How to prepare for a new job as in house strategy consultant

Hi there, 

Congratulations on your new role! 

Remember, no one starts as an expert, so be open to learning and growing as you settle into the position is the key. 
You’re already on the right track by brushing up on Excel and PowerPoint, but don't stress yourself out.
Once you know your first project, research your company and industry, and start thinking about how you can contribute early.
Regularly ask for feedback to understand specific steps for improvement, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you encounter challenges. The ability to adapt, learn, and build strong relationships will be key to your success. 

If you happen to come across any challenges along your way and need an outside perspective, don't hesitate to reach out.
Wishing you a great start!

Kairavee

Hey there, 

Probably excel and powerpoint are good places to start developing on (which you have started so well done on that)

Beyond that, each firm have very specific ways of working with various nuances, so if you want to hit the ground running, I'd recommend having a sit down chat with one of the consultants in this organisation to orient you on various dynamics of the company. Learn what you need to priorities, what the culture is like, what the leadership wants to see and expect, etc. 

This will give you a glimpse of what to expect on Day 1, and then you will be able to more easily integrate as you'd have set your expectations accordingly. 

With regards to on the job skills, you'll develop these over time, including the speed. So get ready to spend time developing yourself personally, so come in feeling fresh and well rested!

All the best! 

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offer! In terms of your question:

Q: I have started brushing up on my excel and power point abilities (having seen other consultants, i work at a 10th of their pace). Anything else to hit the ground running? 

I reported a few tips below:

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IT TOOLS

The most important tools are Excel and PowerPoint, which you are already preparing for. You can check in advance with your office if they recommend training on any other tool, such as Alteryx or Tableau and if so, do some prep on that.

If you can, focus on learning keyboard shortcuts with Excel as they come in very handy during the job.

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INDUSTRIES

In your case, you will most likely work in a specific industry. If needed, you can learn more about it before starting with your new job.

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ADDITIONAL LEARNING

Reading is a great way to invest your extra time. If you don't have time to read, I would recommend Audible and listening to books related to consulting/topics interesting to you.

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FIRST WEEKS

Below you can find some tips for the first weeks:

1. Take notes during meetings/discussions with your manager to remember details.
2. Double-check your work. The first impression is very important when you join a new company. If you show you are reliable at the start, you will create a solid reputation.
3. Define priorities for your work. Identify the most important activities and prioritize them before starting any task. Whenever the priorities are unclear, you can align with your manager at the start of the project.
4. Align with the team on your personal needs. If you have personal commitments, align with your manager/teammates as soon as possible, so that they know them in advance.
5. Ask for feedback from your manager every few weeks. This will show you are proactive and willing to learn.
6. Ask for help when you don't know what to do. Better to have the team know you are in trouble with meeting a deadline than missing the deadline.

All the best for a great start!

Francesco

Hello there!

Congrats on the new role! I have been in this same situation when I broke into consulting without previous experience in the industry. Let me share with you what I’ve done/should have done. I’ll skip the Excel and PowerPoint part, they are very important but you already know it.

0. Learn how to take value from data. Excel is the tool to organize data and get to accurate results, but you must take insights from it, that’s the most important value a consultant can drive, the famous “so what?”. There are courses available in Udemy and Coursera about it. If there was time to only focus on one thing, that would be it, the “zero” mark.

1. Understand the Business: Since you’re going in-house, getting a solid grasp on the company’s products*, services*, culture, competitors, and industry trends* is key. MBB firms have a lot of articles on different industries in their websites, you can use it as one resource. Review the company’s annual reports, press releases, and any strategic plans available.

* priorities

2. Get Comfortable with Frameworks: While strategy consulting often uses specific frameworks (like Porter’s Five Forces, the BCG Matrix, or SWOT analysis), they’re not just tools—they’re ways of thinking. Brush up on these frameworks and how they can be applied to real-world business challenges. Don’t worry too much about being an expert; focus on getting comfortable with using them to structure thinking. Worth having a cheat sheet to use them in future presentations.

3. Focus on Communication Skills: In addition to technical skills, consulting is all about communicating insights clearly and concisely, both in writing and in presentations. Practice delivering key points succinctly, and think about the story your analysis is telling. 

4. Learn the basics of project management: being a consultant is being a mix of business analysis, product ops and project management. The latest is sometimes overlooked and is key for you to deliver on time while making sure all stakeholders are aligned and your boss well informed. I would def recommend you to take a short course on this and create cheat sheets to use as well (e.g.: scope definition, project stakeholders, roadmap, etc.). Your boss will thank you for it!

“Bonus”: After you start, It’s also important to understand the internal stakeholders you’ll be working with—what are their priorities, and how can your work help them? I would schedule a meeting with all of them to present myself and get to know them and their business perspective - your boss will be able to point out who these people are.
Good luck— the fact you care about it is a good indicator that you’ll be fine in this new role 😊

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the upcoming inhouse consulting career start!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, while it is great to see how eager you are to prepare for your inhouse consulting career start, I would highly advise you not to worry about it.
• All major inhouse consulting firms provide you with excellent onboarding and training that will prepare you for everything you need to know.
• Lastly, if you want to prepare on your own, I would advise you to focus on learning common MS Excel functions as well as MS Excel and PowerPoint shortcuts, which it sounds like you are already doing.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen