Why consulting, why this firm, why banking, answers that sound like you
Three questions nearly every fit interview asks. Pick one, fill in the template built for it, say it against a timer and check yourself. Strong and weak examples show the difference. Free, with no sign-up.
Free and runs in your browser. The prompts and example answers are original and fictional, and the firm in the example is invented. The 7-day free trial includes 2 mock interviews and 3 drills.
Pick the question, use the right template
Each question has its own template: a consulting answer needs a spark and evidence, a firm answer needs specifics and a conversation, a banking answer needs interest you acted on.
Why do you want to go into consulting?
Original practice prompts. Your answer has to come from your own experience and research.
A strong answer shows a real spark, evidence you tested it and a fit with what you can do. Jot a few words for each part. Notes stay in your browser.
The spark
- What first drew you to this work? Name a moment, not a trait.
- What problem or kind of work do you find yourself drawn to?
Evidence you tested it
- What did you do to find out if you would like it: a project, a conversation, a course, a job?
- What did you learn that confirmed or changed your view?
What you bring
- Which two skills of yours match the work?
- Which proof point shows each?
Why now, and why not the alternatives
- What do you want to build in the next few years?
- Why does consulting do that better than staying in industry?
Aim for 60 to 90 seconds. That length is our recommendation, not a rule any employer publishes. Speak, do not read your notes.
0 of 6 checked
What the difference sounds like
Three invented answers, one for each question, with a weak version beside a strong one. The firm in the second example, Calder and Finch, is fictional. They are not scripts to copy: your answer has to be yours.
Why do you want to go into consulting?
Weak answer
I want to go into consulting because it is fast paced, I will learn a lot and I will work with smart people on interesting problems. I am a good problem solver and I enjoy working in teams. I think consulting will give me a great foundation for my career.
- The reasons (fast paced, smart people, foundation) fit any career.
- No story, so the interviewer has nothing to ask.
- Skills are claimed, not proved.
Strong answer
In my second year I helped a local bike shop work out why summer sales were flat. I spent three weekends on their receipts and found that repair customers were buying but accessory sales were not, so we moved a display next to the repair counter. Sales of accessories rose about a fifth that summer. What I enjoyed was not the bikes, it was getting to a clear answer for someone who had to act on it. I then did a case competition and spoke to two consultants, and both said the hard part is persuading a client, which is the part I want to get better at. I would rather learn that across industries now than in one industry.
- A specific project with a result and what the candidate enjoyed about it.
- Shows testing: a case competition and conversations with consultants.
- A reason for consulting over staying in one industry.
Why do you want to work at this firm?
Weak answer
Calder and Finch is one of the best firms in the world with a great reputation and amazing people. I have heard it has a great culture and it is a top firm to work for. I would love to learn from the best and work on high-impact projects.
- Praise that applies to every top firm.
- Repeats what everyone says, with no source.
- Nothing the candidate did or learned.
Strong answer
Two things made Calder and Finch stand out for me. First, its public reports on mid-market manufacturing: I read the one on reshoring and it used real plant-level numbers, which is how I like to work. Second, I spoke to Priya, an associate in the operations practice. She described a project where her team spent two weeks at a client's plant before making a recommendation, and she said the senior people expect juniors to speak up in client meetings. I want to build my skills in operations and be given real responsibility early. I applied to other firms too, but this is the one where I could name the people and the work.
- Two specifics tied to a source and a person.
- Shows effort: read a report and spoke to an associate.
- Connects the firm to what the candidate wants, and admits other options without criticizing them.
Why do you want to go into investment banking?
Weak answer
I want to go into investment banking because it is prestigious and challenging, and the training is excellent. I like finance and working hard, and I know the hours are long. It will open many doors for my future career.
- Prestige and doors are reasons the interviewer hears from everyone.
- No evidence of acting on the interest.
- No view of what the work involves day to day.
Strong answer
I started following deals in my first year, and the one that stayed with me was a mid-size company buying a competitor to get its distribution. I wanted to know how the buyer decided what it was worth, so I built a valuation of the target for my investing club and found that the synergies were doing most of the work in the price. That project taught me what I like: working from a messy set of numbers to a view you can defend. I know the hours are long and the work is detailed. I have done a 70-hour week during an internship and I enjoyed the team more than I expected. In three years I want to be the analyst a senior banker trusts with the model.
- Interest in a specific deal, then a project the candidate did about it.
- Names the hours and shows the candidate has tested them.
- A concrete three-year goal.
The people, firms and numbers in these examples are invented for illustration.
What the employer says, and what it does not
No firm publishes its 'why' questions. The one thing we can cite is how BCG describes the part of its process where these questions are usually asked.
Stated on its own pages
- BCG describes its skills interview as a traditional interview that explores your experience, skills and motivation for joining BCG, your chance to go beyond your resume. Questions such as why consulting and why this firm are about motivation; that link is our reading, not BCG's wording. BCG: Interview process.
Not published
- Whether a given firm asks 'why consulting' or 'why this firm' as a stated question, or how the answers are judged. Banks do not publish their 'why banking' questions on the careers pages we read either.
- Any model answer from any firm or bank. The examples on this page are original and fictional.
Sources, read October 2026
Soreno is independent and not affiliated with BCG. Processes change, so check the employer's pages and your invitation for the current format.
Then practice it with an AI interviewer
These are features that exist in the Soreno app today. They help you practice behavioral answers out loud. They are general behavioral practice and do not reproduce any employer's questions or scoring.
- 1
Behavioral questions in the library
Soreno's library includes behavioral questions. You pick one, answer out loud, and the AI interviewer asks follow-ups.
- 2
Follow-ups on your own story
The interviewer asks about the specific story you told, the way the follow-up drill on this page does, so a thin answer shows up in practice instead of in the real interview.
- 3
A scored report
After the session you get feedback with quotes from your own answer and a plan for the next attempt. Check it against what really happened; it is AI coaching, not an employer's rubric.
Keep going, then do it out loud
Read the longer guides, try the other free practice pages or compare ways to practice.
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Investment banking technical practice
Four free technical questions with checked answers.
Consulting interview practice
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Behavioral interview practice
Six free questions with STAR prompts, a timer and a self-review list.
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