sample cover letter bcg

BCG Cover Letter: Our Step-by-Step Guide + Examples

• Last Updated March, 2024

Former McKinsey and Bain recruiter

The most common question I was asked as a recruiter, and now as a recruiting coach, is “Do I need to write cover letters for my consulting applications?” This is usually followed up with “And do I need to tailor my cover letter for every firm?”

I think most people hope I’ll say no to both questions, as writing a cover letter can be pretty daunting, and tailoring it for every firm seems way too time-consuming to be worth the effort.

At My Consulting Offer, we’ve helped over 600 clients land offers with consulting firms. Our approach to how to write a great consulting cover letter has, for many, been a deciding factor in them landing interviews.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• What makes a great consulting cover letter.
• How to tailor your consulting cover letter to what BCG is looking for – a step-by-step guide.
• How BCG and other consulting firms review your cover letter.
• A sample BCG cover letter that successfully landed an interview.
• 5 tips for writing a BCG cover letter.

Let’s get started!

What Makes a Great Consulting Cover Letter

The consulting cover letter works alongside your resume to show the firms you’re applying to that you have the potential to be a great consultant.

Think of it as a flashy introductory accessory to your resume that highlights your most impressive and unique qualities, and grabs the reader’s attention so they’ll be excited to read your resume.

However, it’s important to get it right. 

A Strong Consulting Cover Letter: The Basics

As a recruiter, I saw way too many examples of applicants who had clearly not put any effort into their cover letter. Getting the basics right, such as ensuring the company name is correct, is essential (but not everyone gets that right). 

On the flip side, I received cover letters from applicants who were perhaps a little too eager to stand out. Poetry and “love letters” were not uncommon but a little ill-judged. The urge to be distinctive should not outweigh your consideration of the audience. Professionalism and appropriateness are key.

The consulting cover letter not only needs to have the impact required to engage the reader, it also needs to show them that you’ve done your research and thought about how you’re a great fit for consulting, and for their particular firm. It must also show how you’ll bring value to the role through your experiences and appetite to learn relevant skills.

You definitely can’t send the same cover letter to every consulting firm you’re applying to and assume that you’ll be successful. You’ve got to show each and every firm that you’re worth an interview.

That’s a lot to think about, right? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.

A Strong Consulting Cover Letter: Stand Out from the Crowd

After you’ve got the basics right, you need to identify what the consulting firm you’re applying to is looking for. Consulting firms typically seek candidates with great problem-solving, analytical, creative thinking, communication, team working, and leadership skills. 

So how can you include these in your cover letter while also tailoring it to an individual firm?

We recommend you focus on the firms’ values. These are how consulting firms distinguish themselves from other consulting firms.

You can easily find out what a firm’s values are by either typing “[firm name] values” into your search engine or by visiting the firm’s career page where they typically list these and provide detail on what they mean.

Now think about your own professional and personal experiences. Focus on experiences that you are proud of, received great feedback on, or demonstrate how you overcame a particularly tough challenge. Give some context of the situation, the actions you took, and the outcome that was reached, quantifying the results where possible. Try to ensure they include at least one of the consulting skills mentioned above.

Once you’ve outlined a few stories, you can then see how they might fit with the values of the firms you’re applying to. You may need to tweak some slightly, but you’ll probably find it pretty easy to link your stories to each firm’s values. 

And you don’t necessarily need to address all of the values, particularly if a firm has more than four, as you don’t want your cover letter to be more than a page.

The additional benefit of approaching your cover letter in the way we recommend is that you don’t need to explain your “why” for each firm. It will be clear by how your experiences resonate with their specific values. This shows how you’re a great fit. 

You can find out more about writing consulting cover letters by reading A Consulting Cover Letter that Lands Interviews: Our Complete Guide . For this article, we’re going to break it down by focusing on just one firm – BCG.

Tailor Your BCG Cover Letter to What BCG is Looking for

Step 1: Find out who to address your cover letter to at BCG.

It may differ between offices, depending on size, but you can usually find the key recruiting contact on the career page or by searching on LinkedIn. It may be a recruiter who handles recruiting for your university across regional offices for instance, or perhaps a recruiter who manages experienced professional recruiting for the office you’re applying to. 

Addressing your cover letter to someone specific and relevant helps to show that you’ve done your research and that you care about the impression you’re making. Firms often display their key recruiting contacts on the careers pages of their websites. Alternatively, you could search LinkedIn for roles such as Talent Acquisition Manager, Recruiting Manager, or Senior Recruiter and then locate the relevant person who looks after either the stream you’re applying through (for instance, experienced professional, undergraduate) or the office they recruit for, which is usually detailed in their profile.

Step 2: Create your opening paragraph.

Keep it concise, ideally no more than four or five lines. Introduce yourself and express your interest in applying to BCG and the specific role you’re applying for, which will typically be Associate or Consultant but may be a more specialist role, for instance, within BCG Gamma. You may also want to write a short sentence on “ why consulting ” here. Talk about how your experiences resonate with their values and state specifically which ones.

You can find BCG’s values by Googling “BCG values” or by visiting their “ our people and culture ” page directly. This content gives you a really good feel for how having the right people and developing a unique culture is so important to BCG. 

