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.