MBB | How to avoid being CTL’ed

Hi there,

First of all, congrats on making it to the MBB and it is already a huge achievement in itself. Here are a few tips on getting a quick start at MBB and avoiding being CTL'ed:

1. Network as much as possible with your existing contacts (school alums, interviewers etc.) at the firm to get a sense of the firm's culture/ways of working. 

2. Build a healthy relationship with the staffing team because they are the ones deciding which case you will be on. The first few cases are crucial for your development as an entry-level consultant. You want to be on cases that align with your interests and development goals but also have supportive leadership teams. 

3. Quickly identify your weakness and work on it based on the feedback from your supervisors. 

4. Most importantly, be confident! You are there for a reason. Please enjoy your first 6 months and do not worry about CTL!

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

David

Hi there,

Congrats on the offer.

Based on your question, and other recent Q&As like this one: I'm kindly asked to quit the firm, what should I do ? | PrepLounge.com

Do not wait until you are fire to take action. Are you not performing well, getting bad feedback, not finding work? Hire a coach.

Seriously, it blows my mind how many people fail projects or struggle on the job, are earning money, but don't take action to keep their job. For a day or two's salary you could hire a coach to keep a year's salary.

So, if there are problems, please please get support.

=====some more general tips to try to avoid that!===========

First: Read the 25 tips in my consulting handbook

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Second: In terms of things you can learn/do to prepare beforehand:

1) Daily Reading

• The Economist, The Financial Times, BCG/Mskinsey Insights

2) Industry deep-dives

• Learn, in-depth, how the industries/companies your office advises, work. (PM me for an industry overview template)

3) Analytics tools

• Alteryx, Tableau, etc.

4) Excel

5) Powerpoint

• Best practices/standards
• Different layouts
• Quickly editing/updating slides
• Thinking in PowerPoint

6) Presentation skills / sharp communication

• There are some online/virtual classes for this

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Third: In terms of doing well in your role when you're there:

1) Understand the context/prompt (what role are you in, what company, who's watching, etc.)

2) Understand the objective (what, specifically, is expected from you...both day to day, and in your overall career progression)

3) Quickly process information, and focus on what's important - Take a lot of information and the unknown, find the most logical path, and focus on that.

4) Be comfortable with the unknown, and learn to brainstorm - think/speak like an expert without being one

In summary, there will always be a flood of information, expectations, competition etc. and not enough time. Find out which ones matter when. (i.e. be visibile and focus efforts on the things that people care about)

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Fourth: Here are some great prior Q&As for you!

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/what-makes-a-good-consultant-how-to-get-a-good-review-6790

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-hard-is-it-to-excel-in-top-consulting-firms-6762

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-to-become-an-engagement-manager-and-partner-quickly-6722

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/need-to-learn-skills-in-the-ample-free-time-before-starting-at-an-mbb-what-should-i-do-6774

Yes, sir. 

Have a look at the following tips that are the synthesis of what I learned from making the transition between bottom quartile performer to top quartile:

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

And feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions/situations that you want advice on. 

All the best,
Cristian

Hi there,

congratulations on securing that offer. Many useful tips have been shared here already so I don't want to just repeat.

I would like to stress the aspect of “being proactive” in all areas of you new job:

• if you meet new people at the firm, introduce yourself and get to know them
• if you are not sure if you completely understood what is expected from you with the current task at hand, ask your manager or teammate for clarification
• if you can sense that you are not going to make a deadline, tell the person waiting for your input ahead of time, explain why you can't deliver on time and propose an alternative
• ask your manager for regular feedback - especially early on (I don't mean every day - that is super annoying - but have a bi-weekly standing meeting for example)
• actively work on incorporating the feedback you receive to show progress - don't wait for the final project evaluation

The above is all behavioral and sticking to these habits will go a long way, even if you were to need some time to really pick up on the consulting skill set.

Best of luck

You will not be CTL'd for poor utilization that is unrelated to performance. 

In general, it is best to do the following to have a good rating

1. Deliver on your projects - there is no substitute for the hard work, rigor and problem solving chops you can bring to your projects. Work hard, ask for feedback, build relationships and be the person others rely on. Once you are known for being a good analyst, the reputation stays with you. The opposite is also true. If you start off with an average performance and low enthusiasm etc, that is what you will be known for.

2. Make an effort to build a network - to me this comes alongside work and is not a substitute for it. No matter how good you are at meeting people they will not want you on their team unless you deliver great work. That being said - it helps a lot to have a network of people you can rely on for advice and mentorship

3. Be knowledgeable in the area you want to specialize in - if you know more than others about some areas, you become the go to specialist for that knowledge. Especially if this is an area you both care about and for which there is high staffing demand you will have hit the jackpot.

All the best - you made it to MBB because you have all the right qualities to succeed and not by accident. Focus on delivering high quality work consistently and the rest will take care of itself.

Best,

Udayan

Hi,

This is really a broad question that can't be adequately addressed in a single post. 

I'll share 3 high level top tips that worked for me and helped me secure 2 fast promotions:

1. Keep an open mind
   • Growth mindset and being willing to try new things / be uncomfortable is really important
   • There are always learning opportunities even on projects that you may think you will not like
2. Build a strong internal support system
   • This is super important - peers and seniors who are willing to give you guidance and counsel and willing to speak up for you will have a significant role in shaping your trajectory
3. Focus on doing good work, not getting good evaluations
   • Sometimes, people focus too much on getting a good rating
   • Focus on whats infront of you - doing a good job in the next slide, in the next deck, in the next day
   • If you do good work, the good ratings will come naturally

All the best!

Hi there,

Getting frequent feedback and acting on it is one of the best ways to understand what to improve and to have an action plan to implement it.

Apart from this, there is a little dose of luck these days since you might be stuck without project for a while or end up in a very challenging project. Networking and strong relationships are usually a good approach here.

Good luck!

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Hi, congrats on the offer!

The two main areas you need to focus right now are:

1) Networking extensively within the firm;
2) Getting frequent feedback from your mentor, project learned, HR and your peers and acting on it in a timely manner.

Getting ahead in management consulting is not only about your hard skills, but about the relationships you build within the firm.

Good luck with your consulting career,
Nick

Hi there,

indeed a tough market environment with quite some quick CTLs that I am seeing in my network. Besides the recommendations mentioned here already, don't be shy to seek early on coaching and mentoring on the job to avoid pitfalls and accelerate your learning curve. Warm regards, Freddy