Scroll down to where they talk about the values driving their culture. There’s a great mini slideshow of their values and what they mean. Here’s a snapshot:

• Integrity – as an expression of courage and accountability
• Diversity – of thought, expertise, experience, and background
• Respect for the individual – as their capacity for desire and personal growth
• Clients come first – we measure our success by our clients’ success
• The strategic perspective – enabling clients to deliver superior results in a sustainable manner
• Value delivered – in the form of tangible, positive, and lasting change
• Partnerships – a long-term view guides BCG’s relationships both internally and with clients
• Expanding the art of the possible – because the goal is not simply to apply best practice but to invent it
• Social impact – make the world a better place

These values are created to be meaningful and inspiring, representing what BCG stands for, and making you want to be a part of BCG’s unique culture.

BCG has more stated values than most other firms, but this can actually make it easier as you can select the ones that resonate most with your own values and the stories you’ve written. I’d recommend choosing three or four, depending on the length of your stories.

Step 3: Organize your stories for the greatest impact.

Once you’ve chosen your stories to meet the values you’ve selected, list your strongest first and the weakest in the middle (although it should still be strong). List your stories in bullet point format and use the value as a heading.

Step 4: End your cover letter by reiterating your interest in BCG and how you appreciate their consideration. And don’t forget to sign off. Electronic signatures are the norm these days, just don’t use a script font here as this can look too artificial.

In addition to this publicly available information about what BCG looks for in its candidates, my colleague Valentin has written an article with the insider perspective on what’s important to BCG . This includes drive, a tailored approach, and the BCG attitude. Check it out to make your BCG cover letter to be extra special.

How BCG & Other Consulting Firms Review Your Cover Letter

As a recruiter for seven years with McKinsey and then a recruiting manager for nearly five years with Bain, both in London, I’ve read tens of thousands of resumes and accompanying cover letters. London is one of the most coveted offices, so applications came in thick and fast during recruiting season and continued throughout the whole year. 

I received cover letters from undergraduate students, postgraduate students, MBA students, and experienced professionals throughout my recruiting career, all eager to impress, but not always getting it right. 

I had letters consisting of just a few lines that didn’t tell me anything about the person, and others that provided their life story across multiple pages. Some were addressed to another company, others had lots of spelling mistakes or poor grammar. I’ve read very entertaining letters (although perhaps not always appropriate) as well as letters that were lacking in any engaging content at all.

The ones that grabbed my attention in a good way, were those that were concise, clearly laid out, showed me that the applicant had done their research on the company I worked for, demonstrated their unique qualities, and told me how they would be a great fit for us.

To make it easier for recruiters who read hundreds of cover letters every year, follow these basic principles. 

And to ensure your cover letter then stands out from the competition, I recommend you use My Consulting Offer’s approach. The more experienced a recruiter is, the easier it is for them to skim through cover letters, so you need to be able to impress them really quickly.

Successful BCG Cover Letter Samples

5 tips for writing a bcg cover letter that stands out.

• Find out who at BCG will be reviewing your application and address your letter to them (and their team).
• Research BCG’s values and select the 3 or 4 that resonate with you and your experiences.
• Create or adapt your stories to fit the values you’ve chosen, focusing on specifics and structuring them so that they include the context, challenge, actions you took, and the results you reached.
• Ensure you’re also demonstrating relevant skills in your stories such as problem-solving, leadership, and communication.
• Get the basics right. Ensure you’re referring to BCG in your letter throughout, keep it to one page, use bullet points for ease of reading, and check for spelling and grammar errors.

In this article, we’ve covered:

• What a consulting cover letter looks like
• A step-by-step guide to how to tailor your cover letter to BCG
• How recruiters at consulting firms review cover letters
• A sample cover letters that landed our client an interview with BCG
• Our top 5 tips for writing a successful BCG cover letter

Still have questions?

If you have more questions about the Boston Consulting Group cover letter, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s recruiters will answer them.

Other people looking for advice on BCG cover letters found the following pages helpful:

• Consulting Cover Letters
• Consulting Resumes
• Consulting Networking
• BCG Recruiting
• BCG Case Interview

Help With Your Consulting Application

Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for advice on case study interview prep. My Consulting Offer has helped 89.6% of the people we’ve worked with get a job in management consulting. We want you to be successful in your consulting interviews too. For example, here is how Afrah Arif was able to get her offer at Deloitte .

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3 Things Consulting Firms Actually Look for in Your Application

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Every year, more than 1 million candidates apply for a consulting role in McKinsey.

[ Click here to directly go to the Consulting cover letter sample ]

But only 10,000 people get the final offer. That’s a 1% success rate .

The top 3 consulting companies, McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Company , are some of the most selective companies when it comes to hiring.

Most people don’t know this, but they start their selection process by screening the cover letter and consulting resumes .

More than 80% of resumes and cover letters are rejected before the first screening. Less than 15% of candidates get called for interviews in the big three consulting firms.

So, if you think, " How do I become a consultant? How to write a consulting cover letter that gets me the consulting job?” - This blog is for you.

Consulting cover letters are very different from traditional cover letters for jobs. In this guide to writing a consulting cover letter, we’ll tell you everything you need to write on the consulting cover letter to stand out from your competitors.

In this blog, we will discuss:

• What is a consulting cover letter?
• What are the things recruiters look for in a cover cetter?
• How to structure a consulting cover letter?
• How to write an effective consulting cover letter?
• 5 tips to write a stellar consulting cover letter
• Consulting cover letter dample

We’ll also share five consulting cover letter examples to help you get an interview.

What Is a Consulting Cover Letter?

A consulting cover letter is an adjacent document with your consulting resume that helps you introduce your skills and accomplishments to the hiring managers.

It’s an essential part of your application, especially for big three consulting firms, because it’s easy for recruiters to quickly sort bad candidates based on the quality of a cover letter, lack of attention to detail, etc.

