How do Entry-Level Consultants (0yrs Experience) Add Value at MBB?

Question

How do Entry-Level Consultants Add Value at MBB (0 yrs of experience level)? Right now, don't worry about telling me about casing/interview prep stuff (I'm aware casing is a window into the problem solving process).... For this question, I am just focused on what it's like "on-the-job" and thinking critically about the value of a 1st-year MBB employee

Is the value I add basically being able to visualize data (excel skills), spot patterns in datasets, and make slides for the senior consultant? It's the senior consulant who is driving the real problem solving since they know the industry, and they are the ones driving communication of findings to client..... And anyways, isn't AI disrupting this analysis process & slide-making process too (so less for an Entry-Level Consultant to do in terms of being the Excel/PPTX monkey)?

1 ) I asked this question to AI and it told me the following...but this answer points out very high level value-adds like asking the "right" questions, etc... anyone can do this so is it really a value add?

You are hired for your structured problem-solving skills. While the client's experts have the knowledge, they often lack the time, tools, or analytical discipline to turn that knowledge into a rigorous, data-backed solution. This is where you shine.
You can ask simple, fundamental questions that an insider might be afraid to ask or might not even think of. For example, "Why has this factory always used this specific vendor for parts?
The experts will tell you "This factory has a defect rate of 5%." Your job is to ask, "So what?"
You are the expert in data. You can take messy spreadsheets and turn them into clear, compelling visuals that pinpoint the root causes of a problem
Apply Cross-Industry Solutions: You can learn about how a company in the automotive industry solved a similar supply chain problem and bring that framework or idea to the CPG client

2) In addition, I'm not an expert in any industry (compared to a senior consultant). I'm not an ex-engineer who can deeply (and quickly enough) analyze the operations/supply chain process to improve making cars or soda, etc... So I asked this question to AI and it told me the following:

"How the Car Works": You do not need to be an engineer. Your role is to understand the business implications of the technology. For example, you might need to analyze how a new battery technology affects the supply chain. You would use your qualitative skills to interview the client's engineers and synthesize their technical knowledge into a business-focused recommendation.
"How to Sell the Car": You do not need to be a salesperson. Instead, your job is to understand the business strategy of selling. For example, you might be asked to analyze different sales channels (e.g., online sales vs. traditional dealerships)
As a consultant, you are a strategic problem-solver. You are a professional learner who is paid to quickly get up to speed on a topic, structure a complex problem, and provide a clear, data-driven recommendation. A consultant's value is in their ability to approach a problem from a strategic, top-down perspective, not to be a deep technical or functional expert.

Answer 1

Hi there,

That’s a really thoughtful question. You’re right that early consultants aren’t the ones driving the full problem-solving or client communication yet, because they don't have content expertise. Your real value lies in thinking critically, asking sharp questions, spotting inconsistencies, and particularly challenging legacy assumptions. Because you’re not deep in the weeds like industry experts, you can bring structure and fresh perspective to complex problems.

AI has definitely made parts of consulting easier, like research, summarizing, and initial analysis, but it’s still far from perfect. It often needs human judgment to interpret results and catch mistakes. Think about how many times ChatGPT gives a confident but wrong answer to a specific question. In a way, AI is shifting how consultants work: instead of doing all the grunt work, consultants increasingly act as supervisors who review, refine, and direct what AI produces, similar to how the industrial revolution shifted labor from manual work to oversight roles.

Answer 2

Hi there,

The short answer is: yes, as a first-year consultant, your day-to-day tasks often revolve around research, analysis, and slide creation, but the value you add goes far beyond being good at Excel or PowerPoint. The senior consultant drives the narrative, but you’re the one giving them the tools to build it. Over time, as you build judgment and experience, you move from supporting problem solving to shaping it.

Here’s how entry-level consultants really contribute:

1. You bring structured thinking and clarity to messy problems.
Clients (and sometimes even senior team members) are deep in the weeds. Your job is to take large amounts of information, see patterns, and frame questions that help move the team forward. It sounds simple, but the ability to structure chaos into something workable is what makes consulting valuable.

