top of page
Prince, Business Analyst at Big 3 Management Consulting Firm: Advize Career Interview
Prince, a Business Analyst at a Big 3 consulting firm, shares a journey from diverse undergrad experiences to impactful client work.
The role involves coaching colleagues, driving innovation, and delivering transformative solutions through strategic thinking and problem-solving.
Daily life varies from remote nonprofit work to onsite engagements, gathering data, and collaborating with experts to build client capabilities. Success depends on storytelling, proactive action, and willingness to iterate through feedback.
This career offers intellectual stimulation, working with bright minds on complex problems, and the chance to tackle significant issues with tangible impact across various sectors.
Challenges include a steep learning curve and the constant need to seek out project opportunities. A key lesson is controlling the narrative, shaping perceptions through mindful communication.
Undergraduates can explore business analyst roles, research analyst positions, technical roles, or opportunities in corporate communication as potential entry points, setting themselves up for success through diverse experiences and internships.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Prince Acheampong
Business Analyst
Big 3 Management Consulting Firm
American University, 2019
N/A
Communications
Consulting
Consulting
Pell Grant Recipient, Student Athlete
Watch all of this Advizer's videos below
Career Path of a Business Analyst at Big 3 Management Consulting Firm
Prince's career path began with diverse experiences during undergrad, from freelancing as a debate instructor and doing work-study, to tutoring in macroeconomics and writing. Before landing in consulting, Prince engaged in a "random walk of internships" across politics, law, and education, followed by working as a legal analyst at a law firm and then at Amazon.
Main Responsibilities of a Business Analyst at Big 3 Management Consulting Firm
As a Business Analyst at a Big 3 consulting firm, Prince's main responsibilities include contributing to the firm's growth by "apprenticing and coaching" newer colleagues, and creating diversity, inclusion, and innovation initiatives, while also driving impact for clients through problem-solving, strategic thinking, and executing transformative solutions. Furthermore, Prince is focused on "personal leadership," striving to improve technical skills in data analysis, storytelling, and client coaching, to better own work, manage projects, and deliver impact.
A Day In The Life Of A Business Analyst At A Big 3 Management Consulting Firm
As a Business Analyst at a Big 3 management consulting firm, Prince's days are highly variable and client-dependent, ranging from remote work with nonprofits to "traveling Monday through Thursday" for onsite engagements with corporations, which involves gathering data through interviews across all levels of the organization and collaborating with internal and external experts to deliver insights and recommendations. Prince also coaches clients on capability-building to ensure sustainability after the consulting engagement ends.
Most Important Skills for a Business Analyst at Big 3 Management Consulting
For a Business Analyst at a Big 3 Management Consulting Firm, Prince emphasizes the importance of "storytelling," which is the ability to communicate effectively and structure information logically, as well as problem-solving, which involves anticipating risks, exploring various possibilities, and collaborating with others to create "highest value creation for the least amount of effort," but later in the career, skills like client development and client coaching become more crucial.
Favorite Parts Of Being A Business Analyst At Big 3 Management Consulting Firm
Prince enjoys the culture at the Big 3 Management Consulting Firm, highlighting the "intellectual stimulation" of working with bright minds on complex problems that require multifaceted thinking to develop solutions, and values that the role is "people-centric" as it involves guiding clients on a journey rather than just dictating actions.
Biggest Challenges Faced By A Business Analyst At A Big 3 Consulting
Prince, a Business Analyst at a Big 3 consulting firm, identifies the steep "skill gap" and "learning curve" as the biggest challenge, driven by the expectation to contribute meaningfully alongside colleagues with advanced degrees and extensive industry experience. This challenge stems from the firm's non-hierarchical culture, where all colleagues, regardless of tenure, are expected to "bring [their] best problem-solving hat" and offer rigorously supported insights, even without the benefit of extensive experience.
Favorite Parts of Working in the Big 3 Management Consulting Industry as a Business Analyst
As a Business Analyst at a Big 3 firm, Prince enjoys the "variety of work" and the "scale of work," appreciating the opportunity to tackle significant issues with tangible impact, often seeing results implemented and impacting client performance quickly. The ability to move between different sectors, even at senior levels, is another aspect Prince finds appealing about the consulting industry.
What Type Of Person Thrives In Management Consulting, According To A Business Analyst At Big 3 Consulting
Prince, a Business Analyst at a Big 3 management consulting firm, believes that people who "are extremely proactive" and "biased towards action" thrive in the industry, especially if they are "very willing to iterate" based on a strong feedback culture and constructive criticism. They also emphasize the importance of being open to having one's ideas probed and refined, ultimately leading to solutions that benefit clients.
What A Business Analyst At A Big 3 Management Consulting Firm Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Management Consulting Industry
Prince wishes someone had told them that early career stages at the firm involve a constant need to "find opportunities" by actively engaging in a "dating process" of interviewing for projects. This proactive approach is essential for career growth, as struggling to find projects can negatively impact performance and sustainability at the firm.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Business Analysts At Big 3 Consulting Firms
Prince, a Business Analyst at a Big 3 management consulting firm, indicates that a common entry-level role for undergraduate students is the "business analyst role, or like consultants", but also highlights other opportunities like research analyst positions for those who enjoy desktop research, technical roles for computer science enthusiasts, and roles in corporate communication. Prince notes that many other roles, such as those in risk, legal, and finance, typically require prior industry experience or professional licenses.
Significant Career Lesson From a Business Analyst at Big 3 Consulting Firm
As a Business Analyst at a Big 3 consulting firm, the most significant lesson Prince has learned is the importance of "controlling the narrative," which involves carefully considering not just what is said, but *how* the story is told, encompassing work achievements, personal development, and client-facing communication. Since "you can't always change the outcomes...you can control the narrative around it," mastering this skill has proven invaluable in shaping perceptions and influencing understanding across various professional contexts.
College Experiences That Helped A Business Analyst At A Big 3 Management Consulting Firm Succeed
To prepare for a business analyst role at a top consulting firm, Prince emphasizes undergraduate exploration through diverse experiences. This included multiple internships and being a student athlete, as exploration is crucial during the student window as one tries to "tease out and refine what you wanna do," before the pressures of economic self-sufficiency limit such flexibility.
Advizer Personal Links
N/A
bottom of page