However, if done correctly, consulting cover letters is an excellent way to stand out from the crowd and get yourself a job interview.

You don’t have enough space to elaborate on your experiences on a resume. But with a cover letter, you can expand on your experiences and explain the reasons for some potential red flags on your resume.

Why do you have a job gap? Why do you have a low GPA? You can explain the reasons for that in the cover letter.

In short, your consulting cover letter is the deciding factor for getting a job in a big consulting company.

What Recruiters Look for in a Consulting Cover Letter?

The recruiters look for a candidate who has excellent communication and leadership skills. They look into the applicant's skills and experience to understand if they have the qualities to become a successful consultant.

Recruiters look for mainly four aspects from a consultant cover letter. These are:

• Does the candidate have the relevant skills and experience required for the job?
• Does the candidate have a clear idea of what the company does?
• Is the candidate interested in working with the company?
• Does the candidate have excellent communication skills?

If you want to create an outstanding consulting cover letter, you need to address all four points in your letter.

How to Structure a Management Consulting Cover Letter?

A perfect management consulting cover letter must have six distinct elements.

• Opening Paragraph
• Closing Paragraph
• Your Signature

Consulting Cover Letter: Header

This is a mandatory part of any professional letter. The header section must include

• Candidate’s name
• Phone Number
• Your Location

Even if your resume has all this information, you need to add these to your cover letter.

Salutation is an essential part of the consulting cover letter. Never start your cover letter with “To whom it may concern.” It will not get you the job.

Instead, find out who is the recruiter or hiring manager and address the cover letter directly to them.

If you don’t identify who the hiring manager is, you can address the letter to the recruitment team. For example:

Dear members of the BCG Recruitment Team, To Bain Recruitment Team,

Consulting Cover Letter: Opening Paragraph

The first sentence of your consulting cover letter is the perfect opportunity to hook the reader’s attention. And the second sentence should state the role you are applying for and how you learned about the position. The third sentence should describe why you are interested in the company you are applying for.

Do some initial research and craft a personalized and customized opening paragraph for the Consulting cover letter. If you can do that, you will improve your chance of getting shortlisted by 1000%.

Here is an example of the Opening Paragraph of a consulting cover letter:

I am a 4+ years experienced digital marketing professional working with top SaaS brands to help them generate $100M in sales year on year. I’m highly pleased to apply for the Associate Consultant position at McKinsey. I appreciate McKinsey’s leadership and sales practices to provide an outstanding experience to clients.

Consulting Cover Letter - Body

The consulting cover letter body part should explain your key accomplishments, experience, and why you are a good fit for the firm.

Don’t write a generic consulting cover letter body. Research the consulting firm, go to their website and understand the qualities they are looking for. After that, you can start creating the body of the consulting cover letter.

Below is a consulting cover letter example of the body paragraph:

Consulting Cover Letter- Closing Paragraph

The closing paragraph is where you place the call to action to encourage the recruiters to take action. It must be short and to the point.

Here’s an example of the Closing Paragraph of Consulting Cover Letter:

Consulting Cover Letter - Ending Signature

This is a formality for any type of professional letter. There are different types of closing signatures. Such as:

Thanking You Thanks and Regards Best Regards Sincerely Thank You

How to Write an Effective Consulting Cover Letter - Formatting

It’s not enough to have great content for the consulting cover letter; You need to format it professionally to get the most out of it.

Here are some formatting tips to help you create the consulting cover letter:

Keep it Under 1 Page:

The consulting cover letter should not be more than one page. Recruiters don’t have much time to give to one single candidate. And in this time, if you create a 2-page cover letter, the maximum chance is that recruiters will ignore your application.

Use 1-inch Margin:

A 1-inch margin is standard for any professional cover letter. A margin of less than 1 inch makes your cover letter look cramped. A 1-inch margin ensures enough whitespace to make the letter easily readable.

Use Professional Font:

Always use a professional font in the consulting cover letter. Some professional fonts are:

• Times New Roman

Also, ensure to keep the font size to 12 points. It makes the cover letter very easy to read.

Save the Cover Letter in PDF

Make sure to submit the cover letter in PDF format. It ensures that your cover letter format is intact, no matter who views it.

10 Tips for Writing a Consulting Cover Letter

Writing a solid consulting cover letter allows you to present your candidacy to the hiring managers. Here is a list of tips for writing a stellar consulting cover letter.

1. Research the Company Requirements

Interviewing candidates is expensive; it takes time and money to get excellent people on board.

So, the company also wants to ensure that the candidate they are interviewing is interested in the job.

Therefore, consulting firms look for signs that:

• You’ve researched the company
• You have a proper motivation or reason for entering into consulting
• You have a good answer to why you’re the right fit for the company
• You have impeccable speaking and writing skills

Use your cover letter to showcase that you have all the signs that a consulting firm looks for in a candidate. This will set you apart from the rest of the candidates.

2. Link Cover Letter To Resume

Your cover letter should complement your resume and strengthen your candidacy.

Start the cover letter with unique experiences and skills to hook the recruiter’s interests.

In resumes, there is less space to explain anything to the recruiter. You can complement it by going into detail about your achievements and skills in the cover letter.

Here are some points consulting firms look for in a consulting cover letter:

• Big brand name: If you are from a reputed university or worked with reputed brands
• Good Academic Performance: 3.5+ GPA
• Leadership experience and good communication skills
• Excellent Analytical Skills
• The ratio of your accomplishments and career year: the more experience you have, the more accomplishments you should get

3. Don’t Use a Standard Cover Letter Template

Writing a cover letter is difficult. It takes a lot of contemplating and self-reflection to make it right. You have to edit and rewrite the cover letter multiple times to make it interesting.

