Succeeding in Consulting Firms as an Experienced Hire

Experienced hires are an increasingly popular profile for MBB and other top consulting firms. But even with a wealth of industry experience and professional accomplishments, many experienced hires face a challenging transition period and a steep learning curve. In this article, I cover the key challenges faced by experienced hires and offer practical advice to help you succeed and excel in your new role.

Key Challenges for Experienced Hires in Consulting

1. Adapting to New Ways of Working

The work environment in consulting is significantly different from many traditional corporate settings. Even with extensive experience, you may find yourself facing an entirely new playbook:

• Collaborative Problem Solving:
  In consulting, problem solving is a team effort—internally and with clients. This can be a major adjustment if you’re used to working independently or in silos as an individual contributor.
• Client Comes First:
  Every project is driven by client needs and demands. A large part of your work will be structured or adapted around client requirements, which often means managing more complex stakeholder relationships and navigating challenging timelines or processes.
• Firm-Specific Cadences:
  Each firm has its own rhythms and processes to ensure projects run smoothly and teams stay engaged. These established routines might be entirely new and take some while to adjust to.

2. Adapting to a New Pace of Work

As an experienced hire, you might have thrived in environments with predictable routines or stable schedules. However, consulting operates at a different pace:

• High-Intensity Environment:
  Projects typically come with tight deadlines and high stakes. The pressure to deliver consistently under challenging conditions can be a dramatic shift from what you’re accustomed to.
• Long and Unpredictable Hours:
  Beyond tight deadlines, top consulting firms demand high-quality insights and value delivery for clients, often resulting in long hours and shifting priorities. Problem solving in consulting is iterative—what you plan one day might change the next based on client needs or new insights.
• Travel Requirements:
  Depending on your office or system, travel can be a significant part of the job. In some cases, this may mean flying out on a Sunday or Monday and returning midweek, adding another layer of complexity to your work-life balance.

👉 Discover more insights in our article about Work-Life-Balance in Consulting.

3. Changing Mindsets, Expectations, and Habits

Over the years, you’ve likely developed habits and strategies that have proven effective in your previous roles. However, what worked before may not always translate to the consulting world:

• Consulting Problem Solving:
  Consulting firms use a unique top-down problem-solving approach that can be counterintuitive if you’re used to a different methodology. Embracing this new approach can be mentally challenging.
• A Strong Feedback Culture:
  One of the most surprising aspects for many experienced hires is the frequency and directness of feedback. Top consulting firms prize growth, and regular feedback is essential for identifying both strengths and areas for development – it is not uncommon to get feedback on everything that you do, and this can be overwhelming at times.
• Effective Communication:
  Consulting firms have a distinct way of communicating—both verbally and in writing. Techniques like top-down communication and storylining are key, and adapting to these new methods can be difficult if you’re used to a different style or where slides are frankly not as important as they are in consulting.

👉 Check out our article about Mastering Communication Skills in Consulting to find out more!

These transitions are among the toughest challenges because they require not only practical adjustments but also deep-seated change in long-established habits.

4. Building Your Reputation and Network from Scratch

A less discussed but equally significant challenge for experienced hires is that your previous reputation and personal brand do not automatically carry over when you join a new firm:

• Proving Yourself Anew:
  In consulting, your value is measured by your current contributions, not by past achievements. Rigorous evaluation metrics mean that you must continuously prove your worth on every project. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that “You are only as good as your last project evaluation”.
• Cultural and Brand Realignment:
  Your personal brand, forged in another context, may need to be recalibrated to align with the firm’s identity and values. Rebuilding your reputation and network takes time and effort.
   

Key Advice and Tips for Success as an Experienced Hire in Consulting

Now that we’ve discussed the challenges, here are some practical pieces of advice to help you overcome these hurdles and thrive as an experienced hire.

1. Keep an open mind.

Having the right mindset and attitude is crucial for success – it is really the foundation of success in consulting

• Embrace the Growth Mindset:
  View your time in consulting as a learning journey. View each project—whether it’s your dream assignment or not—as an opportunity to learn the toolkit and understand the firm better. Recognize that every negative feedback or hurdle is a concrete indicator for improvement and that ultimately the firm wants you to succeed.
• Actively Seek and Accept Feedback:
  In consulting, rapid improvement is key. Regularly ask your case leadership for feedback. During feedback sessions, request practical tips from your manager or partner on how to improve or what they would have done instead. More importantly, take concrete actions based on that feedback, and seek opportunities that will give you the chance to do so.
• Try Everything Once:
  Even if a project’s industry or topic isn’t something you are interested in, give it a try. Be open to testing new processes or methods recommended by your leaders – there is a reason why they are recommending you to do things a certain way. 

2. Don't compare yourself to younger peers.

You will have more experience than peers (or maybe even someone more senior than you) in the firm, and it is tempting to compare yourself to them. Don’t!

• Focus on Deliverables:
  Age doesn’t factor into your evaluation—your work does. Age is not in any evaluation form in any top consulting firm. Concentrate on producing high-quality outputs defined by your workstream or module, and don’t feel the need to outperform someone simply because they are younger or less experienced.

3. Leverage colleagues, including peers and juniors.

• Build Strong Internal Mentors:
  Engage with peers and junior team members alike. Their fresh perspectives can complement your experience and enrich your approach to solving client problems.
• Seek Help from Peers & Juniors:
  Don’t be afraid to engage and seek help from your peers and team members even more junior to you. Use them to bounce off ideas, critique your output, share practical tips. Their input can be invaluable in refining your deliverables and helping you improve your skills and knowledge

4. Be disciplined in managing your own trajectory.

• Understand What’s Expected:
  Familiarize yourself with the firm’s evaluation metrics—not just for projects, but for your overall career trajectory. As an experienced hire, you may have less time to learn these nuances compared to 'homegrown' talent.
• Plan and Track Your Progression:
  Set clear goals for where you want to be on the performance matrix each year. Knowing what you need to achieve before the next evaluation cycle will help you make informed staffing and project choices.

5. Leverage your core strengths.

• Identify What Sets You Apart:
  Reflect on the skills and insights you’ve honed over your career. Whether it’s deep industry knowledge or greater maturity when it comes to stakeholder management, these are your competitive advantages
• Integrate Your Experience:
  Think of the most appropriate and effective ways to bring your core strength to your module or project. Take initiative to propose or carve out opportunities to demonstrate your strengths (e.g. offering to join or lead a factory site visit if you have previous experience in manufacturing, even if it’s not in your direct scope). Doing so not only boosts your performance but also helps in building your personal brand and reputation within the firm.

Key Takeaways

Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges experienced hires face when transitioning into consulting. While some struggle and fail, I have seen many succeed. Starting with the right mindset and attitude is key, this is the foundation for building and demonstrating the hard and soft skills you need to excel. Your journey as an experienced hire is a continuous process of growth, adaptation, and reinvention—and every step forward counts.

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