I applied through college or university. The process took 5 weeks. I interviewed at Bain & Company (Palo Alto, CA) in Sep 2014
Interview
First there is a CV screen (work experiences, academics, volunteering, etc.)
Then there are two 1st round interviews, one with an AC (market sizing followed by CV questions), one with a Consultant (standard case)
Then there are three 2nd round interviews (one written case interview, two standard case interviews), with CTL/Manager/Partner
Then finally, offer.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
1) Why do you want to join consulting?
2) Why Bain?
3) What's an experience you had to work in a difficult team situation?
4) What are your passions / hobbies?
5) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
6) [If applying from industry] Why do you want to change from your current employment to consulting/Bain?
7) What is a time you failed and what did you learn from it?
8) How does [x] experience prepare you for consulting?
2 rounds, 1st round 2 small cases, not very difficult , market entry cases.
2nd long case with a deck to read and prepare answers..45 mins to read, 15 mins to answer
Three rounds of interviews, generally 2 rounds in person or remote with live consultants. Each round involves a 2-3 case interviews each, which generally also include a set of behavioural questions.
Drei Interviewrunden, je ein Interviewer: zwei englischsprachige Case Studies (Interviewer-geführt, strukturiert) sowie Personal Fit mit situativen Fragen ohne CV-Bezug - keine Angaben zu Praktika oder Uni gefragt. Stattdessen Reaktionsfragen à la „Wie würdest du in Situation XYZ reagieren?". Mit solider Vorbereitung nichts Unerwartetes. Alle Interviewer sehr freundlich und aufgeschlossen — angenehme, entspannte Atmosphäre throughout.