Some candidates try to use standardized cover letter templates to avoid the pain of writing a cover letter.

This is a big mistake, mainly if you apply to prestigious consulting firms. The recruiters in these organizations are experienced in identifying a standard cover letter.

Don’t write a consulting cover letter for the sake of it. Write the cover letter to make each sentence count and help you get closer to your dream job.

4. Use Evidence-based Storytelling

Everyone loves a good story. And in your cover letter as well, you should tell the story of your experience, don’t list down your skills and accomplishments without any context.

Demonstrate how various experiences have given you certain skills that nobody has.

For example, instead of saying you have led marketing campaigns in your past organizations, you can say that You’ve managed a marketing budget of $50,000 and coordinated with the content team to launch two successful campaigns and generated $5mn sales.

This is evidence-based storytelling, and this gives more context to the recruiter about your experience and helps them evaluate your skills.

5. Avoid Repeating Things on Your Cover Letter

Your cover letter and resume go hand in hand — they should complement each other, but they should not be the same.

You can reference elements of your resume but focus on aspects that aren't covered very well there or put a different spin on things, so it's still interesting for them to read about it again.

6. Pick Your Best Stories And Accomplishments

A cover letter is an opportunity to tell great stories from your work experience that are relevant to the consulting firm you're applying to.

If you have accomplishments, such as helping previous employers save money or increase profits, put these front and center where hiring managers won't miss them. Don't just list your skills — explain how they helped your previous employers meet their goals.

However, make sure to include only 2-3 such stories. And keep them short and crisp. Nobody has the time to read through a 2-page cover letter.

7. Quantify Your Results and Impact

Consulting firms want to know that you have the potential to deliver results for their clients — so make sure you mention how much impact or value you've created in past jobs or internships. For example: "I helped ABC Company reduce its customer service costs by 20%." Or: "I generated $100K in annual savings for XYZ Company through process improvement initiatives."

8. Keep Your Cover Letter Crisp

Many consulting firms get hundreds, if not thousands, of applications for each job opening. It's important to keep your cover letter as brief as possible so that recruiters don't lose interest.

Keep your cover letter to a maximum of one page. The most successful cover letters have three identifiable sections: who you are, why you are applying and why the firm should hire you. This can be covered in three paragraphs or about 300 words.

9. Namedrop Employees You Have Talked to

If there is someone at the firm who referred you or whom you have spoken to about this position, mention them by name in your cover letter, preferably in the first paragraph. This will help the reader to associate your application with that particular employee. It will also help if that person has put in a good word for you!

10. Double-check You're Addressing The Cover Letter Properly

Address the right firm. Take the time to research the firm and make sure your cover letter is addressed to the right person.

Most firms will have information on their websites about who is in charge of recruiting.

The more personal you can make the cover letter, the better for you.

Failing to address your cover letter correctly may be discarded without even being read.

Here’s a Management Consulting Cover Letter Sample For Your Reference:

Frequently asked questions:, do all consulting firms require cover letter.

Most consulting firms keep cover letters as an optional document. However, you must add your cover letter with your resume to distinguish yourself from other candidates. Writing a unique cover letter can help you stand out from the crowd.

What if The Cover Letters are Optional?

Consulting firms like McKinsey and BCG have made their cover letters optional.

It certainly helps the candidates with strong resumes to get out of the hassle of creating a cover letter. However, if you have some red flags on your resume, such as a low GPA or an employment gap, you should write a cover letter to explain these potential red flags to the recruiters and increase your chances of getting hired.

Key Takeaways

Writing a consulting cover letter doesn’t have to be complicated. Just remember the following tips:

• Write a proper cover letter header and ensure that you are not making any mistakes in your contact information
• Always start the cover letter with a proper and professional salutation
• The first paragraph of the consulting cover letter should hook the recruiter to read the whole cover letter
• In the second paragraph, explain your experiences and show why you are the perfect candidate for the job
• Always end the consulting cover letter with a call to action

If you want to create a consulting cover letter, go to the Hiration Cover Letter Builder tool and pick from 20+ consulting cover letter templates to make an excellent one for yourself.

If you have further questions, reach out to us at [email protected] , and we will be happy to help you out.

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“Why BCG?” interview question (with sample answer)

The question, “why this firm?” is guaranteed to come up at least once during your BCG consulting interviews. It is one of the most frequently asked fit questions, and also a topic you are expected to tackle in your consulting cover letter .

So it’s imperative that you come to the interviews having thought about why you want to work for BCG specifically, rather than its competitors. We’ve put together this guide to help you craft the perfect answer.

Our first tip: Focus on the office you’re applying to over the company as a whole.

• Sample answer: Why do you want to work at BCG ?
• How to prepare for your BCG interviews

1. Why BCG?

How should you respond to the Why BCG interview question? Do your research. Be specific about BCG and the exact office you want to join: network, talk about the office’s projects and industries, and go over BCG’s reports and intellectual capital that interest you the most.

To help you get started, we’ll list some unique facts about BCG versus other top consulting firms below. You can pick one of these facts to be a data point in your answer, or to simply inform yourself about what makes the company stand out.

As we mentioned before, it is also very important to bring up facts about the specific office you’re applying to join. BCG has offices in more than 100 cities and 50 countries, so won’t be able to go over every office here. But we’ll give you some tips on how to do your research and prepare your answer in sections 2 and 3.

