A guaranteed decision round interview for a full-time role at BCG? That's what accepted candidates to Bridge to BCG get!
This conversation with Ish Mawla - Management Consulted case coach, former BCGer - covers everything you need to know about Bridge to BCG:
- Eligibility criteria
- How to stand out in applications
- The day-to-day of Bridge to BCG
- Benefits of participating
If you're an advanced degree candidate serious about consulting, you're going to want to listen.
Note: The 2025 Bridge to BCG application is due March 24, 2025.
Episode Links
- See upcoming application deadlines for Bridge Programs at top firms
- Get resume and cover letter edits for Bridge Program applications
- Join Black Belt for expert coaching, resume edits, and networking support
- Unlock top consulting jobs on the Management Consulted Job Board
Connect with Ish
- Book a case interview prep session with Ish
- Connect on LinkedIn
Transcription:
0:05
Hey, Strategy Simplified listeners, Eden with Management Consulted here and today I am so excited to share with you an interview that I did with Ish, one of our coaches at Management Consulted.
We talked all about the Bridge programs.
So this is for advanced degree candidates, either you're a JD, an MD, PHD, or maybe even working in the end of educational space.
0:29
So definitely take a listen as we dive in to share with you all about the programs that are coming up for you.
Also, check out the link in the show notes where we will talk about the application deadlines so you know exactly what programs are available to you right now.
Yeah, thanks so much for having Eden.
0:45
So my name is Ish and I'm currently one of the interview and prep coaches on management consulted.
Previously I was a BCG consultant and prior to that I obtained my doctoral degree in neuroscience.
During my time at BCGI worked on several projects in healthcare, particularly pharma, Med tech, peer provider work and also a few projects in the public sector and social impact.
1:13
And I was also actively involved in recruitment at BCG.
So particularly I was interviewed by first round candidates and I represented BCG at MBA recruitment events at top business schools and I also led workshops for the advanced degree Bridge to BCG program which we will be talking about today.
1:37
That's awesome.
We are going to talk about that today.
So can you break it down a little bit for me?
What exactly is the Bridge to BCG?
Yeah.
So Bridge to BCG is one of the many summer immersion programs or Bridge programs for advanced degree candidates.
1:55
So in short, we call them AD CS.
Various companies use various terms for it, but BCG calls them ADC’s.
And so ADC’s are those who are, let's say currently enrolled in their final year or have recently completed a non MBA advanced degree such as a PHDJD or MD program.
2:19
And at the same time postdocs, medical residents, practicing physicians, university professors can also be considered ADC's.
The exact criteria differ by company, but that's what I just mentioned is BC GS criteria.
2:39
Another important distinction is that folks with one of the professional degrees that I mentioned, but with a number of years of let's say industry experience are not considered ADC.
So that's a nuance right there.
And then experienced hires typically go through a different recruitment channel.
3:00
But anyway, so back to what the Bridge to BCG program actually is.
So it's a two to three day long program that's offered in lieu of what MBA students go through, which is a 11:50 week summer internship.
And the reason for a shorter program like that is that Adcs have a very busy schedule, whether it be in the lab or in the clinic or teaching classes.
3:28
Summers can be very busy for these folks.
So it's very tough to dedicate 10 to 12 weeks towards an internship.
Furthermore, what I'll add is that the Bridge to BCG program enables Adcs to do 2 major things.
3:45
So one is to learn about the company, learn about the culture and network with individuals directly.
And 2nd is to solve a mini case or do some exercises to showcase your skills and talent.
4:01
So that's basically what the Bridge to BCG program is.
And the final thing that I'll add right there is that most folks who complete this program successfully are invited for decision round interviews with their office of choice at BCG.
4:18
Huge incentive to do a Bridge program I.
Think.
So a couple of follow up questions.
When does this program typically occur and also when are applications due?
Yeah, great question.
So the season for Bridge to BCG is quarter one, quarter 2, so Q1Q2 of any given year.
4:38
So right now we are in that season and that's when this episode will be aired.
So folks who are interested in the Bridge to BCG program should start paying attention to deadlines soon.
And I know here at Management Consulted, we keep everyone updated with deadlines of the Bridge to BCG program but also similar programs on a regular basis.
