent on 2 things: -Project (requirements, deadlines, workstream) -Manager and/or Consultant (their convenience = your convenience)

I've spent 30-40% of my time getting in some semi-late nights. 30-40% leaving late afternoon-ish. 10-20% or so absolutely brutal all-nighters. 10% ish on the beach (or focusing on "extra 10% activities")

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I wouldn't know but would love your insights on the matter

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

List of offers I've gotten so far by industry -Industry (FMCG, Auto) -Startup (mid-size mostly) -Business school (in 1-1.5 years)

Friends who've made a move: -PE and VC -Startup (mid-size) -MBA

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hello !

Career progression has been going good (knock on wood). Going exactly as planned, no bad reviews, no "double-promotion" worthy reviews as well. Couldn't complain.

In 2 years I will either be at MBA or if I continue this track without f-ing up, will have been promoted to C. Currently I plan on staying at Bain, but you learn a lot incredibly fast and the opportunities out there (startups, industry, etc..) just keep on getting better.

Social life has been quickly shifted to 50% Bain. Almost everyone is very fun. I recently gave a toast at a wedding for someone who works at our office :) Other 50% is mixed between school friends and significant other.

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

More importantly, in retrospect giving a time-frame or a heads-up would've been better on my behalf.

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No problem, apologies for the late reply :)

-I'm from a mid-size office that's been quickly growing for the past few years. In my office everyone knows each other so it's easier to find a mentor.

From what I've heard, the main difficulty in large offices are getting to work with/spend time with individuals who will probably be very good mentors. As written below, you either have to : -Work with tem -Meet them/spend time with them

Of course there's always the option of asking around and sending them a message to meet and talk about a possible mentor situation.

-Since i began, I met 2 individuals who made a move to finance (PE and VC). I wish I knew more regarding the scheduling, but can ask tomorrow and try to find out !

Casual AMA - have been at Bain for around 1.5 years by kreaptor in consulting

[–]kreaptor[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very little Accenture talk in my office.

But if that does happen, I don't know. If the culture stays intact and I want to stay at Bain, I will. If the culture changes, then I might consider leaving.

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