2. You test hypotheses with data.
Even without industry expertise, you can find the right data, clean it, and turn it into evidence that supports or challenges assumptions. This analytical rigor is what clients pay for: they might have the experience, but not the time or discipline to test every idea.

3. You make thinking visible.
Yes, that means slides, but not just “pretty slides.” You’re translating analysis into insight. Senior consultants rely on you to turn abstract discussions into clear, logical arguments that can be communicated to a client.

4. You learn fast and connect ideas.
You might not be an expert in any industry yet, but you become a quick learner across several. Entry-level consultants add value by spotting analogies and applying solutions seen in one sector to another, or combining insights in new ways.

5. AI won’t replace that.
AI can process data and even draft slides, but it doesn’t know which questions to ask, which numbers actually matter, or how to interpret subtle client dynamics. The human value lies in judgment, synthesis, and storytelling.

Answer 3

In short, from all the new joiners I saw in McK, most don't add value in their first 1-2 months. Some for even longer.

By value, I'm referring to the net effect of stuff they contribute with vs the amount of time it takes you to coach them on developing that stuff.

With some it takes longer, others less. But this is known, and part of the game. For most project teams, the new joiner is staffed for free and still seen as an investment since they will have expenses associated with travel and others.

I've only seen very very few consultants who were actually good from the beginning and that was always because they had done internships in consulting-like firms previously (so effectively, they weren't actually new joiners).

If you're thinking about performance at the start, you might find this guide useful:

Expert Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant

Best,
Cristian

Answer 4

The theme of your question is one that clients often ask, especially to junior consultants :)

I think the answer to your question really depends on what concern you are coming from or what insight you are trying to uncover. Are you asking these questions because...

You are potentially a client and want to figure out the value of hiring consultants?
You concerned on the viability of junior roles in the industry and thus hesitating whether to join consulting?
You just trying to find out more the operating model of consulting teams & engagements?
You trying to assess whether you have the necessary skills for a new consultant?
You are already/incoming fresh hire and trying to figure out how to perform well?

Your question could fall into each of the angles above - and the angle of the elaboration of the response would differ based on that. Happy to provide a more detailed explanation to address your concern if you clarify what that exactly is :)

Answer 5

hey there :)

you’re on point..as an entry-level consultant, you won’t usually be the subject-matter expert or the one making the final call. your value comes from turning complexity into clarity. yes, that includes analyzing data, spotting patterns, and creating slides, but it’s more than just “Excel/PPT monkey” work. it’s about structuring problems, synthesizing insights from messy data, and connecting the dots across industries or functions. asking the “obvious” questions can be a huge value add because clients often skip them, and framing the findings in a clear, actionable way is where you help senior consultants and clients make decisions. AI can help with some tasks, but it doesn’t replace the judgment, curiosity, and storytelling needed to interpret insights for the client. the best entry-level consultants accelerate the team’s problem-solving by being fast learners, rigorous, and structured thinkers, essentially multiplying the impact of the seniors rather than replacing them.

best,
Alessa :)

Answer 6

When you start you start by helping with minor tasks. I guess some of them might be about asking AI to do stuff.

But I am worried about this expectation that AI can replace an analyst. Almost every fact-based answer I get from AI is somewhat wrong, which means that every fact and every logic step must be checked and improved. It may be an accelerator, but by no means it replaces an analyst. Just like excel and powerpoint didn't replace analysts in the 90's just because it could do the math and the drawings...

So yes, you will be doing research, scheduling and taking expert calls, compiling information and analyzing it over excel, and building and polishing slides. And if you do it well you will start to have more autonomy in defining the specific tasks that you have to do in order to achieve a certain goal. Ideally, you will be someone who always thinks about the implications of the analysis and that goes a long way. To be honest, it's the most important thing.