What Type Of Person Thrives In The Consulting Industry, According To A Consultant At Media Consulting Company
Aisha describes those thriving in consulting as "insecure overachievers," driven by a combination of client-pleasing work and a demanding, often unsatisfying, yet lucrative culture. The intense pressure to meet high standards as both an individual contributor and manager, alongside the ever-present doubt regarding performance, contributes to this dynamic.
Overachieving, Client-Facing, Insecure, Resilience, Hardworking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Aisha Han
Consultant
Media Consulting Company
Carnegie Mellon University
MBA
Economics, International Relations & Affairs
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Consulting & Related Professional Services
Consulting
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Consultants are generally client-facing and work hard to please clients.
2. The industry culture can be tough, with room for doubt and self-criticism.
3. Success requires a combination of overachievement, effective delegation and mentorship skills (especially as a manager).
Transcript
How would you typically describe people that thrive in your industry?
People who are thriving in this industry are insecure over achievers, which is a pretty common way to describe consultants. I see that because consultants do a lot of work, and they do a lot of work to please their clients.
Consultants are generally client-facing, so that's the overachieving part. I think the insecure part comes from consulting having a culture where no one's really happy, but they do it for whatever reason – money, or specific personal reasons.
When you're an individual contributor in consulting, it can be a really tough gig to meet the standards that managers and clients set. Then, when you're a manager, the challenge is to be a good manager, delegate effectively, and mentor those under you.
On top of that, you have your manager-specific responsibilities, and you're still client-facing and on these projects. So there's a lot of room for doubt about how well you're doing, or if people are happy with your work.
But everyone in the room is smart, they're hardworking, and they chose this type of life. They're working together, so that's the overachieving part.