Best ways to prepare before starting at MBB post undergrad?

Hey, please have a look at this- https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/thingstraining-to-do-8219#first-answer

Hi,

Congratulations on the offer. You have made it through the entry gate and now its about thriving and performing within the organization. It is imperative that one has the right skills and toolkit to deliver and keep it simple. Most of the consultants struggle once they are onboard because they have just prepared to get into the consulting firm and are unprepared to face the rigour of it. Hence the general feedback is consulting life is tough and hectic. 

But the fact is most of us find it to be so since we are not trained and mentored enough to handle different kinds of consulting programs we can be thrown into once we start working for them. I have developed an intensive consulting readiness toolkit which will help you operate at a mugh higher level that what you have joined. If interested to knowmore about it and how it can help you deliver at a much higher level and ease things for you, please feel free to contact me. I can spend a session with you about it without charging anything.

Thanks

Hi there,

Really great question!

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: Read the 25 tips in my consulting handbook here: https://www.spencertom.com/2018/01/14/consulting-survival-guide/

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Second: Attend an academy

There are so many great training programs that prepare new graduates for the consulting world! I'm part of a few myself. Feel free to shoot me a message and I can point you in the right direction!

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Third: 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

• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/free-online-resources-to-learn-excel-basics-6946
• Pivottables
• Working with data
• Key fuctions (vlookup, Index match, count and sum if/ifs, sumproduct, concat, etc.)
• Hotkeys (i.e. use keyboard more than your mouse)
• Financial modeling

5) Powerpoint

• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/powerpoint-skills-4072
• Wireframing
• Lead-in titles
• Best practices/standards
• Different layouts
• Quickly editing/updating slides
• Thinking in PowerPoint

6) Presentation skills / sharp communication

• There are some great online/virtual classes for this (including the academies meantioned above

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Fourth: 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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Fifth: 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/how-to-become-an-engagement-manager-and-partner-quickly-6722

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

My congratulations to your offer!
 
You can spend your time enhancing your hard skills, for example in excel, PowerPoint, storytelling.
 
Also, I have a program which assists candidates in their first 100 days in the consulting career and long term. It touches all the important aspects: the mindset, the skills, knowledge, networking, and managing yourself as well, your bosses and clients - everything that is important in your successful career.
 
Would you like to get more information about this?
 
GB