5:00
So check that information out.
The application deadlines are typically around February or March and the actual program takes place in April or May.
So the program typically is in person.
5:18
There are virtual options that might be offered depending on the year.
And as I mentioned, the program itself lasts for two to three days and typically BCG will cover all your travel and hotel expenses for you to attend the program.
5:38
Another important thing is that following the Bridge to BCG program, a full time offer may be given out and this is of course contingent on the performance in the decision round interview.
And what happens is the start date in the full time role is for the following year.
5:55
So for example, let's say you imagine a candidate who successfully goes through the program this year in 2025 and receives that full time offer.
They will be starting with the company sometime in 2026.
So that's basically an overview of how the timeline works.
6:12
OK.
Wonderful.
Are there only select offices that host this program, or is it every office?
What does that look like?
Yeah.
So Bridge to BCG is offered in the North American offices, so in particular the US and Canadian offices only.
6:31
However, this does not mean that advanced degrees are not accepted to other worldwide BCG offices.
They absolutely are, but the recruitment channel might be different.
So it's usually best to check in with the local recruitment folks to make sure that what the appropriate channel for advanced degree recruitment is.
6:53
Within the US.
There are certain hub offices that will host the program from that region.
So for example, the Chicago office will host the Bridge to BCG program on behalf of all the offices in the Midwest.
Sometimes they host some of the Canadian offices as well.
7:12
It really depends on the year.
And even though you might be interested in a smaller office in the Midwest, you will all end up with other folks in the Midwest in the Chicago office.
So as we advise a lot of our mentees here at Management Consulted office selection is definitely a big factor and an important factor.
7:34
So folks should be paying attention to that as part of the Bridge to BCG application as well.
Is it important for candidates to apply now or is it OK for them to wait until the application deadline?
Like is there any kind of preference shown on early applicants?
7:51
Yeah.
So there is no such preference that's shown.
Typically, we recommend folks to apply whenever you have your application materials ready.
You can certainly apply to the 11th in the 11th hour if that's when your application materials are ready.
8:08
But as soon as you have those things ready, we recommend you to apply and that means it's going to take some time.
So getting your resume ready, your covered letter ready, all of those aspects which I'm sure we'll talk about more later today, those are important factors and you should start to get those things ready as soon as possible.
8:29
Wonderful.
OK, so let's Fast forward pass the application process.
Can you tell me what the day-to-day looks like in the actual Bridge program?
Yeah.
So overall, the program is really fun and it's an intense 2 to 3 three days Sprint and you meet a ton of people within the company.
8:48
You learn a lot of information about consulting and BCG as a company, and you also get to put your brain to work and crack some case problems.
So the program has many components and that varies from year to year.
9:05
And I'll just give an illustrative example here.
So let's say on day one, folks might be travelling to the program in the morning from wherever they're coming from and then arrive in the afternoon for the opening session.
So during the opening session, there might be recruiters there who will welcome you to the company and the office and will give you a rundown of what the program is and what the expectations are.
9:29
And then on top of that, there might be a lot of like opening talks from senior folks at the companies.
So they themselves might be off like an ADC background.
They might talk to you about what the firm culture is, the different types of client work, and a lot of other related topics.
9:49
And then later that afternoon you might be assigned to teams with fellow participants and given a problem solving exercise.
So let's say this will be with a current consultant.
So I was one of those consultants who guided folks through the exercises and several hours can be dedicated to the case exercise.
10:13
So afterwards what happens is you can chill a bit, you can relax a bit.
And then in the evening you go out for dinner and drinks where you mingle with folks in the company.
So there might be senior folks like partners or managing directors and partners who might also be there.
10:32
So that's kind of for the first day is the next morning you might begin of course with breakfast.
But there's also workshops that are delivered on interview prep because following the Bridge program, there are decision round interviews and BCG really wants to make sure that candidates are prepared very well for that.
10:54
And during lunch right after that, that session happens. There might be, let's say, a panel of current ADC consultants where folks can ask any kind of transparent question about life at BCG.
11:10
So things around work life balance, performance reviews, things of that nature.
And then later that afternoon there might be other sessions, let's say on various practice areas and or like affinity groups such as women at BCG and, and that's kind of what concludes the workshop.
