How to prepare for the first consulting job

Hey,

I have had this discussion with many coachees. It's very simple, but frankly not the most exciting thing in the world:

Take slides from a McKinsey/BCG/yourT2firm's presentation and just try to replicate them with Powerpoint. See a pubicly available example here: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/agriculture/how%20we%20help%20clients/natural%20capital%20and%20nature/roundtables/webinar%20taking%20action%20on%20nature%20how%20to%20get%20started/taking-action-on-nature-webinar-slides.pdf. This is boring, but will save you so many long nights -- you can even do this while listening to music or podcasts

Hope this helps! If you need motivation, just think of all the time you'll save in a few months if you become fast and effective with PPT and XLS

Tom

Hi there,

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!

First: Read the 25 tips in my consulting handbook

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

1. Daily Reading — The Economist, The Financial Times, BCG/McKinsey 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

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 visible and focus efforts on the things that people care about)

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

• What makes a good consultant / how to get a good review
• How hard is it to excel in top consulting firms
• How to become an engagement manager and partner quickly
• Skills to learn before starting at an MBB

Hey, 

mostly will be learned on the job, but what will help you 

1) Efficiency and work styles

- set-up a zero-inbox Email system with shortcuts

- play around with Excel (only keyboard not mouse), realize which tasks are lengthy, for them use a shortcut

- same for powerpoint

2) AI

- work everyday 1 hour with AI, e.g., learn how to use it for slide writing, action titles, professional emails, etc. 

3) Professional sparring

- consider talking with a senior coach for A) expectations of new role, B) scoring metrics for juniors, C) how to get your dream case / industry, 3) Inner workings of Consulting and how to find your way

4) Rest and have fun

- most will be learned

Congratulations!

This may not be exactly what you asked, but before diving into preparation, take some time to recharge and celebrate your offer. Achievements like this deserve to be recognized before moving straight to the next milestone.

In terms of practical preparation, it’s definitely worth getting comfortable with PowerPoint and Excel. For Excel, short online courses or certificates (such as those on Coursera) can be helpful, but the best way to learn both tools is by actively building models, presentations, and analyses rather than just exploring features passively.

You’ll likely receive training on your firm’s preferred formatting and presentation standards, but one useful principle for slide-making is this: your headlines should tell the core story even without the audience reading the full slide, and your content should be clear, concise, and highly visual.

A few additional ways to prepare:

• Practice reading and interpreting financial statements
• Stay informed by reading business publications like Forbes, The Economist, or similar outlets
• Most importantly, rest, you’ll be starting an intense and exciting journey soon enough

Enjoy this moment, prepare thoughtfully, and best of luck with your new role!

Annika

Good that you’re thinking about this now, most people don’t.

First thing: don’t stress too much. You’re not expected to arrive “ready.” You’ll learn a lot on the job in the first months anyway.

That said, there are a few things that make the start much smoother.

PowerPoint and Excel matter, but not in the way people think.

On PowerPoint, don’t focus on animations or shortcuts. Focus on:

• how to structure a slide
• how to make a message clear in one line
• how to build a simple, clean page

If you can do that, you’re already ahead.

On Excel, you don’t need advanced stuff. Just be solid on:

• basic formulas (sum, average, simple lookups)
• cleaning data
• building simple, logical calculations

Speed will come later.

What really makes the difference early on is something else:

1. Structured thinking
You’ve practiced cases — that’s good. Try to keep that habit of breaking problems down clearly. That’s 80% of the job.

2. Communication
Being clear and concise is huge. Practice explaining things simply:

• what’s the point
• why it matters
• what’s next

3. Attention to detail
This is underrated. Small mistakes on slides or numbers are what get noticed early on.

4. Handling feedback
You’ll get a lot of it. The people who improve fastest are the ones who:

• don’t take it personally
• apply it quickly

If you want something practical to do before September:

• build a few slides from scratch (e.g. summarize an article in 3 slides)
• play a bit with Excel on simple datasets
• read some consulting-style presentations (just to see how they look)

But honestly, don’t turn this into a full-time prep project. Arrive rested and with the right mindset — that matters more.

Hi there,

I see you've received some useful answers already. 

I'll add below two guides I've created with people like you in mind (synthesising some of my learnings from when at McKinsey):

Expert Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant

Expert Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

That aside, another option you might consider is coaching. I'm working with current consultants (some ex-candidates of mine) in roles from Business Analyst to Engagement Manager. If this is of interest to you, drop me a line.

Best,
Cristian

Congrats on the offer. My honest advice is do not prepare, just recharge before you start.
Every firm has its own unique style for PowerPoint, Excel, and the way decks are structured. Whatever you self learn now might not even match how your firm does it, and you would have to unlearn parts of it anyway. The maximum learning happens on the job, the firm will train you and you will pick it up fast.
Also keep in mind it is not just you, every fresh joiner is in the same boat with these skills. You are not behind.
Use the time to rest, travel, see family. The first few months will be intense and you will be glad you took the break.

PowerPoint is your highest-ROI skill. Learn to structure before opening the app, action title on top, one message per slide. Pyramid Principle is the foundational read. Practise rebuilding public consulting decks.

Excel. Master pivot tables, lookups, IF logic, and keyboard shortcuts. Functional, not expert.

Beyond that, build reading speed for skimming reports, mental math for client meetings, sharp business writing for emails, and industry context for your office's main practices.

The biggest first-90-day mistake is being passive. Ask questions, ask for feedback, stay coachable.

Good luck.

hi! 

Don’t over‑prepare before you start. You’ll get plenty of training once you join, and most of the real learning happens on the job anyway. If you want to feel a bit more confident, focus on light, practical prep: get comfortable with basic Excel shortcuts, simple formulas, and clean slide‑making in PowerPoint. That’s more than enough.

Beyond that, the best thing you can do is rest, recharge, and arrive fresh. Your firm will teach you the rest once you’re there.

Alessa