When considering a job post-graduation, what made you choose to work as a management consultant at Bain?

Mei: The reason why I chose consulting as an industry was because the skills I learned at college was highly transferable to consulting work. I studied philosophy and physics, which may sound distant from consulting, but it’s all about communicating actionable recommendations synthesized from breaking down abstract issues, which is exactly what I do today at Bain.

Akio: For me, Bain was the first choice as I was overwhelmed with the coaching and supporting culture. I noticed straight away that the level of coaching and feedback culture at Bain was outstanding through coffee chats and information sessions. Even during interviews, my interviewers provided spot-on feedback on ways I could improve for the next round! 

After joining Bain, how has the firm supported the start of your career as a new graduate?

Aaron: “A Bainie never lets another Bainie fail” is a motto we live by which you feel with every aspect of working at Bain, from structural aspects such as always having a “Professional Development Advisor” by your side, and frequent training programs, to cultural aspects where your colleagues, not limited to team members are always there to support you.

Akio: It was also great having colleagues with a similar background as myself - about half of my colleagues who joined the same year were from universities outside Japan, and we all supported each other in starting a new chapter in life in Tokyo. 

Mei: We also participate in a global training program where new joiners from all around the world get together to learn and socialize. This was definitely a great sense of unity regardless of which office you came from!

Any image gap between before and after you entered the company?

Aaron: I was surprised by the fact that every team member makes a lot of effort on making the project experience a good one for everyone. At Bain, teams take at least half an hour per week to discuss what went well and what could be improved. This includes sharing everyone’s status on their “virtual pets”, which are non-negotiables that you value, such as “30mins of exercise every day”.

Olga: I fully agree with that. Consulting as an industry is well known for having long working hours. Though there is truth in that, we all strive to make it a sustainable experience. In one of our trainings, there is a video called ‘how to succeed at Bain’, which highlights the importance of making time for things outside of work that you value. I was shocked by how supportive my team members were in pursuing my passion, which is to figure skate!

What were the most interesting experiences you have had at Bain so far? 

Akio: Personally, working with people with consultants from other offices was a very good experience. I worked with Bainies from 5 different offices, and had one guy from Sydney come to Tokyo as a case demand transfer. It’s great to see people around the world come together, given the pandemic for the last 2 years!

Mei: I always had a passion for promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the workplace. Beyond the typical project assignment, Bain allowed me to build a role for DE&I in APAC from scratch, advocating why having a dedicated role in DE&I is important, and how the learnings from this role could be standardized across Bain offices.

Aaron: For me, my passion is centered on supporting economies grow in a sustainable way – given that sustainability is an increasingly key corporate agenda for many of our clients, I voiced this out and worked with senior leadership in launching an experimental “internal start-up” together with senior members to accelerate our service offerings in the sustainability front.

What advice would you have for someone looking around post-graduation opportunities?

Olga: Remember that job-hunting is something that almost everyone goes through and shouldn’t be frightening. Recruiting is a two-way process; you should also judge whether you will fit in the company. If you have some interest, you should be proactive by participating in events, talking with current employees, and applying to companies. My 7-week Associate Consultant Internship experience was a great way to see whether Bain is the right fit for me.

Akio: I would highly encourage everyone to start early in identifying what opportunities could be right for you, by thinking through what you seek in your career. If you seek to deliver impact together with a supportive group of people, it’s likely that Bain is a great option worth exploring!