11:31
And then folks afterwards will head back to their respective homes.
13:10
Let's double tap on the problem solving activity.
Can you maybe explore that a little bit more and tell us what that might look like?
Yeah.
So when I was at BCGI, I led one of these problem solving sessions for British BCG with a small team.
13:26
And what happens is usually they receive a number of actual scrub slides related to a project.
And there were several of these small teams.
So I was leading one of them and then there were other consultants leading other ones as well.
And the team had this task of shortlisting a few key slides for a client readout and they had to also produce an executive summary and present it to the client.
13:55
And the client in this case was me as part of the small team.
And then I would basically give them feedback on how that process went.
And these exercises vary again year to year.
Just because this happened one year doesn't mean that this will repeatedly happen again.
14:14
But again, the goal is to introduce them and give them a preview to what I call consulting ways of working and for BCG to assess how much effort folks are putting in or whether they're cut out for consulting or not.
14:32
And then I also talked about it. In your previous question, I talked about a separate interview prep session and this is slightly different.
So this is also something that I LED, this is to prepare folks for those decision round interviews.
So there was a workshop that I led where each component of the case interview was broken down South, such as frameworks, math, brainstorming.
14:57
So very similar to what we do with our clients here at the management consultant.
So then I would basically give advice to that small group on best practices, walk them through a few slides and give them many exercises or drills.
15:15
And then they would share their answers back with a group and then they would basically get feedback.
OK.
So all that being said, would you say that the Bridge program is evaluative in any way?
Like our candidate is definitely, yeah.
15:31
So that's a good question.
It is definitely evaluated.
Folks are I would say go through some kind of a feedback process and it's not an evaluation criteria that is solid.
It does change year over year.
15:49
The feedback typically goes to the recruiters and might be shared with the decision round interviewers.
The evaluation is, is more so I would say soft and qualitative and it's definitely not along the lines of like an interview scorecard.
16:06
The feedback involves giving qualitative info about the candidate, how well they participated in all the events.
Did they, did they show genuine interest in the company?
And how likely would the candidate be willing to join BCG if given an offer?
16:24
Because a lot of these candidates are also attending other programs like Mackenzie Bain.
So they need to make sure that they would actually join BCG.
So that kind of means that everything that a candidate does matters how they behave, how they interact with teammates and people in the company.
16:45
But that should not by any means scare folks.
My advice is to really be genuine and show enthusiasm and motivation that you want to be there and you want to be part of the company.
And candidates don't need to prepare for any of the workshops that I mentioned.
17:02
It's fairly straightforward and instructions are given on the day off of the session.
OK.
So what would you say are the key benefits of participating in a program like this?
Yeah.
So the main benefit is that this is an early recruitment channel for ADC's.
17:22
Depending on the year in the office, the bulk of ADC recruitment takes place via this channel.
The program does guarantee a decision round interview, which is like a big benefit and there are very few programs out there that do such a guarantee.
17:40
So you can imagine that you go through the program and then by May of June, May or June of that year, you pass your decision round interviews.
And as a candidate, you already know that you've landed a full time offer for the following year, which is a huge relief for many folks, especially those that say who are in PhD programs, they can focus on finishing their dissertation research or medical residents can focus on finishing up their residency.
18:10
So yeah, it's really a huge relief.
And besides that, there's a lot of ancillary benefits like getting exposure to a top global company like BCG.
You will see a lot of people put this experience on their resume as well.
Even on LinkedIn, they'll put it that they were a participant in Bridge to BCG even though they did not get an offer.
18:31
So it can open up some doors in that manner.
OK.
And I definitely want to ask you more about that in a second of the networking opportunities.
But can you explain the start dates?
I have a lot of advanced degree candidates that ask you.
Can you how the start dates work for this particular program?
18:48
What's in an offer?
Is it flexible?
Yeah.
So the program itself takes place as I mentioned, in May or May or April May of the given year.
But then the start dates would be for the following year.
19:06
So let's say the program happens in 2025, the start dates would actually be sometime in 2026.
And it's very flexible.
The companies do understand that you have a pH D dissertation.
Things don't move in the appropriate timeline.
19:22
So your start might be anywhere from January of the following year to like September, October.