Here are some facts that make BCG stand out:

• BCG does consulting work across many sectors, but they have particular strengths in corporate development, innovation, and business growth. If those are sectors that interest you, and especially if you have previous experience in these areas, you should bring it up. 
• In terms of organizational structure, BCG is known as the flatter and more collaborative firm out of the Big Three, with McKinsey known for a traditional structure and Bain falling somewhere in between the two. If you’ve worked in flat structures before and tend to succeed in that environment, you can talk about that with your interviewer
• Out of the Big Three, BCG has the most robust Digital Ventures practice . If you have experience in digital ventures previously, or if it’s something that you’ve been wanting to work in, BCG would be a good place to do it.
• BCG consistently trains and rewards top talent at the firm. One example of this is their BCG Fellows program. Leaders in the company are nominated to the fellowship and given multiple years to develop their own innovative idea that will create value for business leaders. If you’re inspired by that program, or by the work one of the Fellows has undertaken, this is a good time to mention it.

2. Sample answer: Why do you want to work at BCG?

Now that you’ve seen a few reasons that make BCG unique among the Big 3, let’s take a look at a full sample answer that uses some of these facts as well as details about a specific office. After this, we’ll go through a list of tips and tricks that will help you craft your own stellar answer.

Sample answer: Why BCG?

“BCG appeals to me for three reasons.

Firstly, I’ve spoken with multiple people from the firm, who’ve all told me they’ve enjoyed their time there—particularly Madhu Khatri, who was a project leader in Climate and Sustainability at the Boston office. She mentored me during my internship at BCG last summer and continued to stay in touch as I finished my MBA. 

Also, I have a particular affinity for BGC’s Boston office, which is why I’m applying to this one specifically. Of course, as the original location, that means that it is at the epicenter of BCG’s big ideas. In addition to that, I’ve been personally touched by the office’s community service culture, as I’ve made it a habit to volunteer in my community through non profit mentorship programs.

Finally, I regularly read BCG’s featured insights delivered by François Candelon, Shervin Khodabandeh, and others in digital technology and data. These insights are regularly superior to those of other consultancies. By joining BCG I therefore think I would have an opportunity to work with and learn from the best consultants in the industry.”

2.1 Tips to prepare your answer for “why BCG?”

As you create your own answer to this question, take a moment to consider why BCG interviewers ask it in the first place.

Interviewers ask questions like “why consulting?” and “why BCG ?” to test whether you’ve got the motivation to last in a fast-paced and high-stakes environment. If they sense that a candidate is not motivated enough, or has the wrong motivations (e.g. the high salary), then they’re unlikely to hire them.

Interviewers also want to know whether you’ve done your research. As you’ll be doing quite a bit of research and analysis on the job, showing a nuanced understanding of BCG in your answer is a good sign to the interviewer that you possess the right skills for the position.

Below are a few ways that you can show off these qualities in your answer, as well as common pitfalls that you should avoid.

How to answer “Why BCG?”

• Network. Mention the people you have met from the office you are applying for. A surprisingly big part of answering the "Why this firm?" question is about networking . Your interviewer wants to know if you have done your homework and have talked to anyone from the office you are applying for, or at least from the firm in general.
• Talk about the projects and industries that the office you will join focuses on. Having talked to a few people is not enough. Your interviewer also wants to know if you understand what type of projects the office you are joining works on. If you join the BCG New York office, for instance, you will likely work on financial services or media projects because these industries are big in the city. But if you want to work in oil and gas, New York is not the right destination; instead you should probably apply for Houston.
• Mention the reports and other intellectual capital produced by the office you will join. Be aware of the recent reports published by the partners from the office you are trying to join (e.g. New York) and the practice you are interested in (e.g. Financial services). This will demonstrate to your interviewer that you have a genuine interest in a specific area that the office they belong to works on.
• Make it personal : If you have any examples from your personal experience that tie in with this firm, now is a good time to bring them up.
• Make it specific : Of course, your answer for “why this firm?” should be different with every company you’re interviewing with. Test out your answer by swapping another bank’s name with the one you’ve got in mind. If your answer could also apply to this other bank, then you need to fine tune it.
• Rehearse your answer : Before the interview starts, you should already have your answer to this question prepared and ready to go. 

Now , take some time to review common mistakes that candidates make when answering this question.

Common pitfalls in answering “Why BCG?”

• Answer is too broad : Simple answers such as “it would be a great opportunity to learn more,” “the people here are very smart and work hard,” or “the culture here is awesome,” won’t make the cut on their own (even if it’s true!). Interviewers have heard these responses many times before, so you’ll need to make it more personal and targeted.
• Answer is too long : This question is frequently asked at the beginning of a longer interview round or during the initial screening process. In both cases, it’s important to answer quickly and concisely, so that the interviewer can understand your answer and have time for other questions. Aim for a roughly 1-minute response.
• Answer lacks structure : Think of two or three reasons you’d like to work there, and describe each of them, one at a time. Otherwise, the interviewer will have difficulty following your train of thought, and you are more likely to ramble.

3. How to prepare for your BCG interviews

Of course, there are many aspects to prepare for in a BCG consulting interview in addition to the “why BCG ” interview question. To help you get ready for the interview process as a whole, we recommend that you complete the two steps below. 

