Anxious before joining MBB

Hey there,

Congrats on your offer!

1. The hours you mentioned would already be at the upper end of the spectrum.

Average would be 

• 9am to 11pm Mondays to Wednesdays
• Thursday 9am to 8pm (flyday)
• Friday maybe ending between 4pm to 6pm.

How do you cope?

• Setting boundaries (push back on deliverables, protect your weekends)
• Mindfulness
• Block weekends for friends, family, alone time
• Don't stop doing sports
• Watch your food intake (no joke, people gain around 5kg when entering top-tier consulting due to unhealthy eating habits and lack of movement)
• Take extended breaks and vacations between projects

2. How to prepare:

If you are interested in preparing for your new role, I'd suggest the following:

When I got the offer some years ago I did the same. I reached out to people I knew in McKinsey and people who interviewed me to ask: what can I do to make the start easier? how can I prepare?

The answer from everyone was: Relax! Enjoy your time before you start and don't think about it. You will figure it out on the job. I followed that advice and it made sense to me once I joined.

When you start at MBB there are 2 ways to learn:

1. Formal training. The formal training sessions/ weeks/ days in the beginning, are nice, however, they are more for networking and meeting your peers. You learn some interesting concepts and get some useful tips from more experienced consultants BUT
2. Constant and implicit learning on the job is where it's at. No matter if you are a newcomer or a veteran after 2 years, you will always find yourself on a steep learning curve. As soon as you barely mastered one skill or the skills needed for one level in the hierarchy, you will take care of things, which are expected from a more senior colleague. This cycle never ends. You are expected to learn on the job, learn from your colleagues, your mentors, sometimes even the client. So basically a newly promoted Engagement Manager has the same 'struggle' as a new-hire Business Analyst. They both need to work in a completely new environment and role.

Knowing that, if we now go back to square one in your MBB journey it makes perfect sense to enter the firm with a blank slate with a lot of curiosity and eagerness to soak it all up and quickly learn the ropes.

No book, no training, no coach can prepare you for your first day, your first week, your first engagement. Nothing matches the experience and the learning and this is a good thing (also the reason why ex-MBB are valued highly on the job market).

You will learn everything you need to master while doing it. You will be thrown in the cold water and need to swim. However, your colleagues will always be happy to help you and mentor you. And for the rest, you will figure everything out along the way. The key here is always to ask for tips, shortcuts, feedback, etc. Don't be quiet if you get stuck.

Also, for every technical problem (IT, Excel question, etc) McKinsey has a Global Helpdesk and the rule is to call them for every problem you can't solve within 5 minutes. They will fix your computer, guide you through Excel formulas, etc. I am sure other firms have a similar system.

Lastly, if you have no domain knowledge about a certain industry or topic, read through the internal library of documentation (which is endless) and call some of the firm experts on the topic. Usually, they are happy to offer you a short call to get you up to speed.

Don't sweat the small stuff and enjoy the ride!

Florian

Hey,

Coaches have given great tips, but no one really addressed your question on “anxiety” and “managing work life balance”. So, here's some insights… 

I personally don’t like the term “stress management or anxiety management”. We manage things that are dear to us or that matter to us. We manage our finances, our home, or our life. There is nothing good about stress that needs to be managed. It’s not a nice thing to have and must be kept at a distance as much as possible. There is no badge of honor in being stressed out all the time.

It’s important to understand why one feels stressed, anxious or nervous . The simple answer is this- you are doing it to yourself. The situation itself is not causing stress or anxiety. It’s the way you are reacting to it. You chose to be in that job, and no one is forcing you to (I hope not!). You are unable to deal with your own thoughts and related emotions. One thing leads to another and you feel stressed out. You create a lot of performance pressure on yourself.

The way you think is the way you feel. And the way you feel is the way you think. This is a loop in which too many people get stuck without knowing it. It’s like an autopilot system running you.

So, focus on giving your best & avoid causing yourself this anxiety. You wanted this job and got it. Feel grateful & joyful. You will learn & improve over time! Take it in small steps. 

