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.
Project Selection, Internal Networking, Professional Development, Job Market Dynamics, Consulting Industry
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 & Related Professional Services
Consulting
Pell Grant Recipient, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Early career requires actively seeking project opportunities; it's not automatic assignment.
2. Navigating the 'marketplace' of consultants and interviewing for projects is crucial.
3. Success depends on comfort with self-promotion and networking to secure projects.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
I think the biggest thing I would have wished for is a little more transparency or visibility about the constant need, at least in the early stages of your career, to find opportunities for yourself. You're constantly looking for projects to land on.
It's not an environment where you're just automatically put on projects. At least in my previous firm, you're in the marketplace of available consultants. You then have to work closely with what's called a professional development manager to identify good projects for yourself.
Subsequently, you have to interview with those teams, usually the manager or director. You'll share your internal references to figure out if they want to staff you. It's kind of a mutual process, almost like a dating process for each project.
Of course, the more projects you get, the more repetitions you have, the better you get at the job. But for people who aren't comfortable with this model, they can really struggle to find projects. This can hurt their ability to perform and subsequently sustain themselves at the firm.
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