The other day one of my readers, Steven, who landed an MBB offer, invited me out for coffee. He happened to catch me on a day when I was free and looking to be social, so I said yes. While sipping my venti decaf vanilla latte, we had a great conversation about his upcoming first [...]
new consultant
When learning any activity, there is a transformation that takes place as your skills improve. It is like learning to drive a car. Initially, you have to think about every little thing. Check your mirrors. Check your blindspot. Focus on where you want to go. Look out for bad drivers on the road. But somewhere in that [...]
A while ago, one of the major news stories in the U.S. was about how an air traffic controller fell asleep on the job — forcing the pilot to land a plane without help from the control tower (very dangerous). It is the third time this has happened. If this happened in a corporation, it [...]
In an ideal world, executives would hire consultants to help their companies maximize their opportunities. However, we don’t live in an ideal world — we live in the real world. And one of the reasons consultants get hired is so the client can avoid getting fired. You might be wondering how this relates to you. [...]
There are three key secrets to getting promoted in a consulting firm. Here is one of them: “Do what is needed, not just what is asked.” In your first few weeks and months in consulting, you will typically be assigned tasks. This is just temporary to make sure those who interviewed you did not make [...]
In all corporate environments, you need to pay attention to who and what has power. This is a human dynamic that is rarely discussed out loud but is always present in any corporate environment. It is something as a new consultant you must pay attention to. Let me give you some examples. Authority = Who [...]
In consulting, your personal reputation is everything. It is the one thing by which everything else in your career revolves around. Here is the thing with reputations. Once your reputation is set (whether it is good or it is bad), it is very hard to change. If you are seen favorably, more partners want you [...]
It is very difficult to get a job in consulting. It takes a tremendous amount of time, effort and dedication — and ultimately only a few succeed. It stands to reason that putting some thought into keeping the job you just got would be the prudent thing to do. Fortunately, it is actually far easier [...]
One of the most vital skills a new consultant can have once they’re on the job is the skill of extrapolation. This involves taking some data from a client and extrapolating the data to determine some kind of trend line. In consulting, the data is rarely perfect and never complete. You are always missing [...]
A common mistake made by new consultants is mistaking their intellect for wisdom. The two are not the same thing. The other common mistake is to assume that to be successful as CEO or operating executive, you just have to get the strategy right and the execution or implementation is comparatively easier. I use to [...]