3.1 Practice for every type of BCG interview question

BCG has many facets to its interview process, including case questions, fit/PEI questions, an online interview, and written cases. Here are overviews of each of these assessments:

• Case questions
• Fit / PEI questions
• BCG Pymetrics test
• Written cases

You will get a combination of Fit / PEI questions and case interview questions in ALL your interview rounds. Your interviewer will typically ask you one or two Fit / PEI questions (~10mins) and then move on to a case interview (~30 to 40mins).

In addition to fit and case questions, BCG also uses a pymetrics test, a 20-30 minute test that includes 12 games. Each game takes about 2-3 minutes to complete. This test is designed to test 70+ different social, emotional, and cognitive traits that can help determine whether or not you would be successful at BCG.

BCG also sometimes uses a written case in SECOND ROUND interviews. So far we have only heard of this being used in the US. For this written case, you will be given a set of documents, which you will use to answer case questions. You will then have 2 hours to answer these questions in the form of a 3 to 5 slide presentation, which you will have 15 minutes to present to your interviewer.

3.2 Practice with mock interviews

Finally, it’s time to try out your answer in an interview setting. A great place to start is to do mock interviews with friends or peers.

This will help you polish your answer, practice answering follow-up questions, and get used to case interviews. However, if your interview partner isn’t familiar with consulting interviews, then practicing with an ex-interviewer will give you an extra edge. 

If you know someone who runs interviews at BCG and other firms, then that’s amazing! They'll be a great person for you to practice with.

If not, we want to help you make these connections. That’s why we’ve created a coaching platform where you can find ex-interviewers from BCG to practice with. Learn more and start scheduling BCG mock interviews today .

BCG Cover Letter: 4 Templates and Email

We are extremely careful about providing our readers with the content they need. These samples of BCG cover letters will surely help you. Make sure to insert your personal details at the required places.

Letter Template: 1

Table of Contents

BCG Cover Letter

[ your name]

[ your address]

[ your contact information]

[ recipient’s name]

[ recipient’s address]

[ recipient’s contact information]

Dear Sir/Madam,

Recently, I have seen the information for the requirement for the post of [mention the position] in BCG on their website which is [mention the URL] on [mention the date].  I desire to work in this reputed company like BCG and find the requirements posted on the website is absolutely matching my educational background and experience. 

I am interested to work with the team of BCG as I have seen them taking a different approach to every problem. Instead of fixing the issue in the current framework, they would rather look in to the problem from the starting level and resolving it from start to finish. I am very much interested to delve in to deeper analysis in to the career as a [mention the position] and therefore I would like to apply for it at BCG. 

BCG as we know is highly recognized at a global level and well reputed firm and committed to serve with high quality standards. I am confident that I would be able to deliver the best with the support of my excellent educational background and quality experience. I had done my graduation in [mention the subject] from the university of [mention the university name] in the year [mention the year]. It had been [mention the time period] years of program.  

I had also done short term computer course from the well known institute of [mention the computer institute]. Over there, I got the opportunity to learn the latest software program like [mention the software program]. With the help of these software programs, I am very capable of designing projects for industrial activities. 

Regarding my professional experience, I have overall [mention the experience period] years. Initially, I had been appointed as an intern and I got the opportunity to work with excellent performers of [mention the company name]. 

I deserve to work in BCG in the post of [mention the position] and therefore I would request you to call me for the interview. I will be able to explain further in a better way about my skills and academic background and justify my employment with you. Kindly give me a call at my contact number which is [mention the contact number] for further discussion.

I would be waiting for your response.

Thanking you,

Yours Faithfully,

[Mention your name]

Download Template : ( pdf, docs, ODT, RTF, txt, HTML, Epub, Etc )

Letter Template: 2

It will be a great opportunity for career growth for me when I would be joining the BCG consulting group. I got the encouragement to apply for the post of [mention the position] as I the requirement for it on the website of [mention the website]. In fact, it is continuously posting the information of this vacant post not only on the website but also in the journal of [mention the newspaper] dated on [mention the date].

I am quite thrilled and excited to see the advertisement as I find it matches my educational background and experience in the field of [mention the field]. 

I am very much aware of the fact that BCG Consulting Group is a reputed firm and recognized all over the world due to its excellent business networks. It is one of the Big trees of the industry and it has 73 offices in 43 countries of the world.

As I know that staff members of the BCG consulting group are highly qualified and well-skilled to contribute in the industry. I would prefer to work with this team who is specialized in resolving the tasks from the grass-root level. 

With my in-depth researching ability, and excellent communication and leadership skills, I will definitely qualify for the post of [mention the position] at BCG Consulting Group. I am highly suitable for the post as I am a graduate of [mention the university name] .

I had been a topper in my college as I had scored above [mention the percentage]. After that, I did join [mention the previous company name] in the position of [mention the position]. I had worked for a period of [mention the time period] years.  Over there, I was performing the tasks of [mention the activities]. 

I do believe that with my qualification and experience as mentioned above, I do stand as a deserving candidate for the post of [mention the position]. For further details, you can get in touch with me on my contact number which is [contact number]. 

Thanking You,

Yours Sincerely,

Letter Template: 3

Currently, I am pursuing my master’s program in [mention the subject] at the University of [Mention the university] and an advertisement for the requirement of the management consultant at BCG Consulting Group has actually struck my interest.

I had seen this advertisement on the website of [mention the website] of BCG Consulting Group on [mention date] and found it quite promising for my career. I would love to grow in this industry if I get the opportunity to grow over here. 

BCG Consulting Group is known to recruit candidates who had been bright students in their academic careers and brilliantly performing in their respective fields. I find myself among the brilliant performers and excellent students. I would like to inform you as to why am I very much suitable for the post of management consultant in BCG Consultant Group. 

