I would recommend taking a break and recharging your battery. Consulting can be tough in terms of lifestyle (but the skills you acquire are essential). 

That said, I wouldn't take on any extensive and serious extra training at this stage.

However, one course I took which has been highly beneficial and that actually made me stand out is called “beyond formulas” on Udemy. It teaches you everything you need to know about basic modeling. In addition, you can watch some alteryx and Tableau trainings but these are easier to learn on the job.

Best of luck !

Mario

Hi there,

Personally, I probably wouldn't pay for that (there are many other things I would spend that $ on).

You can download free excel sheets and learn yourself. There are plenty of free courses as well. The company will train you in this material as well.

If you are worried about ramping up quickly, that investment could be worth it! But, there are alternatives. Here's some other advice for getting ready….

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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: I have a consulting survival guide handbook with 25 key tips for surviving the consulting world. Feel free to message me for it!

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Second: 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

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

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

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Fourth: 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

Hi there, 

I wouldn't spend any money now, MBB will give you all the training to acquire all skills needed to succeed in your new role. Hence I would recommend to enjoy your time in this 1.5 months and relax…. just recharge battery!

Good luck,

Lucie

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