How to prepare for the consulting job as non-business hire?

Hi there and congrats on your offer! 

I can see multiple options, depending on your time available, background knowledge (I am sure you have at least some business sense as you passed the interviews) and how proactive you want to be. 

1. Lowest effort / do nothing. 

Consulting is known for learning on the job. Even people that spent their entire life in business, done an MBA will learn tons on every new project they face. I am completely sure you will also do the same. 

Plus, most consultancies offer a variety of resources, some specially dedicated for non-business folks to learn the fundamentals. 

This is not to say you should do nothing, but to say that most learning will come after you start the job and that is normal. 

2. Mid approach: learn as you consume your daily news

Some simple tricks here: follow business news (think newsletters, youtube channels, news publications, industry reports). 

As much as possible, try to think actively about the news you consume. You will be surprised on the connections your brain will start to make after a while and how your business knowledge will deepen and widen. 

3. High effort / structured approach 

You create your own “mini-MBA” experience and go through a series of topics. Some topics that I found valuable in my own experience: management accounting (e.g., being able to read financial annual reports), finance, marketing, some basics of strategy (less so to be honest). 

+ learning some basics about different industries. 

This is typically done in an MBA class by reading and then discussing case studies. A big part is the discussion, but you can still find online interesting case studies to read and reflect on your own. 

Other sources: free courses, (again) youtube channels, asking friends with a business education for some of their course materials; also all consultancies publish papers on different business topics >> make a habit of reading those. 

You can also ask Bain if they have any training materials to share before you start. 

On books: I read my fair share of business books, and while I enjoyed the read to be honest I do not feel in the slightest they helped me in my consulting job. As for a list, I think something along the lines “most read business books” is a perfectly good start. 

This is just my personal take on your question, with what I found helpful for my case. I hope it gives you an idea. 

Good luck, 

Ariadna 

PS. There are a few other areas, beyond business knowledge that you could consider preparing for before starting your job. 

Hey there,

Congrats on the achievement!

If you are interested in preparing for your new role, I'd suggest the following:

When I got the offer some years ago I did the same. I reached out to people I knew in McKinsey and people who interviewed me to ask: what can I do to make the start easier? how can I prepare?

The answer from everyone was: Relax! Enjoy your time before you start and don't think about it. You will figure it out on the job. I followed that advice and it made sense to me once I joined.

When you start at in top tier consulting there are 2 ways to learn:

1. Formal training. The formal training sessions/ weeks/ days in the beginning, are nice, however, they are more for networking and meeting your peers. You learn some interesting concepts and get some useful tips from more experienced consultants BUT
2. Constant and implicit learning on the job is where it's at. No matter if you are a newcomer or a veteran after 2 years, you will always find yourself on a steep learning curve. As soon as you barely mastered one skill or the skills needed for one level in the hierarchy, you will take care of things, which are expected from a more senior colleague. This cycle never ends. You are expected to learn on the job, learn from your colleagues, your mentors, and sometimes even the client. So basically a newly promoted Engagement Manager has the same 'struggle' as a new-hire Business Analyst. They both need to work in a completely new environment and role.

Knowing that, if we now go back to square one in your Bain journey it makes perfect sense to enter the firm with a blank slate with a lot of curiosity and eagerness to soak it all up and quickly learn the ropes.

Nothing matches the experience and the learning and this is a good thing (also the reason why ex-MBBs are valued highly on the job market).

You will learn everything you need to master while doing it. You will be thrown in the cold water and need to swim. However, your colleagues will always be happy to help you and mentor you. And for the rest, you will figure everything out along the way. The key here is always to ask for tips, shortcuts, feedback, etc. Don't be quiet if you get stuck.

Lastly, if you have no domain knowledge about a certain industry or topic, read through the internal library of documentation (which is endless) and call some of the firm experts on the topic. Usually, they are happy to offer you a short call to get you up to speed.

But here’s something extra: Since the question came up ever so often with my clients, I've authored a book titled "Consulting Career Secrets," specifically to guide newcomers like you in navigating this journey. The goal of the book was to answer all typical questions of entry-level consultants and show them the way to make the entry and the transition as simple and painless as possible. 

While no book or training can entirely prep you for the unique experiences of your first day, week, or project, it offers comprehensive insights to mentally prepare you, suggests essential tools and skills to acquire, shows you the ways how to do that, and strategies to quickly adapt and excel in your new role. 

I have also created a video for PrepLounge on how to manage your work-life balance based on an excerpt from the book: https://youtu.be/4VK8wL_xsmQ?si=giSBhp2EaP8XiS3B

You can DM me if you want to know more.

In any case, don't sweat the small stuff, and enjoy the ride!

Florian

Hey,

Congratulations on the Bain offer! Instead of recommending specific books, I suggest building your business acumen by following industry news, subscribing to business journals, and listening to podcasts like "The McKinsey Podcast" or "HBR IdeaCast."

More importantly, focus on honing your Excel skills, especially financial modeling, and improving your PowerPoint skills. At Bain, things move quickly, and you'll be expected to pick up new skills rapidly. Prior training on these tools will help you learn on the job and perform effectively.

Thanks 
Ashwin 

Congrats on starting with Bain soon!

First of all, you can also choose to do nothing. Most people do that and it's completely fine. There are actually very few moments in your life when you know you have something so certain ahead of you so you can go and pursue some other passions that you might have. 

Once you do get started, you'll receive lots of training which is enough for most people. 

You might, however, want to get a headstart, which is understandable considering that, at the moment, consulting firms are quite tough and cutting some of their workforce. 

If you're thinking along these lines, then there are 3 things you can look into:

1. Hard skills. Take a course in Excel and Powerpoint. Just enough to make you feel comfortable and make it easier for you to navigate those first weeks as a consultant. 

2. Soft skills. Beyond the first year, these become a lot more important than the hard skills. So read on how to negotiate, work with people, influence and so on. One entry level book that is enjoyable to read is ‘Emotional Intelligence’ by Goleman

3. Get a mentor / coach. I work with around a third of my former candidates once they start in consulting, helping them with topics such as learning storylining, how to fast track their promotion, staffing and so on. This obviously costs, but put in perspective to what you learn out of it, for most people it's the best investment they could make. 

You might also find it useful to go through these two resources I created on this topic:

• Expert Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant
• Expert Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

Best,
Cristian

Honestly, if you passed the interviews, you have the business basics. Most of what you need to know for day one is done through a good case interview preparation. 

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offer from Bain!

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

• While it is great to see how eager you are to prepare for your career start with your future employer, I would highly advise you not to worry about it. All major consulting firms will provide you with excellent onboarding and training that will prepare you for everything you need to know, especially for non-business hires.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming role, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen