Advice Needed: Building MBB-Grade Consulting Skills After a Pivot from Finance

Hi,

Congrats on the new job. 

I also really love how you are enthusiastic and motivated to excel in your new role. 

Sharing a couple of thoughts:

• First off, a reality check - you will not be able to develop a skillset at the level of MBB consultants in a matter of 3-4 weeks
  • MBB consulting skillsets are termed (and prized) that way because they are built and developed over time spent doing the actual work at MBB
  • Typically, in-house roles start hiring consultants with ~2-3 years of experience at MBB
• Your question is similar to a common one asked in this forum which is "what should I do to prepare for my MBB role in x months", and a fair number of coaches will say that while you can do some things now, it is really difficult to replicate the complexity and nuances of actual MBB work
• Excelling in the role, based on your situation (and other soon-to-be MBB consultants, instead depends significantly on what actually goes on during the job
• Therefore a couple of things are important once you start your role
  1. Mindset
     1. Realize that you will not have the same experience as someone who has been in MBB for a few years, but it is what it is. Don't fall into the trap setting yourself up for greater failure by either setting the wrong expectations or failing the manage upwards effectively
     2. Growth mindset is everything - treat every unknown and mistake as a learning point and actively seek feedback
  2. People
     1. A big part of excelling in your role also involves understanding how to manage stakeholders and get people on your side - don't forget this
  3. Be resourceful in improving your skills once you have something tangible to work on
     1. Once you start the job - you will be given tasks/analyses/slides to do
     2. Seek feedback internally on how to do it better, but also seek feedback externally if you find that internally you are not getting the guidance you need
     3. The reason why the above works then and not now (before you start) is because the actual work will have all the complexities and nuances and relevancies to the situation that make things more tangible

Check out this article I wrote for Experienced Hires in consulting. It is not in-house strategy, but I go into alot more detail and the principles are still relevant:

How To Excel On The Job As An Experienced Hire

All the best!

Honestly, I would do something different. 

I would get a coach who can provide support as I transition into the new role. 

I have already worked on this model with several clients. 

Basically, once you're in the new role, you'll run into real-worl business challenges, for instance, being asked to prepare a presentation for an upcoming Board meeting. No case prep will help with this. What you need is somebody to give you granular feedback on that presentation and to teach you how to structure and develop it like an MBB consultant. This way you also learn specifically what you need and in a way that is tailored specifically to you.

Best,
Cristian 

Hey there!

You’re already off to a strong start! In your shoes, here’s what I’d focus on over the next 3–4 weeks:

1. Sharpen your synthesis: Practice summarizing complex findings into crisp, top-down messages. Try “So What” drills—read a case or article and write the main takeaway in 1 sentence.
2. Push your 80/20 mindset: Start asking in every task: what really matters here? What’s the fastest way to test this hypothesis?
3. Refine problem structuring: Keep building strong MECE frameworks—not just in practice cases but for real business problems at work.
4. Slide writing & communication: Pick up PowerPoint slide-building tips (check "Pyramid Principle" or "Storytelling with Data"). Try recreating slides from MBB decks for practice.
5. Ask like a consultant: In meetings, listen actively and push for root causes, not symptoms—this is a big MBB habit.

Happy to share more drills if you want! :)

Best,
Alessa