Navigating the waters

Question

Request advise on navigating the waters at MBB. Learning is good but seems like everyone here is way younger than me in the same position. I feel like an underachiever here. Have been practicing all the basic skills, excel, PPT and reading a lot of material to position myself in the best way possible. Looking for advice on how to take the path of a top performer. What are the key things I can do to differentiate myself and grow faster. Willing to put in extra hours and weekends.

Answer 1

Hi there!

First of all, congratulations for getting the offer!

Regarding your age, try to think of how it could be an asset vs. a liability. For example, having previous industry experience can help you get staffed on projects in that industry and do well in those projects, it can help you to be taken more seriously by the client. Being more mature can also help you better connect with leadership, and your previous experience may potentially help you get to promotions faster or do better once you are promoted to new positions.

Regarding being a top performer, besides focusing on the technical skills needed to do a good job (which is a great start and fundamental for a consultant), start building relationships with leaders in your organization and with your clients (depending on the level you are at). Ask for frequent feedback at the beginning, as this will help you quickly understand what is expected of you and where you can improve. Expectations grow quickly with tenure, so early feedback is critical to put yourself on the right path.

Good luck!

Answer 2

A few suggestions on what you can do:

Focus on getting the most of the knowledge you got before joining your firm
Do a lot of networking with senior colleagues and ask for frequent feedback
Schedule time with your top performing peers to learn from their consulting toolkit

Good luck!

Alberto

Answer 3

Hi there,

Congrats! :-)

To make the most out of it early on in your MBB career, there are a few things you should do.

1. Perform well at your core tasks (ownership of your work, analytics, double checking your work, visualization, communication) and improve quickly (your manager and partners evaluate not only what you can do right now BUT how quickly you develop and what potential you have for the future. This is the basic consulting toolkit which you should have internalized at around 6 months with your firm.

1b. Learn from your peers, either by asking (don't be afraid to ask) and by observation.

2. Be visible in front of your team, client, partners, and office. Speak up, take the opportunities to lead meetings, present, and contribute your opinion (this is the single biggest reason why interns do not get a return offer if they fail to show that they are here).

2b. If you are willing to do extra work (based on your text), then ask for it. There is always more than the team could do that gets deprioritized along the way. Align with your EM and pick something up. Don't overdo it either --> slow and steady wins the race here and a consulting career is a marathon not a race. Burnout is quite common for people who feel that way and want to do more.

3. Network, make sure people know you across the office/practice. Visit office events, practice events. Get on different newsletters

4. Manage your stress. Find a way to balance work and life. I have recorded a session for PrepLounge on this topic: https://youtu.be/4VK8wL_xsmQ?si=go1vmIEiAmwLz76T

Reach out if you want to learn more! I coach people on getting the entry right and have also written a book about the topic called Consulting Career Secrets. It's on Amazon.

All the best,

Florian