Interview: The Life of a Bain Consultant in China

Last Updated on November 22, 2024

The Consulting Interview Series

At StrategyCase.com, we’re excited to introduce our new series, ‘Global Consulting Insights,’ designed to offer our readers a deep dive into the varied roles within the consulting industry across different firms and locations worldwide. Our extensive network connects us with seasoned professionals from renowned consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, enabling us to gather unique insights about their roles, work culture, and industry trends.

Are you curious about specific consulting firms or interested in particular global regions? Do you have specific questions in mind? Feel free to reach out to us. We’ll leverage our network to arrange exclusive interviews for StrategyCase.com, addressing your queries.

Kicking off this series, we’ve conducted an enlightening interview with a second-year Consultant Analyst at Bain & Company, based in Shanghai, China. This interview sheds light on the daily responsibilities and life of a Bain consultant, providing valuable insights for those interested in a consulting career at Bain or understanding the consulting lifestyle. Check out the full interview below for an inside look into the world of consulting at Bain.

The Experience of a Bain Consultant

StrategyCase.com: Where do you work? What position?

Interviewee: I work in Shanghai as a second-year consultant at Bain & Company.

StrategyCase.com: What kinds of cases do you work on?

Interviewee: 80% of my cases are helping leading consumer goods companies solve strategic problems. I was also staffed on commercial due diligence and industrial goods-related cases so far.

StrategyCase.com: How is the travel for Chinese top-tier consultants? Do you travel every week? How far?

Interviewee: I travel around 40-50% of the year. I could travel every week on travel cases (when clients are not based in Shanghai) but I usually prefer to stay in the client city over the weekend when traveling. The most common case locations are Beijing, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. So it’s around 2 hours by flight to get to the clients usually.

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StrategyCase.com: What are your favorite travel hacks?

Interviewee: Definitely credit cards and their reward programs. We are allowed to use personal credit cards and usually, junior consultants pay for team meals, which will generate lots of mile points.

StrategyCase.com: How does a typical day look in your consultant life? (e.g., distribution between client meetings, problem-solving, analytical work in Excel, slide preparation, etc)

Interviewee: This varies a lot depending on cases. I have PMO (project management office) cases where 80% of my time is spent in client meetings/engagement and due diligence cases where 80% of the time is spent in analytical work in Excel.

StrategyCase.com: What are the typical hours you work during the week and on Friday? How about weekend work?

Interviewee: Mon-Thurs: start at 9:30 am and finish at around 11 pm on average. Fridays end at 6-7 pm. Weekend work is very limited but we usually start responding to emails on Sunday nights.

StrategyCase.com: How do you unwind during the week and on weekends?

Interviewee: Weekdays: chatting with colleagues over dinner time. It’s very common for us to have a team dinner and we try to have non-work-related topics. Weekends: meeting friends, reading, sports, and having nice food.

StrategyCase.com: What’s the best part of the job?

Interviewee: Working with a group of smart, professional, and fun people!

StrategyCase.com: What is the worst part of the job?

Interviewee: Consistently long hours. Many colleagues have back problems as a result of long sittings.

StrategyCase.com: What tip would you give applicants for your role and your firm?

Interviewee: There are basically three things: Research the firm and be well prepared for case interviews, talk to us directly to understand the firm culture, and do enough mock interviews to make sure you will pass once you are invited for interviews.

StrategyCase.com: What exit opportunities are you considering?

Interviewee: Strategy department in corporates.

StrategyCase.com: What have you learned on the job?

Interviewee: Too many things. Consulting is a very learning-driven job. If I summarize them as one thing, that is “how to be professional”. It is the mindset of making things to its perfection and this, of course, leads to detailed tactics/actions/executions.

StrategyCase.com: Anything else you would like to add?

Interviewee: Two more things for those who are interested in joining consulting firms. This is a tough and stressful job and you will feel challenged every single day. In China, it is not well paid given the long hours you put in, especially in comparison to some positions in the finance industry. Make sure you think these through before making a final decision.

If you want to read more consulting life from different firms and regions, check out some other reports below:

• The life of a McKinsey consultant in Germany
• The life of a BCG consultant in Germany
• The life of an Accenture consultant in Canada
• The life of an Oliver Wyman consultant in the Middle East
• The life of an Ernst & Young consultant in Western Europe

How We Help You on This Journey to Bain

Embarking on your journey to secure a position at Bain is a tough challenge, but with specialized guidance, your path to success is clearer. Our team, renowned as top consulting interview experts, is here to support you every step of the way.

Our background as former MBB consultants and seasoned interview coaches equips us with a unique perspective and expertise. We focus on transforming your candidacy by:

• Personalizing Your Resume and Cover Letter: We’ll work with you to tailor these crucial documents to align with Bain’s high standards, ensuring you make a strong first impression.
• Mastering the Bain SOVA Test: Our methods have proven to help candidates excel in this challenging test.
• One-on-One Coaching Sessions: These sessions are tailored to develop your case-solving prowess and hone your storytelling skills for the fit interview, significantly boosting your chances of success (90% success rate after 5 sessions).
• Enhancing Your Quantitative Skills: We ensure your mathematical skills are up to the task for every Bain case scenario.
• Creative Case Structuring: Learn to approach and structure complex and unconventional Bain’s case studies effectively.
• Interpreting Bain’s Unique Data Presentations: We’ll teach you how to accurately analyze and derive insights from Bain charts and exhibits.
• Shine During the Fit Interview: Master the art of answering fit interview questions with confidence.

For any queries or further guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out. We are committed to providing a personalized program designed to navigate you successfully through the Bain application process.

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