Stress in an MBB: Advice on my situation please

Question

Hello,

I'm an analyst in my new role, and it's my 5th month. I feel like I am still making a lot of mistakes, and i also feel very stressed and pressured because of my supervisor, who is really daunting in the way he talks and provides feedback (e.g. gets agitated easily and annoyed at questions)

With little to no working experience, it's also very difficult for me to keep up with the pace of the job and to increase my speed. I also find a really common issue where I end of double checking everything about my task and will still find mistakes. Meaning if I were to abide by the speed to output level necessary, this would result in a more than likely chance of my supervisor catching an error

Has anyone faced this issue before? I feel like my improvement progression is really slow and not expected of someone at an MBB. thank you

Answer 1

Absolutely—I've coached many analysts and associates at BCG facing exactly the same issue. This experience is very common, especially at an MBB firm. Consulting can be intense, particularly during your first 6–12 months. Here are practical strategies to help you overcome these challenges:

1. Recognize This Is Normal (and Temporary)

Feeling overwhelmed and making mistakes initially is common. You're learning rapidly, and discomfort is often part of growth. Trust that your experience is typical and temporary.

2. Managing a Challenging Supervisor

Having a supervisor who gets agitated or annoyed by questions can significantly increase your stress. Here’s how to handle it constructively:

Batch Your Questions: Group your questions and clarify them all at once to minimize interruptions.
Frame Questions Proactively: Present what you've done and suggest possible solutions. For example:
"I've explored approach X and Y, and I'm leaning toward Y. Does this align with your expectations?"
Identify Allies: Build relationships with senior analysts, associates, or approachable team members who can guide and support you. Having these allies is key, especially when your direct supervisor seems intimidating.
Rotate to New Projects: If the project duration is long (e.g., 6+ months), consider rotating to a new project. Handle this carefully and thoughtfully (happy to provide further advice).

3. Balancing Speed and Accuracy

Your goal isn't perfection, but consistency and reliability. Try these methods:

One Thorough Pass + Quick Review: Complete your tasks carefully once, step away briefly, then return for a single structured check focused on frequent errors.
Track Your Mistakes: Keep notes on common errors your supervisor identifies. Regularly reviewing these notes will help you avoid repeat mistakes.

4. Accelerating Your Improvement

Improvement can feel slow at first. Here’s how to speed up your progress:

Ask for Feedback Proactively: Initially request specific feedback weekly, then shift to every two weeks as you improve. For example:
"Can you suggest two areas I should specifically focus on next week?"
Leverage Past Projects and Internal Resources: Regularly review previous high-quality deliverables. This approach significantly helps in understanding how to structure your answers, design effective slides, and approach common problems.
Set Structured Improvement Goals: Each month, clearly focus on improving 1–2 specific skills (e.g., slide structuring, analysis clarity, Excel accuracy).

5. Manage Stress and Maintain Well-being

Managing stress is crucial:

Short Breaks: Take regular, brief breaks to refresh your mind.
Physical Health: Prioritize sleep, exercise, hydration, and good nutrition.
Share Experiences: Talk openly with peers or mentors. You'll discover you're not alone in how you feel.

Final Thought

You were hired because of your potential, not because you were expected to be perfect immediately. Be patient, proactive, and persistent—you're making more progress than you realize.

Answer 2

A lot of consultants (the majority?) goes through this.

1. You need a checklist that you use as you do work.

2. You have to always do the analysis or slides "the right way", no shortcuts of any kind. Make sure you spend time doing the analysis in an organized way.

3. You use the checklist as you do the work. Then you use it again to review the whole work

4. Before you send your analysis always think about the implications of the result. Usually this is where good managers find issues - the output has weird implications, and then they feel the need to go an revise the assumptions that lead to that result... frequently finding errors.

This is how pro's do it!

Answer 3

Hey there.

1. This is a very typical experience for a new joiner at a consulting firm. Don't beat yourself up. This is normal.

2. A friend of mine at BCG used to say "there is a lot of hope in this job". What he meant, if you are stuck with a bad manager (which sounds like you are) (or a bad client, bad travel, etc...) it is most likely short-lived. So hang in there

3. For the trade-off of speed vs. quality. Err on the side of quality (which sounds like you are). You will get faster over time. Again, totally normal progression.

Hang in there and don't be too hard on yourself!

-Andreas

Answer 4

Hello there!

That’s very common, been there and I know the pain. Spoiler: you’ll get way much better in a few months and will find all this stuff easy.. and new challenges will then come! :)

Can you elaborate more on your main issues so I can give you targeted advice?

Also, in advance I must say that having a tenured colleague and a DGL / lead to help you navigate this first months is very, very helpful.

Waiting on your response!

Mari