If you join Bain & Company with a bachelor's or master's degree, you‘ll typically start your career as an Associate Consultant. Working for clients from a range of industries, you’ll gain the broad basic knowledge of a generalist and move up a steep learning curve.
From day one, you’ll be part of a consulting team that works hard to implement effective business strategies for the client company and sustainably increase its value. You’ll also take on responsibility for sub-projects, for instance researching relevant market information for a consumer goods company, analyzing an automotive supplier’s competitive environment in Europe, conducting expert interviews for a pharmaceuticals company, or performing a competitive analysis for an energy supplier.
If you join Bain with a bachelor's degree, after a year of gaining project experience you’ll have the opportunity to complete your master's degree – or continue your career at Bain.
Before getting promoted to Consultant, you can choose to take a leave of absence with different options for your personal and academic development:
We are 1,200 Bainies in the DACH-area with 1,200 different personalities. Whatever makes you tick – at Bain we value you and your individual perspective on things. We know that good ideas thrive on diversity, and that cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, perspectives and orientations only matter in one way: by making each of us unique. We live an inclusive corporate culture and we actively fight any form of discrimination – be it in the application process or our day-to-day interactions. Find out more about our inclusiveness and diversity initiatives here.
At Bain, we attach great importance to your personal development. From day one, your colleagues will help you move up a steep learning curve.
Formal and informal feedback and coaching
Along with intensive coaching and support from your team in everyday project work, you’ll regularly receive constructive formal feedback to optimally support your development.
Colleague
In addition, we have a personal buddy system in which a so-called “Colleague” – a consultant with one to three years’ experience – will be assigned to you from the outset. They will help you “grow into” our ways and our organization and be available for your questions and concerns at any time.
Mentor
An experienced Bain colleague will be assigned to you as your personal mentor. He or she will provide support and confidential advice on any questions regarding your career.
We support you throughout your career at Bain & Company with an individual, globally oriented training program. At the beginning of your consulting career, you will start with an introductory training course lasting several days, which will prepare you for your day-to-day work as a consultant. Consultants without a business background will additionally receive basic business knowledge in a special, multi-day training (FIT = Full Integration Training). This way we make sure that you are perfectly prepared for your job - regardless of your academic background.
Our global training courses take place at various locations around the world. Together with international employees from other Bain offices, you will learn from international trainers. In addition, you can choose from a variety of individual, local training courses on a variety of relevant topics tailored to you and your needs.
We are a global firm operating fluidly across borders. With our offices in more than 50 cities and clients all around the globe, you have unlimited possibilities to gain international experience. More than 50% of our consultants are currently on international assignments. As an Associate Consultant, you’ll experience first-hand what global thinking and action means in our everyday practice – a large part of our projects involve spending time abroad or working on international teams.
You have a particular passion for machine learning, digital customer experiences, or private equity? As a Bainie, after a certain period you’ll be able to join one of the respective practice groups – or, in Bain terminology, “Ring Fences” – including the following:
Advanced Analytics
You have practical experience with machine learning and wish to use your programming skills to solve strategic challenges? At Bain, consultants with that know-how can choose to focus on data-driven projects as part of a six-month rotation. Assisted by our Advanced Analytics Group, you’ll develop various machine learning models in fields such as customer segmentation or demand forecasting.
ADAPT
Our Advanced Digital & Product Team (ADAPT) is Bain‘s powerhouse for new digital business and customer experiences. Our support to clients spans anything and everything from discovering potential business ideas and validating specific value propositions based on digital prototypes, to implementation and global market launch. In a team of top-notch innovation experts, designers, and software developers, you’ll develop innovative business models and customer journeys.
Private Equity
Bain is the global market leader in private equity consulting. Would you like to learn from the best as you provide consulting support to private equity clients along the entire investment lifecycle? In due-diligence projects, you’ll advise investors on their next deal and evaluate their targets with regard to growth and profitability. Our Private Equity practice offers you a unique team spirit, a very steep learning curve for yourself, and plenty of opportunities to impress clients with your analytical skills.
Whether you choose to continue your career with Bain, or prefer to make a career move that will take you somewhere else: The strategy consulting experience, entrepreneurial spirit and diversified industry expertise you’ll have gained as a Bainie will make for a world-class profile that is recognized worldwide to be sought outside of Bain: Your experience in strategy consulting, your entrepreneurial spirit and the extensive industry expertise that you gain through your work at Bain & Company give you a world-class reputation.
As a proof in point, around half of the more than 1,000 alumni in Germany and Switzerland hold top management positions in business. As an extra asset, you’ll remain a life-long member of an influential network of ex-colleagues and clients.
You can apply for a job at Bain & Company at any time throughout the year. Please use our Online tool and make sure to complete your application about three months before your preferred entry date. Along with your cover letter and résumé, you can upload all certificates for your studies, internships and prior positions. Receipt of your application will be confirmed immediately and you will usually receive our response within two weeks.
If you apply for our Zurich office, you will receive an invitation to participate in the Bain Online Assessment Sova assessment upon receipt of your application. It provides objective information on applicants’ cognitive abilities and behavioral preferences. Results will be considered as a complement to documents you have submitted, allowing us to make a data-based decision. Your application can only be processed once the online assessment has been completed. We will usually reply within two weeks after completion of the online assessment.
Should you also have selected offices in other countries as your preference, your application will be forwarded to those offices. In that case, you’ll receive feedback from the office indicated most recently, so the response may be delayed somewhat. Please note that the selection criteria and cycles may differ in other countries. Should you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact the respective Bain office.
The recruiting day provides an opportunity to get to know each other and determine whether we’re a good fit, both professionally and personally. To learn more about you as a person and how you deal with different situations, we may ask you about specific points in your resume, or how you would handle certain work-related scenarios.
There’ll also be so-called case interviews, in which we discuss with you one or several cases from our project work: They help us get a feel for your creative, structuring, and problem-solving skills. Under interview preparation to find helpful tips and case examples. Another valuable source is our case interview community PrepLounge,where you can solve case studies in an interactive process.
After the interviews, you will receive immediate feedback from us. If you have convinced us in the interviews, we will invite you to a second round of interviews with Bain partners. If these interviews are also successful, you will receive an offer from us on the same day.
More questions?
Germany:
Verena Drexler, Nadine Gardisch, Lisa Gasseldorfer, Lea Quinten
E-mail: germany.recruiting@bain.com
Switzerland:
Nadine Husistein, Emanuel Zihlmann
E-mail: zurich.recruiting@bain.com