Consulting and banking
Fit interviews: why this firm, why you
Why this field, why this firm, why you, and a résumé walk-through, usually with one to three behavioral questions that reuse the same five skills.
Why consulting, or banking
A reason from your own experience: a problem you enjoyed, work you want more of. Not buzzwords.
Why this firm
Two specific reasons someone could check: people you spoke to, a practice area, published work. Not “the culture”.
Your résumé in 90 seconds
Start with today and the thread through your choices. Headline first, numbers you can defend.
The behavioral questions inside a fit interview
- “Tell me about leading a team.”
- Collaboration and ownership · worked question
- “Tell me about a time you failed.”
- Ownership · worked question
- “Tell me about a tough call under time pressure.”
- Judgment · worked question
- “Walk me through your résumé.”
- Communication · worked question
- “What’s something you taught yourself?”
- Learning agility · worked question
Worked: “Why this firm?”
Maya is interviewing at Halden & Rowe, a consulting firm we made up. Everything she says about it is invented.
Step 1: A specific reason someone could check
“Two people I spoke to in your operations practice described store-network problems like the allocation call I made at my chain.”
Why it works: Who she spoke to and what she heard.
Step 2: A second reason from published work
“Your report on regional grocery supply chains argued for allocating scarce stock by demand, which is the call I made with our strawberries.”
Why it works: Ties their work to hers.
Step 3: What you’d bring, then stop
“So I’d bring hands-on operations experience to the problems your team writes about.”
Why it works: One sentence back to fit.
“I really admire Halden & Rowe’s culture and its commitment to impact, and I think I’d learn a lot.”
Fails all four checks: nothing specific, checkable or personal, and it fits any firm.
Two checkable reasons tied to her own work, and one sentence on what she brings.
Check your answer
- Did I give two specific reasons?
- Could someone check each one?
- Did I tie them to something I actually did?
- Would this answer be wrong for any other firm?
Practice fit answers out loud with follow-up questions → Socratify
Banking
Same structure: why banking, why this bank, why this group. A fuller banking page follows once we’ve checked sources.
AI and fit interviews
AI rules differ by firm; seeusing AI honestly. McKinsey is among the firms Computerworld reported had brought back in-person interviews for some candidates. Read the report.
Preparing for case interviews too? mbbinterview.org has worked case questions.
Last reviewed Nov 9, 2026