Again, this really depends on the capacity of start dates that they have and these are decided on a yearly basis, but in general they're very flexible.
19:39
I always like to tell candidates when I mean with them, that the words it depends on, you can assign to anything and I feel like that's a good, good phrase.
Here exactly.
Yeah, yeah, it, it, it.
So much of this is dependent on the context, the situation, the office.
19:55
So it's always best to check in with that year's recruit.
Equipment cycle and the recruitment folks to make sure that you have the most accurate information.
That's good.
OK.
Can you explain the networking opportunities available inside of this program and maybe as a result of this program?
20:14
Yeah, so there are many opportunities to chat and meet with BCG consultants and senior leaders while folks are at the office for the program.
So as I mentioned, there are these happy hours and networking dinners, which are more like the formal opportunities to sit down with BC jeers.
20:34
And here you can ask questions, learn about their journey in the company, learn about their favorite projects, things of that nature.
And my recommendation is to expose yourself and talk to as many faces as you can.
I know it can really be exhausting, but take that opportunity to the best of your use because it is unique.
20:55
You're not going to get that in any other setting.
I know some top candidates who are very proactive.
They tend to set up or at least try to set up separate 10 or 15 minute meetings with consultants or leaders in the office beforehand.
21:11
So they'll do things like send a quick e-mail that, hey, I'll be in the office of the state, would love to meet you for 10 minutes and say hi.
I'm very interested in your manufacturing, practice area or, or any other practice area.
21:26
And I would love to learn more about that.
So it's really not required and it doesn't guarantee any opportunities, but those who are proactive seek that out as an additional networking opportunity.
OK, wonderful.
So let's talk about the application process.
21:42
Can you tell me what kind of materials and resources candidates need in order to apply for Bridge to BCG?
Yeah.
So the materials are the same as any other recruitment channels within the company.
So as we advise a lot of our mentees here at Management Consulted, having a polished and well done resume, there is no alternative to that.
22:06
There's also a need for an effective cover letter that highlights sort of the most important aspects of who you are and your narrative.
A lot of ADC's don't just have a business style resume, unlike MBA students.
22:23
So rather they have something that's like an academic CV or any other type of long form document.
So it's really essential to distill that down into one page and the and the core things to highlight is of course, like leadership, entrepreneurship, analytical skills and B should come through both your academic experiences and also extracurricular stuff that you've done.
22:49
The cover letter should also be around the page and this should talk about your narrative and experiences.
It should highlight a few key stories such as why you are a good fit for the firm and there should also be a brief description of what motivates you to leave academia or medical practice or your law degree and why you want to make that switch to consulting.
23:17
What drove you towards that kind of a decision making.
So yeah, that's very brief.
I know that it's a very dense topic and we here at Management Consultant covered this over many sessions, many articles and and offerings that we have for our clients, but let's just try to distill it to 1 answer here.
23:36
And it's definitely not good enough for you to say.
I'm tired of medicine.
I want to help.
Yeah, yeah.
So.
It's good to have a very solid reasoning behind that.
Something very logical and streamline makes sense.
We do help candidates with residents and colors.
We'll talk about that later, but that's a huge part of what we do for advanced degrees or an E CS.
23:55
So can you tell me about the screening process?
Is there a case interview that's required or is it, are they just selected based on their documents?
How does that work?
Yeah.
So the screening process really changes year after year and there's always new technology, new things that the company implements.
24:14
So you, you can't really say what's going to happen every year, but I can give you the insight based on the most recent year.
So after you apply, you can expect there to be some kind of a problem solving gains such as BCG pie metrics and, and we have articles on this on the management consulted website, which I encourage folks to read.
24:37
So this is basically an assessment that measures strategy skills and emotional and cognitive traits.
There's also an invite that is sent out for a one way interview and this sounds kind of intimidating, but it's basically you're sitting in front of a camera and you're recording yourself answering some behavioral or fit questions.
24:59
Things like tell me why you're interested in BCG or tell me about a time when XYZ happened.
So that's kind of the answer that you're giving and you just record yourself for 90 seconds to two minutes, something of that nature.
25:18
And yeah, so that's, I would say part of the screening process.