I would like to inform you that I have been working as an intern in [mention the previous company] for a period of [mention the time period] months. Due to excellent performance, I have been absorbed in the team of [mention the name of supervisor] as a junior management consultant. 

I was responsible for interviewing staff members of the client, assisting my supervisor in preparing the presentations, and arranging meetings with the leaders of different industries. Over there, I had been appreciated for my contribution with my effective communication and leadership skills.

I had been awarded as the best employee of the year in the company last year.  I would like to invest my efforts over here along with the team of BCG Consulting Group who are actually specialized in providing quality solutions by working from start to finish. 

I had done graduation in [mention the subject] from the University of [mention the university] and a 6 months diploma course in [mention diploma course] from the Institute of [mention the institute name]. 

I am confident that with my experience of [mention the experience period] years and academic background, I will be able to do justice to the job as a management consultant in your reputed company. 

Kindly contact me on [mention the contact number] or send me an email to [mention email id] to know further about my interest to work as a management consultant in BCG Consulting Group.

Yours faithfully

Letter Template: 4

[recipient’s contact information]

Dear Sir/Madam, 

I am writing this letter to inform you that job posting for the post of [mention the position] in BCG Consulting Group on its website and also the [mention the job portal name] has attracted me and inspired me to apply for it. I find myself perfectly eligible for this post. 

The reason for choosing BCG Consulting Group over any other company for my career growth is due to its unique way of resolving problems. The team of BCG Consulting Group is always focusing on resolving problems from the grass-root level.

The work culture has deeply impacted me and I want to grow in this professional environment with my skills. It will be an intellectual pursuit for me by working in the position of [mention the position]. 

I have taken the decision to apply at BCG Consulting Group because of its global presence in 43 countries and its commitment to providing high-quality services. 

I am very much confident that my educational qualifications and industrial experience of [mention the experience period] is perfect for the challenges faced by BCG Consulting Group in the various segments of the business. I do have the potency to tackle the issues with my analytical and reasoning skills. I am capable of collaborating with the members of the organization and also with the clients of the other industries.

I know how to handle a team of 50 people and provide them with appropriate training for increasing the productivity of the company and boosting the career growth of every employee. I have worked with sincerity, honesty, and following the quality standards of [mention the previous company name] and achieved 100% client satisfaction in the last [mention the experience period] years.

I have earned a bachelor’s degree in [mention stream] with a specialization in [mention the subject] from the University of [mention the university name]. If I am hired by BCG Consulting Group then I commit to doing best. As I am keen to apply for the post of [mention the position], kindly give me a call on [mention the contact number] or send me an email to [mention email id]. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours Faithfully

{Mention your name]

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New BCG Careers Experience Coming Soon

We're excited to announce that we will soon transition to a new, enhanced candidate portal to provide you with a better application experience. Our existing system will retire on May 28, 2024 .

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We appreciate your understanding during this transition and look forward to bringing you a more dynamic and user-friendly application process.

Thank you for your interest in joining our team!

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BCG actively recruits passionate, open-minded, and accomplished people from around the world. If you are interested in pursuing a career with BCG, here's how you apply.

To explore BCG X-related roles, please go here .

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Bain Cover Letter Sample

Written by . Posted in Cover Letter

Bain & Company is a world-renowned strategy consulting firm. They have been ranked the #1 best firm to work for by Consulting magazine for the past nine years. This leading firm works with large corporations and multinationals across industries throughout the world.

With such a prestigious reputation, it is not surprising that many aspiring consultants want to jump start their career at this organization. Because this job market is so competitive, failing to submit an eye-catching consulting cover letter would be a huge mistake. Recruiters at top-tier consulting firms, such as Bain, will not spend a lot of time reviewing your application, so a well-written and complete application is a must.

A complete consulting application includes more than an impressive resume; you also need an equally remarkable cover letter. In fact, the results from a recent survey revealed that 75% of employers indicated that a well presented cover letter can significantly improve the chances of a less eligible candidate landing an interview, and that 53% of employers favor applications with both a resume and cover letter.

A cover letter provides you with an opportunity to highlight your relevant skills and experiences as well as convey your enthusiasm for the consulting industry, so take advantage of it. You can look online for Bain cover letter samples to guide you in writing your application.

What Bain Looks For

Bain looks for candidates who can demonstrate they possess qualifications imperative to consulting such as sharp problem solving and strong leadership skills and a true passion for consulting.

Sharp problem solving skills are indispensable for any aspiring Bain employee. If you are not sure how to incorporate your problem solving skills in your cover letter, begin by  providing short yet specific accomplishments from your previous roles that demonstrate this skill. Remember, you need to exhibit this capability in order to move on to the case interview. Although your problem solving skills and thought process will be further evaluated during the case interview, you must first give them a glimpse of your potential in order to get to the next stage.

Bain is also impressed with aspiring consultants who present a results-oriented track record. You do not need to list all of your previous successful projects in your cover letter, simply highlight the most impressive one.

Strong leadership qualities are essential if you really want to work at Bain. The firm  explicitly states that they seek out candidates with proven leadership experience. Whether your experience in this area is school or work-related or even through your extracurricular activities, make sure your application displays this necessary trait.

Bain values applicants who show genuine passion for consulting and for life in general. Bain also appreciates enthusiastic candidates who want to make a change in the world. You can demonstrate your passion for consulting through the relevant experience or achievements you include in your application. You can also demonstrate your passion for change by citing your activities outside the office such as volunteer work.

