Any tips to start as Junior Consultant?

Question

Hi all,

In few months, I will start my career as Junior Consultant at Roland Berger. As my previous internships were all in healthcare and FMCG industries, it will be my first experience in consulting. Do you have any tips to help me to prepare myself to this new role and perform well during my first mission?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Answer 1

Hi,

I would concentrate on getting the right financial modeling skills and presenting your analysis in Power Point.

1) Financial modeling - the best course I know is Training The Street. Take Financial Modeling, Valuation, Maybe LBO. Also, learn pivot tables and the basic statistics tools

Excel and Financial modeling - the best course I know is Training The Street. Take Financial Modeling, Valuation, Maybe LBO. They have the amazing templates that you have to reproduce to be able to do that fast.

The key thing - throw away your mouse and put some tape on your touchpad. Do everything with your keyboard!

2) Power Point

First, read "Say it with charts" and "Pyramid Principle".
As a next step Google for MBB presentations on SlideShare and try to replicate them in PPT.
Finally, take MBA some cases (HBS or any other) and try to derive the conclusions and put them on slides using MBB styles.

And finally - take a long vacation before starting your job;)

While in consulting focus on the following:

Having a good DGL / career counselor, etc. (Each company has different names). This is a person who guides your development in the company, collects the feedbacks on you, and presents your case to a promotion committee. Make sure to have a person who is organized enough to collect the feedbacks in time, who is a nice person in general and who has enough authority in the company (i.e. Senior partner - the more power he has - the better)
Choosing the project you work on smartly (i.e. collect the feedbacks on each and everyone prior to accepting the project)
Perfect technical skills (Excel, PPT, Problem Solving)
Good feedbacks on you from the client. Thus try to make friends with your clients (Both senior and non-senior role. Even a bad feedback from a blue collar can ruin your career)
Ability to manage your own standalone workstream with minimum supervision. TOP performers bring the end products that impress others
Being proactive - helping the team with daily routine, scheduling, etc. Participating in the office initiatives
Establishing relationships with your managers and partners. Ideally, you should have multiple senior partners to be excited about you and to support you)
Being lucky!

Good Luck!