The Myth of Work-Life Balance

When you are doing something, you really want to do and are having fun the question of work-life balance does not arise. You make it work seamlessly. If you are savvy, you can have a good work-life balance over time otherwise NO. Companies (big and small) have stepped up the game in recent 3-5 years to create the support required for work-life balance. Success is patchy and varied in geographies around the world. But they are trying, nonetheless.

Work-life balance is something that you must take control of. If you let the company dictate the rules, they will consume you. But it takes some time for you to be in that position of control. It will not happen from day 1 when you join the company. If you are in such a company – that is great! 

Factors That Can Help With Work-Life Balance

1. Staying in the firm for at least 3 years and having a good reputation and high on the job performance
2. Being close to key leaders in the company who are high performing themselves and back you
3. Staying on the same one/two clients for multiple projects
4. Having key clients back you and wanting you on the projects
5. Having a network of people to call upon for favors- these are colleagues/peers/seniors you are willing to help you out, share a load, cut you some slack, etc.

Hi there,

In Regards to Hours Managament

Yes, you will work long hours - message me for my consulting survival guide.

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/do-you-have-time-to-eat-and-exercise-9111

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Know that no-one can perfectly prepare for the job and that's the point: You will mess up, you will learn, you will be trained and supported. That's OK!

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First: I have a consulting survival guide handbook with 25 key tips for surviving the consulting world. Feel free to message me for it!

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Second: In terms of things you can learn/do to prepare beforehand:

1) Daily Reading

• The Economist, The Financial Times, BCG/Mskinsey Insights

2) Industry deep-dives

• Learn, in-depth, how the industries/companies your office advises, work. (PM me for an industry overview template)

3) Analytics tools

• Alteryx, Tableau, etc.

4) Excel

5) Powerpoint

• Best practices/standards
• Different layouts
• Quickly editing/updating slides
• Thinking in PowerPoint

6) Presentation skills / sharp communication

• There are some online/virtual classes for this

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Third: In terms of doing well in your role when you're there:

1) Understand the context/prompt (what role are you in, what company, who's watching, etc.)

2) Understand the objective (what, specifically, is expected from you...both day to day, and in your overall career progression)

3) Quickly process information, and focus on what's important - Take a lot of information and the unknown, find the most logical path, and focus on that.

4) Be comfortable with the unknown, and learn to brainstorm - think/speak like an expert without being one

In summary, there will always be a flood of information, expectations, competition etc. and not enough time. Find out which ones matter when. (i.e. be visibile and focus efforts on the things that people care about)

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Fourth: Here are some great prior Q&As for you!

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/what-makes-a-good-consultant-how-to-get-a-good-review-6790

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-hard-is-it-to-excel-in-top-consulting-firms-6762

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/need-to-learn-skills-in-the-ample-free-time-before-starting-at-an-mbb-what-should-i-do-6774

On the first question, my suggestion to cope with stress and the significant workload is:

• Find time to practice sport
• Meditate or practice deep breathing (5 minutes is already useful)
• Work smart (clarify objective, plan before doing things, be proficient with tools - see below)

On the second question, here is what is mandatory to ace:

• Excel. You have to rock at it. There are many great channels on YouTube that will explain to you how to become proficient at it (modeling, layout, formulas, etc)
• Powerpoint. Same as above

Then there are other things you can study a bit, such as Tableau, but I wouldn't invest that much time.

Please remember that what really makes the difference is your level of energy and emotional control. You will have to be proactive, humble, coachable, collaborative, and able to resist the temptation of quitting or behaving like an immature person who protests or does not follow directions.

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offer!

It is very likely that work will be very intense in SEA. But I guess you knew this already. I reported below some tips for the first weeks.

To me, the best way to invest the free time you have now is to… read. You won’t have much time to do this later and reading is one of the most undervalued growth opportunities available today.

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TOOLS

You are probably ok with the basics of Excel and PowerPoint, if not you can take a quick course to review the basics. You can check in advance with your office if they recommend training on any other tool. One of the most important things you can learn with any IT tool is shortcuts – they will increase a lot of your productivity.

You may also check if in your office they use Alteryx or Tableau and if so, do some prep on that.

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INDUSTRIES

If your office specializes in specific industries, it would be good to get a minimum knowledge of them in advance. However, don’t stress out too much about that, you will learn most during the job.

