PEI / FIT INTERVIEW
The interviewer asks a question that sounds almost administrative.
“Why did you do a Master’s?”
Easy.
You wanted more education.
Better opportunities.
A specialization.
Maybe access to consulting.
All reasonable.
But “reasonable” is not yet a story.
The interviewer is trying to understand what changed in your thinking and why this degree belongs in the path you are describing now.
“I wanted to specialize” works... until they ask why
Suppose you say:
“I pursued a Master’s in analytics because I wanted deeper technical skills.”
Fine.
Why did you want those skills?
What had you seen before the degree that made the gap matter?
What do you now want to do with them?
The stronger answer contains movement.
For example:
During an internship, you enjoyed analyzing customer behavior but realized you lacked the technical depth to answer the questions you cared about. You chose the Master’s to build that capability. Then client-facing projects showed you that you wanted to apply the analysis across broader business problems.
Now the degree is doing something.
It connects one realization to the next.
Five answers can work... but each needs a second layer
1. You wanted deeper expertise
Good start.
The second layer is why that expertise mattered and where you wanted to use it.
2. You wanted to change fields
Also credible.
But explain the trigger. What exposure showed you that the new field fit better?
3. You wanted stronger commercial skills
Useful for consulting.
But avoid making the degree sound like a credential purchase. What experiences made you want closer proximity to business decisions?
4. You wanted international exposure
Potentially strong.
The interesting part is not moving countries. It is what working across new teams, markets, or perspectives changed about you.
5. You wanted time to test a new direction
This can be especially credible for consulting.
But show the testing. Projects, internships, societies, competitions, networking, or other experiences should reveal that the degree became an active transition rather than a pause.
For more Master’s-specific behavioral questions and answer patterns, read Master’s Consulting Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers.
The answer gets weaker when consulting appears too early
“I did a Master’s because I wanted to get into consulting.”
That can make the degree sound instrumental.
The interviewer may wonder whether the underlying interests were ever clear.
A stronger sequence often starts earlier:
What were you doing?
What did you discover you wanted more of?
Why was the Master’s the next logical step?
What did the degree then confirm?
Why does consulting follow?
Consulting should feel like the next chapter, not the explanation for every previous one.
“Why now?” is where the answer becomes personal
Two candidates can complete the exact same degree for completely different reasons.
One needed technical depth.
One wanted a career pivot.
One wanted exposure to international business.
One discovered during work that they liked strategic questions more than execution.
That timing makes the story believable.
For a broader look at how a Master’s can connect into consulting recruiting, read How to Get into Management Consulting with a Master’s Degree.
One final test changes the answer...
Remove the name of your university.
Remove the prestige.
Remove the degree title.
Does the logic still make sense?
Can someone still understand what you were trying to learn, change, or discover?
If yes, you probably have the beginning of a real answer.
If not, go back to the moment before you applied.
Something made the degree feel necessary then.
That moment is probably much closer to the story the interviewer actually wants.