Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
February 2021
Please specify what the interview was for.
Summer Vacation Scheme 2021
Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
12.00 virtual lobby
12.30 written exercise
13.30 trainee Q&A, break
14.30 partner + HR interview
15.30 group exercise
16.30 debrief
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
Written exercise (45 min) - roughly 10 pages of case study material, which includes graphs.Three broad commercial questions to address in written response (opportunity/cost of changing business model in light of tech revolution, questions you would ask client, final recommendations)
Trainee Q&A - unassessed
Interview (20 min) - below, can be either 2 partners or 1 partner with 1 HR (in latter case partner will lead interview)
Group exercise (45 min) - HR allocates role for each person and suggests 10 min to read through material. There is a general info section about the task and one half-page section specific to each role. This year the task was playing the role of a local council establishing a smart city, each participants pitches their own project in areas like energy and transport. As a group you then come up ways of allocating a limited budget and present, with no Q&A afterwards.
What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Written exercise: I failed because of this exercise, where I overlooked some details. I would recommend tying in all bits of the information (especially the graphs) in your written answer. This will be very time pressured but I would not recommend only talking about the main issues as I did. Also think about layout - since they asked for cost/benefit best keep them as separate sections.
Group exercise: There will be some contention because of the limited budget, so you will need to collaborate with other people's projects (trying to combine them), and push back if others are trying to sideline yours. You will need to both put forward your own ideas (even for other projects than your own) as well as show the ability to direct the conversation to your benefit.
Interview: Important to be confident when challenged by the partner. Whilst the why law and why B&B answers could be rehearsed, don't be afraid to expand on certain points (I made 3 x 2 sentences for each and was told my answers were brief, but that could've been other questions).
Overall: Most important advice I can give is look beyond the tech angle as many AC participants would've picked that up. For example, GR was impressed that I went on about the sector expertise point (along with their sector-specific commercial seat) because it's the kind of thing that every firm says they do, but B&B is one of the few that actually practice it.
Were you successful?
No
