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.
As an Associate Consultant, you will work for different industries and clients and acquire a broad general basic knowledge. Your learning curve is steep: from day one you are part of a team that does everything it can to implement the right business strategies together with the customer and to increase the company's value in the long term. In independent sub-projects you research for example relevant market information for a consumer goods manufacturer, analyze the European competition for an automotive supplier, conduct expert interviews at a company in the pharmaceutical industry or compare the competitive situation of 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 support you in developing the steepest possible 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, you will have a personal “colleague” by your side right from the start. This advisor will help you to find your way around Bain in the best possible way and with whom you can exchange ideas at any time.
Mentor
In addition, a consultant with experience will accompany you as your personal mentor, support and advise you confidentially on any career-related questions.
We support you throughout your career at Bain & Company with an individual, globally oriented training program. At the beginning of your career at Bain, you start with an introductory training course lasting several days, which prepares you for the day-to-day work of a consultant. Consultants without a business background are also given basic business knowledge in a special multi-day training course (FIT = Full Integration Training). This is how we ensure 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 company where national borders are irrelevant. With our offices in over 35 countries and client companies around the world, you have limitless opportunities to gain international experience. Over 50% of our consultants are currently working internationally. As an Associate Consultant, you will experience global thinking and working at Bain – a big 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
The Advanced Digital & Product Team (ADAPT) is Bain's powerhouse for new digital businesses and customer experiences. From the discovery of possible business ideas, to the validation of concrete customer offers using digital prototypes, to implementation and global market launch: ADAPT guides the customer companies through all steps. In a team with the best innovation experts, designers and software developers, you will develop innovative business models and customer journeys.
Private Equity
Bain is the world leader in private equity consulting. Would you like to learn from the best and advise different private equity clients along the entire life cycle of an investment? In due diligence projects, you support an investor with the next deal and evaluate the target in terms of growth and profitability. In the Private Equity Ringfence you will benefit from an extremely steep learning curve in a very short time, experience a unique team spirit and be able to convince 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 to Bain & Company at any time. Please send us your application using our Online tool . In addition to your meaningful CV, you can also attach all relevant certificates of completion, internships and employment. A cover letter is optional. We will confirm receipt of your application immediately and you will usually receive an answer from us 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 discussions 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