In my last blog post I wrote about how new grads can navigate interview season when they finally receive a consulting interview they’re excited about. You can find the full article here.
After this post was published, students reached out to me asking for examples of ‘fit’ questions. Interview questions are commonly split up into technical, behavioural and fit questions. Since fit questions are qualitative, they are often seen as the most subjective, which lends itself to the idea that there is “no right way” to answer them.
My initial reaction to receiving these students’ questions about fit interview questions was to say, “just be yourself!”, but then I remembered how much I hated receiving this answer when I was in their shoes, so I refrained. Instead, I put a list of 6 questions together with suggestions on how to answer and how not to answer them.
So, let’s begin!
This blog is dedicated to ‘fit’ questions, and how to and how perhaps not to, answer them.
1. What was your favorite class in business school?
This isn’t a trick question! You don’t have to say anything strategy/economics related, and sometimes those answers come across as too artificial anyway. How about describing a class you were surprisingly passionate about, even if it’s not directly related to consulting?
For example, my answer would be the course “Educational Psychology” that I took in my 3rdyear of university. I would choose educational psychology because it was one of the first times in university (6 years ago) where I felt connected to the way a professor taught and explained concepts. It was also where I learned about the concept of “growth mindset” which altered the remainder of my learning, giving me not only the encouragement but also the permission to keep trying.
Key takeaway:You’re a human being, not a robot with interests lying only in the realm of ppt + excel shortcuts.
2. I noticed you did an exchange semester in Bali. Will you please tell me about your experience there and why you chose that location?
Be careful here! Of course, mention the fun you had and some of the adventures you took but don’t make this the main focus. Even if your initial decision to go to Bali was made solely to live near the beach and work on your tan, admitting this isn’t ideal in the first moments of meeting someone. Instead, try to think of something constructive that made you choose the location.
Key takeaway:You’re serious about your academics. People will understand why Bali was on your list of exchange locations… it’s Bali. However, be sure to call attention to what you accomplished academically. It’s important!
3. Tell me something about you that’s not listed on your resume.
I once heard an answer along the lines of how ‘said person’ used to import IDs from a foreign destination, crop student pictures into them, and then sell them from their dorm room as fake IDs.
This is a red flag!
It does not matter how much money was made from this venture, or if the story is even true. Do not tell any stories that involve unethical behaviour, cutting corners, or breaking the law. Better yet, don’t do these things in the first place!
This question is an opportunity for your interviewers to understand you from another perspective. Who are you when you’re not at school or work? What do you enjoy doing for fun? Tell them a story of something you’re proud of?
Key takeaway:You have a life outside of work/studies, and you have common sense.
4. What was the hardest part of working in a team in * randomly points to an experience in your resume* this project?
This goes back to my previous posthere. It is helpful to have prepared answers to common questions for each experience on your resume. When I was given this question a few years back, it completely threw me off guard because the story that I had prepared reflected on another team project and not the one that the interviewer chose for me.
If a question throws you off guard, don’t panic or start stumbling over your words. Just ask for a minute to think, think, then answer it when you have a good example. Try to be calm about it. It’s bad practice to just spit out an answer immediately because it may not come out the way you wanted it to having not thought about it in advance.
Key takeaway:You haven’t just memorized your answers, and are consistent across any experience that you are asked to talk about.
5. Walk me through your resume
This one tends to trip people up. However, it is one of the most common and easy questions to answer if it is well thought out and prepared.
Your answer should follow a storyline. This may sound silly, but you can think of yourself as the leprechaun trying to find gold at the end of the rainbow. The rainbow has a beginning, middle and end. The beginning of the rainbow is a point in your career where you started to understand why you wanted to enter this field of work, the middle is the effort and experiences that shaped you along the way and the pot of gold is the interview you are in right now. Make sense?
Now some tips:
- Remember that the answer should be 2-3 minutes long, so starting off from when you were 7 years old is not a good idea. You will likely run out of time!
- Your story should be in chronological order. There’s a reason why I referred to it as a rainbow and not a zigzag. This will allow your listener to follow your thought process and experiences with ease. In the same manner, make sure each point you make has a logical link to the next point, thus making it a story.
- Make sure the points you have raised make it easy to understand why you are sitting in front of the interviewers that day. Also, highlight why this job is the ‘pot of gold’ you were looking for.
Key takeaway:There are a few experiences that led you here, and you think this is the right next step for you.
6. Where else are you interviewing?
If you are interviewing for a consulting position, your answer should be that you are interviewing at other consulting firms. You shouldn’t say that you are interviewing at a sales role here, and a marketing role there, and even looking into HR to keep your options open. You have to be serious about consulting, if you’re not, the team might feel like you are wasting their time because you are not sure.
Key takeaway:You’re serious about this job and this career path.
Hope these were helpful for you. If you are looking for more fit questions to practice with, let me know. I’m always happy to help!
Please note, these are only examples of fit questions. Your interviews may or may not have these questions in them so please don’t hold me accountable for your results. This is why it’s always safe to say, just be yourself out there.
So, be yourself out there!
Aneta Kosinska is a Polish-Canadian and soon to be dual master degree Ivey MSc + CEMS MIM alumni. Having worked on consulting projects in North America, Asia and Europe she has developed an international mindset with an edge in technology and culture management.
Image: Pexels
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