And in terms of interviews, traditionally there haven't been any interviews ahead of the Bridge to BCG program, but the format actually changed last year where round one interviews take place ahead of the program.
25:37
I don't know what they're going to do this year or in upcoming years, but that's what happened last year.
And the round one interview is basically a case interview.
And this could be, let's see, the automated BCG chatbot case, which I know we advise folks on here at management consulting and there is also a separate fit interview.
25:59
And the reason for having this round one interview beforehand is mainly to invite higher quality of candidates to the actual program.
This makes a lot of sense and it's quite interesting.
26:15
You kind of always have to stay on your toes when it comes to being ready for fit in case interviews.
Definitely.
So this is an incredibly competitive program.
Can you give us the best piece of advice for candidates that want to make it in?
And then also once they make it in, how do they leverage that to the Max potential in the future?
26:35
Yeah, great question.
So I think the most important thing is to make sure you have a solid resume and cover letter, that you put time and effort towards that and it really shines who you are and your experiences.
That's really important.
And 2nd is make sure that your behavioral responses, your fit interview responses on the one way interview are done very well and that you give really solid responses.
27:02
So those are, I would say the two like key, like key things that you need to do.
And additionally, if you're not from a target school or like let's say a top postdoc or residency program, what I recommend is for you to network with people in the company or the office beforehand and try to get a referral if possible.
27:23
It's no different than what we recommend to folks from non-targeted schools in general.
And I think the second question that you asked 1 was like how to make the most out of the experience.
And for this, I again, I recommend folks who really be genuine, stay motivated and have a good time.
27:43
Like you need to genuinely enjoy meeting people from the company.
It's going to be tiring, but that's what you signed up for.
And if you're an introvert, I mean try to bring out the export extroverted side of yourself for a day or two.
And then this is really going to maximize your exposure to other BCGS, which is really necessary for this.
28:05
So good.
All right.
So for those candidates that sadly do not get accepted into these kinds of programs, what opportunities do they have?
Yeah.
So as we talked about, the program is super competitive.
And even if someone does not get in, I encourage them not to lose hope because there's the regular recruitment channel and this happens every year and this begins in the summer, so deadlines can be anywhere between June and August.
28:36
And I know plenty of folks who did not get into the Bridge to BCG program, but they reapply through the regular recruitment app.
And BCG does not see you as any less for being rejected from the Bridge to BCG program earlier in the year.
28:54
And I know someone who actually got rejected from the program because they had too much consulting experience in their resume.
And, and the reason for that is the program is actually designed to be like an introductory exposure to consulting like I mentioned through some of the workshops and programs that are done, it's really meant to be introductory.
29:15
So someone with a lot of consulting experience, it's very possible to be rejected.
So I would say just don't take offense to that and just reapply during the regular round.
Great.
So as you reflect on your own recruitment journey, which side note, weren't you a black belt candidate?
29:34
Didn't you go through our program before?
So when you look back on that, can you tell me what other programs you also applied to outside of Bridge to BCG and if those programs are still being offered at?
Yeah.
So during my recruitment period, I applied to numerous programs.
29:52
So I personally applied to all three Bridge programs by MBB firms, which are McKinsey inside being Advantage and of course Bridge to BCG like we talked about.
So all three programs are very different in design.
30:08
Like for example, the Bain Advantage program is a full week long internship where folks are staffed on an actual Bain project and participants are typically paid a stipend for it.
They also get, let's say a Bain laptop to do their work.
And there's a presentation at the end of the week based on the slides that you produce and, and that typically decides whether you get a full time offer or not.
30:34
In addition to that, there might be several follow up second round interviews.
And this is depending on the specific Bain office that you have applied to.
I also applied to a life science boutique program from Clearview HealthCare Partners.
30:51
This is called Connect to Clearview and this is also a very popular program among advanced degree candidates.
And I also got an offer from Clearview and I never ended up going because I ended up at BCG instead.
Wonderful.
So can you tell me the difference between the advanced degree programs at MBB and boutiques?
31:13
I know you touched on a little bit, but if you could do a deep dive that would be great.
Yeah.
So the goal of the programs is, is, is, I would say the same in terms of providing exposure to the company and assessing candidates.
