Pre-consulting job preparations (4 months till BCG)

Hi there,

Really great question!

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Know that no-one can perfectly prepare for the job and that's the point: You will mess up, you will learn, you will be trained and supported. That's OK!

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First: Read the 25 tips in my consulting handbook here: https://www.spencertom.com/2018/01/14/consulting-survival-guide/

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Second: Attend an academy

There are so many great training programs that prepare new graduates for the consulting world! I'm part of a few myself. Feel free to shoot me a message and I can point you in the right direction!

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Third: 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

• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/free-online-resources-to-learn-excel-basics-6946
• Pivottables
• Working with data
• Key fuctions (vlookup, Index match, count and sum if/ifs, sumproduct, concat, etc.)
• Hotkeys (i.e. use keyboard more than your mouse)
• Financial modeling

5) Powerpoint

• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/powerpoint-skills-4072
• Wireframing
• Lead-in titles
• Best practices/standards
• Different layouts
• Quickly editing/updating slides
• Thinking in PowerPoint

6) Presentation skills / sharp communication

• There are some great online/virtual classes for this (including the academies meantioned above

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Fourth: 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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Fifth: 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

Hello,

I would suggest to relax, since you will be very busy once that you will start :)
They will prepare an on-boarding course that will give you some time to prepare and they will not expect specific pre-requisites from you.

If you want to do something that could be useful for your next experience I would suggest the following (in this order of priority):

• Prepare GMAT test, especially if you are interested in an MBA. It requires 1/2 full months of studying and it's really hard to find the time once that you are inside the company
• Improve your Powerpoint and excel skills, focusing on shortcuts and effectiveness (it's not important to use complex functions..)
• Learn a new Data Analysis software, like Tableau

Best,
Luca

Hi,

1) 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 repsoduce 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.

3) GMAT if you are planning MBA

4) Take a long vacation before starting your job;)

Good Luck!

Hi there,

Congrats on the offer! If you want to prepare in advance before you start, I recommend to work on technical and communication skills and a proper mindset.

• On the technical side, Excel will be the most important technical thing to master at the beginning, in particular for VLOOKUPs and Pivot tables; you could also review PowerPoint if needed. You will likely receive training on this once you start anyway.
  • Tip for Excel: learn how to use as much as possible the keyword and relegate the touchpad to the minimum – this will skyrocket your productivity in the long term. Some computer programs such as KeyRocket provide tips to improve on this.
• For better communication, two great books are:
  • How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
  • Never Split The Difference - Chris Voss
• For mindset, two great books are:
  • The Compound Effect - Darren Hardy
  • The Magic of Thinking Big - David J. Schwartz

I agree with Luca and Vlad that preparing the GMAT would be useful if you are targeting an MBA.

Below you can also find a list of things that could be useful to practice during your first weeks:

1. Take notes when your manager tells you something – this will help you to remember details and will show you care about them to the team.
2. Always double-check. The first impression is very important in consulting: if you show you are reliable from the beginning, you create a reputation of a reliable person. Double checks should be done on expectations for your job, your Excel analysis, your slides – basically everything.
3. Define priorities before starting any set of tasks. The majority of the results usually come from a subset of activities – this is true also for your tasks in consulting. You have to identify which they are and prioritize them – the application of the so-called 80-20 rule or Pareto Principle. Alignment on priorities and expectations is particularly important with your manager at the beginning of the project.
4. Socialize with your colleagues and start to build a network. Consulting is a people business and you should build a good network both within and outside the company. A good start is key to develop good relationships long-term
5. Organize your private life activities. You want to organize your calendar to leave some space for personal activities (sport/ friends/ family). This is not easy but can be managed if you organize well, and long-term will be critical to keep a balance between work and private life. Also, it is better to align with your manager/teammates from the beginning on your core needs, so that there are no surprises later on.
6. Ask for feedback every two-three weeks – this will show you are proactive and willing to learn.
7. Ask for help when you don't know what to do – better to let know you are in trouble with meeting a deadline then missing the deadline.
8. Be social and respectful with the support staff – these people are great and influential as well in the company.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Dear A,

Congratulations to your offer! Well done!

IMHO, I would propose to take rest for a couple of months and spend your time with friend and family. 

If you really want to train, you can improving your technical skills. Also, for candidates like you I have created a program "First 100 days in your career and long term career success". 

If you are interested in more details, feel free to reach out. 

Best,
André

Hi Anonymous,

On top of all the great conent-advice already given - don't forget to relax, it will be an intensive time and it's good to not be exhausted before you start.

What is oftenly overlooked is arranging your personal environment for this change - unless you come from investment banking, your personal life will need severe restructuring and it's good to prepare this in advance.

Hope that helps - if so, please be so kind to give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!

Robert

Hi, congrats for the offer! I recommend enjoying these months and arriving relaxed. What really helps is Excel and ppt skills. In addition to what suggested by other coaches, I recommend reading Say it with charts and The pyramid principle

Best,
Antonello