What Type Of Person Thrives In The Consulting Industry According To A Senior Consultant At Deloitte
To thrive in consulting, a person needs strong relationship-building skills, the ability to "turn it on" socially, and comfort with presenting to large groups. Success also requires a willingness to work hard, reflect on performance, and proactively address ambiguity, demonstrating traits of a "self-starter."
Communication, Problem-Solving, Teamwork, Resilience, Relationship Building
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jorge Galan
Senior Consultant
Deloitte
University of Texas at Austin - 2013
University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business - MBA
Spanish & Other Languages, Fine Arts, Music
Consulting & Related Professional Services
Consulting
LGBTQ, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Strong relationship-building skills are essential for success in consulting, requiring comfort with socializing and networking.
2. The ability to work hard and persevere through challenges, including accepting constructive criticism and improving performance, is crucial.
3. Comfort with public speaking and presenting to large groups, along with proactive problem-solving skills and the ability to work in ambiguous situations, are highly valuable assets for consultants.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
With consulting, you are constantly having to build relationships with your client, your co-workers, and your manager at the same time. You're also having to solve very complicated problems and share your perspective at all times.
So, for someone to thrive here, you need to be strong at building relationships with different types of people. Be comfortable being social; you don't have to be extroverted, but know how to turn it on when you need to.
The whole thing is pretty intense. You need to be comfortable putting in a lot of work and understanding that in the beginning, you might not be very good. You're going to constantly have to reflect and do better.
With consulting, you sometimes have to present. You have to be very comfortable presenting in front of large groups of people. As I mentioned, there's a lot of ambiguity. You're going to have to be very proactive and kind of be yourself.
So, if you come with traits like being able to build relationships, being able to present, being reflective, and being a self-starter, those are the skills and traits that typically make someone thrive.