Why our firm, and not another one?
The expected answer ties two or three specific traits of the firm to elements of your background, and rests on conversations you have actually had with its consultants. The test is simple: if you can swap in a competitor's name without changing a sentence, the answer needs redoing.
What the interviewer is assessing
- That you made the effort to look beyond the careers site. Interviewers hear the same values recited all day, and the candidate who stands out is the one who mentions a specific exchange with someone from the office.
- That you understand what makes this firm different, even though the differences between strategy consulting firms are real but subtle: how teams are staffed, the office's strong sectors, the career model, how much client contact juniors get.
- That you will accept the offer if it comes. Interviewers often carry that doubt, especially if your CV suggests you are interviewing everywhere.
How to build your answer
- 1
Talk to consultants before the interview
Two or three conversations are enough, through your school, a recruiting event or a polite direct message. Ask what surprised them when they joined and what sets their office apart. You will come away with details nobody else will mention. - 2
Keep two or three specific traits
A sector or type of work the office is known for, a way of working you observed, a concrete programme for juniors. Drop anything true of every firm, such as excellence or team spirit. - 3
Tie each trait back to you
A trait of the firm on its own is information, not a reason. The reason appears when you explain why it matters to you, with a fact from your background to support it. - 4
Say plainly that it is your first choice, if it is
A direct closing sentence removes the doubt about your intention. If it is not your first choice, do not pretend, but stay with what genuinely attracts you.
How a good answer starts
"Two things explain why I am here rather than elsewhere. The first comes from my conversations with two consultants from your office. I asked each of them what had surprised them when they joined, and they gave me the same answer independently: how quickly they were trusted with part of the client relationship. That is exactly what I enjoyed in my last internship, where I ended up presenting my own analysis to the head of the subsidiary, and it is what I am looking for again.
The second is your work. Your office does a lot for retail, which is the sector of both my internships. I know I will not pick my projects, but I would like to start somewhere my existing knowledge can be useful."
This example is made up: it shows the tone and the construction, not a script to memorise. Your answer has to come from your own experience or from the data the interviewer gives you.
Common mistakes
- Reciting the values on the firm's website. The interviewer knows them, and every candidate that day has already said them.
- Praising the firm's prestige or ranking. It says nothing about you and sounds like a last resort.
- Dropping a consultant's name without being able to say what that person taught you. The follow-up comes immediately and the name dropping backfires.
- Criticising competitors to flatter the firm. Interviewers have friends there, sometimes former colleagues.
Follow-ups to expect
"Are you interviewing elsewhere?"
Say yes if you are, without detailing every process. It is expected, and lying about it shows. Move on to what puts this firm first for you.
"If you get two offers, how will you choose?"
Give your real criteria, for example the people you met and the office's work, and show how this firm meets them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find what really sets a firm apart?
Public sources all look alike, so the difference comes from people. Ask consultants what they would change and what keeps them there, read the firm's recent publications on a sector you care about, and check our firm pages for how its process runs.
What if I have not spoken to anyone at the firm?
Be honest and rely on what you could verify: a publication you read closely, a presentation you attended, a type of work that overlaps with your background. But make the time before the next round, because the question will come back.