Indian School of Business

Frequently Asked Questions

• How does Bain’s office/generalist model work?

  1. The ‘Home’ office model: Bain is focused on helping you build a strong connection to your ‘home’ office – most Bainies in India are therefore staffed on Indian cases and we work from home offices on Fridays as a means of ensuring you build your Bain community around you.

  2. Generalist: New Bainies join as generalists and are placed in the thick of the action working across a variety of industries and capabilities.

• What flexibility options (e.g. externships) does Bain offer?

  Bainies have a broad range of opportunities for career flexibility and mobility, including externships, Take 2, LoA, short-and-long term transfers.

• What makes Bain’s culture unique?

  Bain India’s culture is a reflection of its people (we proudly call ourselves ‘Bainies’). We are a team of highly committed people who have a passion for delivering results for our clients and helping each other succeed. The best way to see what makes Bain’s culture unique is to experience it first-hand at one of our in-person events!  

• Is the dinner or any other senior interaction evaluative?

  It may come as a surprise, but no pre-interview interaction is evaluative. Post-shortlist, what matters is your interview performance on the day. Also, the dinner is for you to get a true experience of what makes Bain special. It is an opportunity to interact with our Leadership team and hear about their Bain journeys. So sit back, relax (and eat)!

• What kind of cases does Bain usually use in interviews?

  We use a wide range of case types in our interviews – we do not have a single standardized case that is used and our interviewers will often use cases they have developed based on real-life problems that Bain has worked on (and solved!).

  These range from market entry strategy, to profitability/performance improvement to diligencing a company for a financial investor – but can also include more abstract problems. Following standard case preparation and practicing across a number of case types will set you up well.

• How many people should I take in my case prep group?

  We suggest having a diverse set of case partners to get a range of different perspectives on your case approach and delivery. However, don’t feel that more is always better. What is important is that you are doing high quality prep with case partners who will give you honest feedback and help you improve.

  Remember, you can always do cases outside of your case prep groups, and shortlisted candidates will have the chance to case with ISB alum at Bain before the interviews.

• How can I ensure I’m on-track with my case prep?

  In addition to resources available online and the materials shared as part of our pre-placement talk, shortlisted candidates have all been paired with 2 ‘buddies’ who are ISB alum and have been in your shoes in the last 1-2 years. They are a great sounding board for your case-related questions.

• Apart from case preps, what all should be focussed on for my interview prep?

  While the case is a core part of the interview, we also want to get to know you. Don’t forget to be prepared to discuss your experience, motivation for joining Bain and reasons for pursuing a career in consulting.

• What types of industries and capabilities does Bain India work with?

  Bain India works with a highly diverse set of client types across industries, including Technology (Consumer Tech, Enterprise Tech, Tech Services), Consumer Products & Retail, Alternative Investors, Infrastructure & Real Estate, Healthcare, Financial Services, Energy & Natural Resources, Transportation and Telecommunications. We help our clients, who are leaders in their industries, solve their most pressing problems across capabilities including Digital, Strategy, M&A, Customer Experience, Cost Transformation, Operations and Sustainability.

• If a new recruit wants to specialise in turnaround and restructuring, are there such project opportunities at Bain and Company?

  While Bain operates a generalist model, we work on a broad range of projects for our clients, giving Bainies exposure to an array of project types (including turnarounds)

• Top 3 things that Bain looks for in a candidate

  We look for people who are problem-solvers, leaders and team players.