Of course, life sciences firms focus more on the life sciences sector, such as pharma, biotech, Med tech, Harvard, the exact format.
31:35
Again, it depends on the company.
So for example, Trinity Life Sciences has a program called Transition to Trinity.
And as part of the program, the team spent considerable time creating slides on the case problem and they're trying to mimic an actual project work stream or more like a case competition, let's say.
31:56
And then when I participated in the Connect to Clearview program, they offered a few project overview sessions where current consultants spoke about the projects that they recently worked on, including showcasing some scrub slides and talking about what the projects entail.
32:17
So I really actually enjoyed that.
So, yeah, those are two examples, but a lot of this varies by company.
Wonderful.
So there are so many different programs out there for advanced degree candidates.
And I'm, I'm speaking out to our listeners.
32:33
If you're looking for application deadlines or to find out which programs are even available to you as a JDMDPHD or similar, please check our application deadlines tracker, which is LinkedIn the show notes.
32:50
We'd love to, you know, help you figure out where you might fit inside the industry.
So can you tell me your best piece of recruitment advice for advanced degree candidates?
Yeah.
I mean, these programs are continually getting very competitive.
33:05
There's a lot more advanced candidates applying to these programs each year as people are leaving academia, as they're leaving clinical practice, as they're leaving their law degrees.
And due to this competitive nature, I really recommend folks to start the prep process early and I recommend folks to go through a coaching program.
33:29
And since a lot of advanced security candidates don't have the business background or, or the education or even a casing network that a lot of MBA students get at their business schools, advanced security candidates just don't have access to that.
So comprehensive like prep programs like Black Belt offered by MC, especially where you can do one-on-one coaching with one of our coaches, especially if you're an advanced degree, I recommend reaching out to an advanced degree coach so that they can really help you out in that process because they know what they went through and how to best craft your stories.
34:06
How do they know what the challenges are?
And this can really help jump start the prep process for you.
Well, you just took the words right out of my mouth.
I was going to say Black Belt and Super Prep are both incredibly helpful programs to help you learn how to narrow your story off page as well as help you craft your story on page.
34:28
And then of course, getting the business acumen and getting the case interview skills up to par is an excellent opportunity for you to do that.
So I highly recommend if you haven't checked out those programs, you guys please do, the sooner the better because you might be expected to case.
34:43
Let's see, I'm recording this or we're recording this today on January 20th.
I don't know when this podcast is going to come out, but applications are going to be due very, very soon and now is the time to prepare.
OK, so one last question, because I know we've gone overtime and I so appreciate you taking extra time with me today.
35:01
Can you tell me your craziest travel story?
Yeah, I don't know if this is the craziest, but this is top of mind for me because this recently happened while I was traveling over the holidays.
So I was going to Asia and I had a layover in Istanbul, Turkey.
35:20
And because of the holiday craziness, there was a lot of stuff going on in the airport and my layover ended up being more than 15 hours.
So I was just literally sitting in the airport for 15 hours.
Like me, I almost went crazy.
35:36
But yeah, that was like a really long layover that I did not anticipate.
But I made it to my final destination safe and sound.
You didn't go and explore the city.
No, I, I just, I, I decided not to.
The airport is so huge.
35:53
There's just so much stuff to like to do in, in the airport.
And I didn't know when the delay would be because they kept delaying over and over.
And so I just didn't want to take that risk of going out into the city and then coming back, not knowing when, when the flight would actually take off.
36:13
See, I have this personal bucket list item of I want to go to all of these international cities, airports just to hang out for 24 hours and see what all you can do so you can check that off on your own.
Yeah, I would say like if, if I were to give recommendations, I do travel internationally quite a bit.
36:31
Some of the best airports, of course, the Qatar airport, are fantastic.
The Singapore airport is fantastic.
Yeah.
So those are like 2 great ones to go through huge airports, lots to do.
That's what I recommend.
36:48
All right.
Well, thanks so much for your time today, ish.
We really appreciate you joining our podcast and we so appreciate you having us.
Sorry.
We appreciate you being one of our coaches.
Awesome.
Have a great day.
Thanks so much, Eden.
I appreciate it.
Thanks so much for listening to today's episode.
37:04
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Also, check out the link in the show notes for all the resources that we promised today.