How, if at all, does academic success translate to success in consulting life?

Hi,

There is certainly a correlation, and that is why top companies would require high grades from top schools. However, there are certain skills required in consulting which we are unable to practice too much at school:

• Interpersonal skills (i.e. being an extraverted person, ability to get the buy-in from different audiences)
• Communication skills (i.e. being able to tell a story in a concise manner)

Best,

Deniz

I just read this from my research methods book:

Airy academic research may seem disconnected from a world in which so many people labor so hard at getting ahead or keeping others down. But in business and government, in law and medicine, in politics and international diplomacy, no skill is valued more highly than the ability to recognize a problem, then to articulate it in a way that convinces others both to care about it and to believe it can be solved, especially by you. If you can do that in a class on medieval Tibetan rugs, you can do it in an o;ce on Main Street, Wall Street, or on Queen’s Road in Hong Kong.

- Craft of Research by Booth, Colomb, & Williams 

Hi,

It does not correlate with the overall success in life (I mean grades), but correlates with the consulting work since it's very similar skills:

• Ability to learn
• Ability to solve the problems
• Critical thinking
• Math

Best

Dear A!

I totally agree with Vlad. You can use your following academic skills to succeed in consulting:

• Time Management & Organization.
• Reading Strategies. 
• Analytical thinking
• Math- very important
• Communication skills                                                                                              I wish you good luck. If you need some help just drop me a line! 

  Best,

  André