WHO WE ARE

THE ASSOCIATE POSITION AT BCG

TheBostonConsultingGroupsglobalreputationintopmanagementconsultingderivesfrommorethanforty
yearsexperiencehelpingseniormanagersdiscoverandachievetheircompaniesfullpotential.Ourmissionis
tohelpourclientsattainunparalleledsuccessbycapitalizingonkeyopportunitiesforgrowthand
improvement.Weworkcloselywitheachclienttohelpsetdirection,gainorganizational,andoperational
challenges.

Foundedin1963,TheBostonConsultingGroupnowhasmorethan4,500consultantsbasedin75offices
worldwide.OurNorthAmericanofficesareinAtlanta,Boston,Chicago,Dallas,Detroit,Houston,LosAngeles,
Miami,Minneapolis,NewJersey,NewYork,Philadelphia,SanFrancisco,TorontoandWashington,D.C.Our
internationalofficesareinthemajorbusinesscentersofSouthAmerica,Europe,EasternEurope,Asia,and
Australia.

BCGsclientsaretheworldsbusinessleaders.Fromcomputerstoretailing,ourprofessionalexpertisespans
over50industries.Thevastmajorityofourclientsrankamongthe500largestcompaniesineachofourfour
majorlocationsNorthAmerica,LatinAmerica,Europe,andAsia.Inaddition,weworkwithanumberof
publicandprivatemediumsizedcompaniesandsmaller,growingfirms.

Thesuccessofourassignmentshastypicallyledourclientstomaintainlongtermrelationshipswithus.Over
90percentofourtop50clientscontinuetoworkwithusfromoneyeartothenext,tomaintainthe
momentumforchangeandtoincreasefurtherthebottomlineresultstheyhaveachievedwithourhelp.

Weworkinteamsoffourtosixpeopleonprojectsor"cases"forourclients.Eachcaseisorganizedaround
somestrategicbusinessissueorissuesfacedbytheclientandlastsaboutthreetoninemonths.BCGworks
withseniormanagementlevelswithinclientcorporationstoanswerquestionslike:

Whatisthecompetitivesituationintheclient'sindustryandwhatarethemarketopportunitiesfor
theclient?
Cantheclientimprovethewayitsoperationsaredonebychangingitsinternalfunctionsand
processes?
Howbestcantheclientserveitscustomers?

BCG'sworkisbasedonrigorousanalysisandcreativethinking.BCG'speoplearehighlymotivated,well
educated,andhardworking.ManypeoplewhodowellatBCGhavehadquantitativecourseworkbuthave
graduatedwithdiversemajorsrangingfromtheanalyticaltotheliberalarts.

Webelievethatnootherconsultingorganizationhasconcentratedasthoroughlyonunderstandingbusiness
competitionandhelpingcompaniesmakethechangesneededtosucceedinincreasinglycompetitivemarkets.

TheBostonConsultingGroupisanequalopportunityemployer.

AnassociatepositionwithTheBostonConsultingGroupcanbeyourfirstornextstepinabusinesscareer,as
wellasanexcitingandhighlyrewardingjobopportunity.Withinafewweeksofjoiningus,youwillbegin
puttingyourtalentandcreativitytoworkaspartofateamadvisingawiderangeofworldclassorganizations
onsomeofthemostcomplexissuestheyface.

Wehireassociatesfromamultitudeofbackgrounds,includingnewgraduatesinmanyfieldsfromtheworld's
mostprestigiousuniversitiesandpeoplewhohavebeenworkingforafewyearsinavarietyofindustries.
Althougheachofourassociateshasadistinctprofile,whattheyallhaveincommonistheabilityanddesireto
makeadifferenceforBCG'sclients.Theassociateroleisdesignedtoenabletalentedindividualstodojust
that.

Afteranorientationandtrainingperiod,associatesareassignedtotheirfirstcase,reportingdirectlytothe
projectleader.Projectleadersencourageassociatestobecreativeintheiranalyticalworkandtheir
interactionswithclients.AssociatesworkcloselywithBCGteamsandtheclientorganizationastheyconduct
interviews,analyzedata,communicatefindings,anddrivechange.Rightfromthestart,associatestakeon
challengesthatfurthertheirknowledge.Theyalsolearnhowtostrikeabalancebetweenseekingguidance
andworkingautonomously.

Asassociatesgainexperience,theyworkmoreindependently,takingontheirownpiecesofaproject.They
areexpectedtostructuretheirworkplansandtodevelophypothesesandanalysestotestthem.Overtime,
theircontactwiththeclientincreases,andtheyinteractathigherlevels.

Throughformaltrainingsessionsandcaseexperience,associatesdevelopconceptualframeworksthatwill
helpthembemoreinnovativeatsolvingproblems.Theybecomeadeptathelpingclientsfindanswerstotheir
toughestquestionsandimplementnecessarychanges.

ThereisnotypicalexperienceforassociatesatBCG:eachofficeandclientpresentsdistinctopportunities,and
eachassociatebringsdifferentstrengthsandtalents.Dependingontheirbackgroundsandinterests,some
associatesfocusonjusttwoorthreeclientsorindustries,whileotherschooseagreatervariety.Someprefer
internationalclients;others,localones.Andsomeassociatestakeonaleadershiproleinrecruitingortraining
inadditiontotheircasework.

Similarly,thereisnotypicalcareerpathforassociates.AftertwoyearsatBCG,somechoosetoattend
graduateschool,whileothersstayatBCGandarepromotedtoconsultant,evenadvancingeventuallytoavice
presidentposition.Otherstakeadifferentpath:becominganentrepreneur,joiningalargecorporationor
familybusiness,returningtoacademia,orenteringthenonprofitsector,tonameafew.

BCGalsohasasummerassociateprogramwhichseeksasmall,selectgroupofhighlytalentedcollegejuniors
andMasterswhodemonstratethecapacitytodeveloptheskillsofaBCGassociate.Summerassociate
candidatesshouldhaveanintellectualcuriosityaboutconsultingandbusinessingeneral.Duringthesummer
program,theinternwouldbepartofaBCGconsultingteamwithguidancefromaconsultantsponsor.The
summerwouldincludeexperienceswiththeirclientcase,othersummerinterns,fulltimeassociates,andany
BCGevents.OurgoalistogiveoursummerinternsadequateexposuretotheassociatepositionandtheBCG
culturewiththehopesthatstrongperforminginternswouldbeinterestedinreturningtoBCGasanassociate
aftergraduation.