What Type Of Person Thrives In Consulting, According To An Independent Consulting Advisor
Individuals thriving in this industry are "curious" "thinkers or builders" who enjoy learning and connecting with others possessing diverse expertise, building extensive networks. Success stems from genuine passion for the work; it's a "lifestyle or a hobby that they get paid for," not merely a job.
Curious, Builder, Thinker, Problem-solver, Passionate
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Mike Sims
Advisor
Independent Consulting Company
Penn State University, 2020
Executive MBA, UCLA, June 2023
Economics
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
Veteran
Video Highlights
1. Thrive in the industry by being curious and a builder. Mike emphasizes the importance of asking questions and actively seeking to understand how things work. This involves problem-solving and building knowledge across various sectors.
2. Cultivate a love for your work. Success is strongly linked to genuine passion for the field. Mike highlights the distinction between treating work as a job versus a lifestyle or hobby; those who view it as the latter tend to thrive.
3. Embrace networking and collaboration. Building relationships with others who share your interests is crucial. Mike explains that curiosity naturally leads to connections with people who possess specialized knowledge, fostering collaboration and growth within your field and beyond.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
People who arrive are curious and want to know more. They are thinkers or builders. Their curiosity means they'll be interested in figuring out many different things.
You might see a problem and want to fix it or understand how it works. Once you build knowledge about something, you find others who share that knowledge or interest. This leads to great conversations that can be applied across many sectors, industries, and parts of your life.
If you do this long enough, you'll know many people who know interesting things. People who thrive are generally forward-thinking. Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, if you're truly interested in something, it brings out an extroverted energy.
This is true whether you're a gamer, like sewing, race cars, or are an aerospace engineer. The community around your passion will bring out this energy. The second part of thriving is loving what you do. It's not just a job, but more of a lifestyle or a paid hobby.
That's the difference between someone who is thriving and someone who is struggling. A struggling person might have an attractive resume or talk well about their work, but are they truly invested? If you're bought in, you'll love it and succeed. If not, it will feel like labor.