Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 451,000 Peers!

Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!

What piece of advice had the greatest impact on your career?

Advice consulting
New answer on Jun 09, 2020
8 Answers
1.6 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Jun 06, 2020

(edited)

Overview of answers

Upvotes
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best answer
Francesco
Expert
Content Creator
updated an answer on Jun 08, 2020
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

as an entrepreneur, the following are some of those I found more inspiring:

  • “You will not change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine” - John Maxwell
  • “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” — Richard Branson
  • “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons” - Jim Rohn

Best,

Francesco

(edited)

Was this answer helpful?
Réka
Expert
replied on Jun 06, 2020
3+ years McKinsey consulting experience|Strategy @ Coursera |Oxford MBA

Hi,

The best advice I ever got in my consulting job was: don't ask for permission, ask for forgiveness. This does not mean that you don't align with your supervisors before making decisions. But it reflects the leadership and ownership mindset that you have to have in the job. Act as if you are on your own and don't rely on others to solve your problems. It takes quite some time to adopt this mindset especially as a junior, but once you do, you've reached a next step in your career.

Best,

Réka

Was this answer helpful?
Anonymous replied on Jun 06, 2020

The best advice I can give: take this job as a game, surround yourself with nice people and have fun. If there is no pleasure, it all makes no sense.

Was this answer helpful?
8
Anonymous replied on Jun 06, 2020

Hi there,

4 advice + Bonus :)

  • Nothing is free - if you want it you have to work for it
  • Plan backwards
  • Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
  • Keep it simple and stupid
  • Bonus: (Also, around 75% of the content of "7 habits to highly effective people was very helpful)

Best

Khaled

Was this answer helpful?
6
Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jun 06, 2020
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Funnily enough this one:

"If you're right more than 50% of the time, you're doing your job"

I.e., we'll never be perfect. You get paid to be better than flipping a coin.

Obviously, you're not doing a good job if you're right 51% of the time, but it made me a lot more comfortable with being wrong and not always getting everything right (something that happens a lot in strategy consulting!)

Was this answer helpful?
Vlad
Expert
replied on Jun 07, 2020
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

Sleep as much as possible whenever you can:)

Best

Was this answer helpful?
Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jun 08, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

In consulting in particular, 80-20

80% of the impact will be achieved with 20% of the time!80 20 rule funny Yoga pants

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Was this answer helpful?
Anonymous replied on Jun 09, 2020

Dear A,

In my case it was "alway undersell, but overdeliver " In order to create hapiness with your clients, peers and also the partner as well as project manager.

Hope you can also apply it in your situation.

Good luck,

André

Was this answer helpful?
1
Francesco gave the best answer

Francesco

Content Creator
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching
4,527
Meetings
45,255
Q&A Upvotes
392
Awards
5.0
1618 Reviews