You can find some tips on recent consulting trends here:

▶ https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/consulting-industry-trends-2022

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READING LIST

Personally I don’t have much time to read, so what I do is to listen to books – Audible is great for this. You can easily listen to a book per week with minimum effort. You absorb books differently when you listen, so you have to check if this works for you.

The following are some books I would highly recommend to develop a growth mindset – key in any industry with high pressure. You can expand the list with anything you want to learn – just try to find a few really good books on that topic.

• The Compound Effect – Darren Hardy (great book on long-term planning)
• Tiny Habits – BJ Fogg (excellent, science-based book on habits formation)
• The Mediations – Marcus Aurelius (written ~ 2000 years ago but incredibly actual – the personal diary of the most powerful man in the world at the time)
• The 80–20 Principle – Richard Koch (very smart life tips from one of the founders of LEK)
• Peaks and Valleys – Spencer Johnson (crisis management tale – from the same author of the famous “Who moved my Cheese”, I personally found this book a lot more interesting and applicable)
• The Gap and the Gain – Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy (excellent book in terms of mindset for happiness)

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FIRST WEEKS

Below you can also find some tips for the first weeks I usually recommend – you are probably familiar with most of them, but could be good to review:

1. Take notes during meetings/discussions with your manager – this will help you to remember details and will show you care about them to the team.
2. Always double-check. The first impression is very important when you join a new company: if you show you are reliable from the beginning, you create a reputation of a reliable person. Double checks should be done on expectations for your job, your Excel analysis, your slides – basically everything.
3. Define priorities before starting any set of tasks. The majority of the results usually come from a subset of activities – this is true also for your tasks in consulting. You have to identify which they are and prioritize them – the application of the so-called 80-20 rule or Pareto Principle. Alignment on priorities and expectations is particularly important with your manager at the beginning of the project.
4. Socialize with your colleagues and start to build a network. You should build a good network within the company. A good start is key to develop good relationships long-term. More difficult to do during COVID – but there may still be opportunities for virtual gatherings. Try to take advantage of as many as possible to build connections.
5. Organize your private life activities. You want to organize your calendar to leave some space for personal activities (sport/ friends/ family). This is not easy but can be managed if you organize well, and long-term will be critical to keep a balance between work and private life. Also, it is better to align with your manager/teammates from the beginning on your core needs, so that there are no surprises later­ on.
6. Ask for feedback every two-three weeks – this will show you are proactive and willing to learn.
7. Ask for help when you don't know what to do – better to let know you are in trouble with meeting a deadline than missing the deadline.
8. Be social and respectful with the support staff – these people are great and influential as well in the company.

Best,

Francesco

Congratulations on your offer!

Are the hours bad? Yes absolutely they can be. I think 9 am to 9 or 10 pm can be expected (with some breaks to eat and stretch etc.). For some projects it can easily be till 1 or 2 am as well especially for projects like due diligence projects or ones with demanding clients etc.

Everyone copes differently. At the end of the day the reality is that you will have to strictly prioritize what you do outside of work. For example you will not have time to both go to the gym and go out to dinner with friends and will have to pick one or the other most of the time. 

In terms of training - I would suggest you do some trainthestreet courses to get better at Excel. Tableau is also quite helpful. SQL etc maybe required but it is rare…obviously if you know it it is a plus but like any other skill you will need to continuously use SQL to keep the knowledge.

You should also feel free to just take the time off to relax as all the basic training you need is provided to you and relaxed time is equally important :)

Udayan

Hi there, 

congrats on your offer!

To your questions:

1. To be very honest, the number of hours you will have to work is significantly more than any usual industry job, I would count between 60-70 hrs a week

2. Well, you can read a few books, check some videos, but MBB has very extensive and good onboarding training and you will get all skills needed to succeed, hence having said the number of hours you will work, from my own experience I would strongly recommend to charge your battery and enjoy your time before joining!

Good luck

Lucie

Was this answer helpful? 

Dear candidate,

regarding hours always think long-term. Once you are project manager you control hours much more than before and when you are partner you have even more control over them. Think of it similarly to completing a PhD- some intense time until partner and then (at the latest, ideally earlier on), focus also on your lifestyle, make use of paid time off or part-time options and turn it into the job you like.