Barry Qi

How did you know that Bain was the right company for you?

The people! I had always heard that Bain has an incredibly tight-knit and supportive culture, but being here as an intern really brought that to life. Everyone here is incredibly smart, driven, but most importantly fun - some of my favorite memories (e.g., Disneyland and camping trips to Catalina) are from that summer, and I’d consider other Bainies to be my closest friends (including my roommate - shoutout to Sammy).

Do you feel like you can do impactful work at Bain? What opportunities excite you?

At Bain, I’ve been able to work on a range of projects that have all been impactful in their own ways. Some cases are more high-level strategy, helping some big name clients think through how they best position themselves for the future and deliver a better experience across their product offerings. Other cases have been more tactical, helping companies assess their resourcing needs and how they make sure they have the right plan in place for operational success. In all cases, it’s been exciting to see how our work really matters to clients and getting to co-create a solution.

Share some of your favorite work (personal or professional) you’ve done while at Bain.

My involvement in recruiting has been one of my favorite parts of Bain - from having intern colleagues, doing coffee chats back at the UCLA campus, and coming to happy hours & dinners with incoming associates, it’s a great way to get to meet and support my fellow Bruins before they join Bain (or even if they go elsewhere).

What advice would you give a candidate who is interested in recruiting for consulting?

My advice to candidates interested in recruiting for consulting is to focus on what makes you stand out. It can be easy to only think about doing things the “right way” when it comes to case interviews, but play to your strengths and figure out what works best for you and how you can best exemplify your strengths.