Tips for Succeeding in My MBB Probation Period: Your Insights?

Hello!

First of all, congratulations on getting the offer! Enjoy the experience and the opportunities that it offers!

Besides enjoying your time in the new job, here are a few thoughts on tactical things you can do to establish a solid foundation:

1. Work on developing your skillset: One good way to do this is to ask your managers to give you a clear piece of the work, even if a small piece of the overall project (vs. just a support role for a bigger workstream), so you can show ownership from the start and so that the manager can give you better feedback (both for your development and in reviews)
2. Start building your network: Consulting is a relationship-driven career, so building your network is an important skill, both internally within your company and with clients
   1. Keep in touch with leaders you work with and reach out to leaders you'd like to work with to introduce yourself
   2. When staffed, identify which client is your direct counterpart and start building a relationship with them, so that they see you as a key person in your team to support them
3. Understand job requirements and review criteria: Talk to managers / staffing people / development coordinators and understand what are the criteria based on which you will be reviewed, and how does each of them weigh in the review process, as well as how to show these skills during your projects (esp. in the first six months)

Good luck!

Hi there! Congratulations on landing this opportunity. Here are some tips to excel, critical behaviors/habits, and a few things to avoid: 

Excelling at the job will require the following behaviors and habits: 

1. Own your work: Don't think of the job as a set of tasks you need to accomplish. Break down the problem into its components, approach your problem-solving with a hypothesis-driven approach, develop a sensible game plan on how to tackle the analysis/research/slidewritting working backwards from the deadlines (internal and external; build in time for reviews and revisions with your manager) -- this provides leverage!
2. Always deliver quality work. Not everything needs to be client-ready and beautiful, but you should take every opportunity to show the quality of your thinking (good analysis and research that leads to insights for the client—get to the "so what"), communication (emails, slides, memos), and project management (work plan, overcoming roadblocks, etc.).
3. Maintain a growth mindset: Show that you are eager to receive feedback, prepare feedback for your manager (upward feedback is important too), seek coaching and help from folks outside your case team as well, and ALWAY act on the feedback you're given -- if you're not clear on how, you should ask! Own your development
4. Communicate early and often: It's always better to flag issues (delays, problems with the analysis, etc.) as soon as you can (after you have tried your best to solve them and propose solutions). Keep your manager posted on progress and overcommunicate until you find the right cadence for daily/weekly updates.
5. Prioritize and manage your time effectively: There will be 1,000 things to do, so focus on what is most critical for the client or your manager. Talk openly and regularly about how priorities are shifting, given everything that's happening around you. 

You won't be perfect! Here are some mistakes I would try to avoid: 

1. Missing deadlines: Deliver work on time, even if it’s imperfect—prioritize progress over perfection. If you need more time, communicate that.
2. Ignoring Feedback: Repeated mistakes indicate a lack of attention to detail or growth, which can lower your chances of getting a full-time offer.
3. Overpromising: Be realistic about what you can deliver to avoid disappointing your team. This is especially important early on when you don't know how long things take. Get your team's input before promising an unrealistic timeline.
4. Being Defensive: Accept feedback with humility and use it to grow.

A couple of tips:

1. Work on your consulting toolkit. Build strong connections with outstanding second-year business analysts and learn from them.

2. Ask for frequent feedback from everyone on your project and act on it. With your manager, aim to have feedback sessions every 1–2 weeks. Also, seek feedback from the partners you’ve worked with.

Best,

Alberto

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Explore my latest case inspired by a real MBB interview: TitanTrail - Operations Outsourcing

Hey!

Congratulations on starting at MBB! To excel during probation, focus on delivering high-quality work and being a team player. Show curiosity by asking thoughtful questions and demonstrating a willingness to learn quickly. Seek feedback early and often, and act on it—this shows humility and commitment to improvement. Be proactive: offer to help when bandwidth allows, and ensure your work is error-free (aim for “zero defects”). Build relationships with your team; consulting is a collaborative environment, and strong interpersonal skills matter.

From my time as a full-time consultant and interviewer at McKinsey (after choosing them over BCG and Roland Berger), I’d also stress time management—stay on top of deadlines while maintaining attention to detail. Avoid being defensive about feedback and manage stress levels by maintaining a positive attitude. Good luck!

Alessa :)

Hey there, 

Two very critical components for me to be successful is:

• Developing a positive mindset around learning, growth and delivering
• Producing and delivering high quality work and out

The pathway to these involve:

• Networking with peers (to learn and develop consulting toolkit) and leaders (to give yourself visibility)
• Leverage your own expertise and background as much as possible to develop spikes in  
• Ensure you know what the evaluation criteria is for your reviews and methodically try optimise your performance score across the dimensions
• Be receptive to developmental feedback and act on it 

All the best!

Hi there,

Great question!

I have written a book about exactly that topic. It's called Consulting Career Secrets and you can find it on Amazon.

DM for more information if you are interested.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offer!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

• First of all, please keep in mind that when consulting firms make you an offer, they believe that you are capable of doing the job and want you to succeed. So I would highly advise you not to see the probation period as a mechanism often used by consulting firms, but as a labor policy measure, which it is.
• Moreover, I would advise you to do your best in your assignments, take advantage of the regular feedback you are given, and not shy away from visibility.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen