Best culture for a grad company, very social and fun
The culture is genuinely collaborative compared to other top-tier firms. People actually help each other rather than competing internally, and knowledge sharing is expected. Teams are small, usually 3-6 people on a project, so you work closely with everyone and build strong relationships quickly. Cooperation is necessary because the workload is intense and you're only as good as your team's output. If someone's struggling, others jump in because we all sink or swim together. The hierarchy exists but it's relatively flat in practice. As an AC you're encouraged to challenge ideas respectfully, and Partners are generally approachable, though they obviously have final say on client decisions. You can have genuine conversations with senior people without excessive formality, which makes learning faster. Socialising is big at Bain. Friday drinks, team dinners after long weeks, office-wide events, and informal weekend hangouts. The Sydney office specifically has a strong social scene. Honestly, the culture is one of Bain's strongest selling points. You're working long hours, but at least you're doing it with smart people you actually like, and that matters when you're working long hours.