Hi,
I am starting my MBB job soon. May I know what specific courses and reading you found useful? For example, business fundamentals, excel, powerpoint, storytelling/ storyboarding.
Appreciate if specific links can be shared, thank you!
Hi,
I am starting my MBB job soon. May I know what specific courses and reading you found useful? For example, business fundamentals, excel, powerpoint, storytelling/ storyboarding.
Appreciate if specific links can be shared, thank you!
Hi there,
First of all, congratulations on your upcoming consulting career start!
I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:
If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen
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:
Knowing that, if we now go back to square one in your MBB 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 many times 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 - while also paying attention to the work-life balance.
You can DM me if you want to know more.
In any case, don't sweat the small stuff and enjoy the ride!
Florian
Congrats on the new job!
Honestly, any preparation you did for the interview process will serve you well in the actual job - it’s a great foundation. If you want to continue preparing, I’d recommend more of the same - case studies, problem-solving exercises, and refining your presentation skills.
If you are looking for reading materials, any MBA reading list from a top business school would be a great place to start. Finally, if you're looking to hit the ground running, focusing on strengthening your excel skills may be the best bet for an entry-level role. Excel mastery will help you making a great impression since the start.
Best of luck, and congrats again!
Mattia
Hi there,
Q: May I know what specific courses and reading you found useful?
In most offices, you will get onboarding training when you join, which should be enough in most situations.
If you want to prepare more, I reported a few tips below:
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IT TOOLS
You are probably already good with Excel and PowerPoint, if not you can take a quick course to review the basics. 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
If you want to work in specific industries, it could be a good idea to learn more about them (on the other hand, you will still learn the most during the job, plus you might not have the flexibility to choose the beginning).
You can find some tips on recent consulting trends here:
▶ 11 New Consulting Trends You Should Know
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READING LIST
Reading is a great way to invest your extra time. If you don't have much time to read, I would recommend Audible and listening to books instead.
Below you can find some books I consider interesting for developing a growth mindset:
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FIRST WEEKS
Below you can find some tips for the first weeks (some are quite standard but might work as a reminder):
All the best for a great start!
Francesco
One week in a MBB project is worth 3 months of previous trainings.
Any MBB has good onboarding training programs. On the ground job is the best learning field.
Use the time to be ready physically, mentally and emotionally. Exercise. Socialize. Do whatever charges your batteries. MBBs are extremely demanding and you need to be in your best possible shape to absorb all learnings when you join.
I would suggest you take the time to enjoy yourself, catch up of sleep, etc.
They will provide all the necessary trainings.
If you really want to spend time preparing... I suggest making sure you know basic powerpoint and excel.