When applying for a consulting position at Bain, you must be able to clearly demonstrate the characteristics listed above in your cover letter and resume.

Bain Cover Letter Structure

Your consulting cover letter should only contain three to five paragraphs, and the information needs to be presented in a concise yet comprehensive manner.

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Contact Information and Salutation

The most important thing you need to remember for this section is accuracy. As the recruiter will use the details you provide here to notify you, ensure that your email address and phone number are functional and accurate. Double check your contact information before you send your application.

Moreover, do not forget to address your letter to the correct person and list his or her title at the company. Many candidates overlook this simple detail when writing their cover letters. In fact, according to feedback from top employers listed in the book, The 100 Best Companies to Work For , 91% implied that addressing a cover letter to the appropriate individual improves an applicant’s chances of getting an interview. This is because it reflects the extra time you took to research and personalize your letter as well as your great attention to details. Failing to address these aspects in your cover letter may hurt your application.

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Introduction

The first paragraph is where you mention the purpose of your letter, which is applying for the consulting position. It needs to be interesting enough to encourage the screener to read the rest of your application. Basically, this section of your letter should address the question, “Why this job?” Explain how you came to know about the job opening and briefly state why you are interested in the position. Sound sincere and do not just repeat their publicity materials. A good Bain cover letter demonstrates that you have done your research and that your letter is targeted toward the organization and have not simply sent out the same cover letter to other employers.

To convey an original, targeted, and interesting voice, you can mention any of the following: networking, articles, or events. If you happen to have a conversation with a Bain employee, you may mention how that person has inspired you to pursue consulting. You may also refer to an event, such as an inspirational talk, wherein you learned the value of working at Bain. And you may state a particular case Bain handled that has inspired you to get into consulting.

Check Bain’s website for company information or ask colleagues who are associated with them, so you can add something original in your letter. You may also check out other consulting sites for good Bain cover letter samples.

“I am interested in the Associate Consultant position at Bain & Company. I have an avid interest in management consulting, and my conversation with Mr. X, one of your senior consultants, has further inspired me to seek this position. I believe this opportunity will provide me with unparalleled experience in business consulting.”

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Middle Paragraphs

The middle section of your consulting cover letter should answer the question, “Why me?” This section can be either one or two paragraphs and convey all your significant work experience and how it relates to the vacancy. Explain briefly and clearly why you are suited for the position without using the exact same words or phrases on your resume. Refer to your most relevant skills and accomplishments and match them to the requirements of the consulting position.

“My economics studies at Toronto University have provided me with analytical skills which I will apply to diverse business scenarios. My three years of experience as a marketing manager at Accelerator honed my ability to develop and implement marketing campaigns, as well as how to effectively collaborate with a team. I led a team which devised marketing initiatives for a global campaign for Z Brands, which resulted in a 25% increase in sales after three months.

I enjoy working with teams and hold several leadership positions within my various extracurricular activities. I am currently the Vice President for X Group, and I also participate in a non-profit organization that tutors local youth in math and reading. I believe that my strong work ethic, analytical skills, and initiative have given me the requisite skills and ability to contribute to the growth and success of your firm.”

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Conclusion

The closing paragraph of your Bain cover letter should reaffirm your suitability for the role. Demonstrate your enthusiasm about the possibility of working as a Bain consultant and  state that you are looking forward to hearing from them. Statistics from the survey mentioned above revealed that 88% of employers agree that applicants should mention their interest in being interviewed in their cover letters.

Finally, do not forget to sign your letter. If you are submitting a paper application, you must place your handwritten signature above your name. This is a sign of proper business etiquette and professionalism. If you are sending an email application, a signature may not be necessary; however, you must not forget to write your name at the bottom of your letter.

“I look forward to the opportunity of being interviewed in order to share more about my experience and skills that I could bring to your company. Thank you for your time and consideration.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A Bain cover letter needs to be perfectly written and presented. If you want to land a consulting job with this prestigious firm, avoid committing the following mistakes:

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Sample cover letter for Internship position at BCG

I am a first year student studying towards a Bsc in Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science writing to apply for the BCG Insight Programme. Researching BCG, I was impressed by the culture at the firm and the way in which it approaches problems. Rather than try to fit problems into existing frameworks, teams at BCG have a tendency to look at each problem from a fresh and build a solution from the ground up. I am keen to gain a deeper insight into a career as a management consultant due to its intellectual rigor and have decided to apply to BCG because of its global presence, reputation for excellence and its commitment to thought leadership.

I believe that both my educational and professional backgrounds have well prepared me for the analytical challenges that are faced in this industry .Last summer, I gained a three week internship at Credit Suisse working within Fixed Income Strategy. While enrolled on the internship programme, I developed a deeper understanding of fixed income financial instruments by carrying out detailed analysis on the fundamental drivers of their prices using Microsoft Excel. Furthermore, I worked within a team to create and then give a presentation to senior managers developing interpersonal and teamwork skills which are of the utmost importance to BCG as all work is carried out it teams.

A career in management consultancy is characterised by the tackling of a wide variety of business problems using analytical and reasoning skills to provide solutions for clients. One of the things which attracted me to this profession is the variety enjoyed by working across numerous industries with numerous clients and the opportunity to make a real impact in shaping these industries.

Finally, I have enjoyed looking over the numerous practice cases found on the BCG website specifically the logical approach taken when addressing the numerous frameworks. I would welcome the opportunity to learn more about management consulting and the opportunities that BCG could afford me in the future. Thank you for your time and consideration.