Partner interviews and final rounds
What partners look for, how their cases feel different, and what to ask them.
Key takeaways
- In a final round, partners ask one main question: would I put this person in front of my client next month?
- Common mistakes: Asking questions you could answer on the website.
- What kind of problems are your clients asking you about most this year?
- What separates the people who do very well in their first year?
- How has the work in this office changed over the last few years?
Key idea
In a final round, partners ask one main question: would I put this person in front of my client next month?
| First round | Final round with partners | |
|---|---|---|
| Interviewers | Usually consultants or managers | Usually partners or senior managers |
| Case style | More structured, standard case types | Often more conversational, open, or unusual; sometimes based on a real project |
| Main test | Core skills: structure, math, charts, synthesis | Judgment, business sense, composure, and whether clients would trust you |
| Fit questions | Stories and motivation | Deeper motivation, and your questions for them |
So-what
In finals, having an opinion and defending it calmly matters as much as a perfect structure.
Good questions to ask a partner
- What kind of problems are your clients asking you about most this year?
- What separates the people who do very well in their first year?
- How has the work in this office changed over the last few years?
- What do you enjoy most about your work?
After an offer, many firms invite you to a "sell day" or office visit to meet future colleagues. It is not an interview, but people notice how you behave. Use it to ask the questions that will help you decide.
Asking questions you could answer on the website. Giving no opinion when a partner asks "what do you think?". Treating the final round as a repeat of the first. Relaxing too much at dinners and sell days.
A partner asks: "Forget the numbers. What would you do?" What is the best response?
Which question is best to ask a partner?
What is a sell day?
Sources for this lesson (1)
- Recognized public explanations of case-interview concepts and terms
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