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How to prepare for a new job as in house strategy consultant

I will be starting as an in-house strategy consultant for a major company. I do not have a background in strategy consulting and was wondering if anyone had any advice to share on what i can do to maximise my chances of success upon joining. I have a month till i officially start.  
I have started brushing up on my excel and power point abilities (having seen other consultants, i work at a 10th of their pace). 
Anything else to hit the ground running? 

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Mariana
Coach
on Jan 08, 2025
You CAN make it! | xMckinsey | 1.5h session | +200 sessions |Free 15-Minute Call

Hello there!

Congrats on the new role! I have been in this same situation when I broke into consulting without previous experience in the industry. Let me share with you what I’ve done/should have done. I’ll skip the Excel and PowerPoint part, they are very important but you already know it.

0. Learn how to take value from data. Excel is the tool to organize data and get to accurate results, but you must take insights from it, that’s the most important value a consultant can drive, the famous “so what?”. There are courses available in Udemy and Coursera about it. If there was time to only focus on one thing, that would be it, the “zero” mark.

1. Understand the Business: Since you’re going in-house, getting a solid grasp on the company’s products*, services*, culture, competitors, and industry trends* is key. MBB firms have a lot of articles on different industries in their websites, you can use it as one resource. Review the company’s annual reports, press releases, and any strategic plans available.

* priorities

2. Get Comfortable with Frameworks: While strategy consulting often uses specific frameworks (like Porter’s Five Forces, the BCG Matrix, or SWOT analysis), they’re not just tools—they’re ways of thinking. Brush up on these frameworks and how they can be applied to real-world business challenges. Don’t worry too much about being an expert; focus on getting comfortable with using them to structure thinking. Worth having a cheat sheet to use them in future presentations.

3. Focus on Communication Skills: In addition to technical skills, consulting is all about communicating insights clearly and concisely, both in writing and in presentations. Practice delivering key points succinctly, and think about the story your analysis is telling. 

4. Learn the basics of project management: being a consultant is being a mix of business analysis, product ops and project management. The latest is sometimes overlooked and is key for you to deliver on time while making sure all stakeholders are aligned and your boss well informed. I would def recommend you to take a short course on this and create cheat sheets to use as well (e.g.: scope definition, project stakeholders, roadmap, etc.). Your boss will thank you for it!

“Bonus”: After you start, It’s also important to understand the internal stakeholders you’ll be working with—what are their priorities, and how can your work help them? I would schedule a meeting with all of them to present myself and get to know them and their business perspective - your boss will be able to point out who these people are.
Good luck— the fact you care about it is a good indicator that you’ll be fine in this new role 😊

Hagen
Coach
edited on Jan 09, 2025
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the upcoming inhouse consulting career start!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

  • First of all, while it is great to see how eager you are to prepare for your inhouse consulting career start, I would highly advise you not to worry about it.
  • All major inhouse consulting firms provide you with excellent onboarding and training that will prepare you for everything you need to know.
  • Lastly, if you want to prepare on your own, I would advise you to focus on learning common MS Excel functions as well as MS Excel and PowerPoint shortcuts, which it sounds like you are already doing.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

edited on Jan 08, 2025
2 free coachings for women per month (DM me)|+600 Interviews | Free 30-min intro call | Ex-Principal |Drill-Coaching

Hi there, 

Congratulations on your new role! 

Remember, no one starts as an expert, so be open to learning and growing as you settle into the position is the key. 
You’re already on the right track by brushing up on Excel and PowerPoint, but don't stress yourself out.
Once you know your first project, research your company and industry, and start thinking about how you can contribute early.
Regularly ask for feedback to understand specific steps for improvement, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you encounter challenges. The ability to adapt, learn, and build strong relationships will be key to your success. 


If you happen to come across any challenges along your way and need an outside perspective, don't hesitate to reach out.
Wishing you a great start!

Kairavee

Thabang
Coach
on Jan 08, 2025
Ex-McKinsey Consultant | McKinsey Top Coach & Interviewer | Special Offer: Buy 1 Session Get 1 Free (Limited time!)

Hey there, 

Probably excel and powerpoint are good places to start developing on (which you have started so well done on that)

Beyond that, each firm have very specific ways of working with various nuances, so if you want to hit the ground running, I'd recommend having a sit down chat with one of the consultants in this organisation to orient you on various dynamics of the company. Learn what you need to priorities, what the culture is like, what the leadership wants to see and expect, etc. 

This will give you a glimpse of what to expect on Day 1, and then you will be able to more easily integrate as you'd have set your expectations accordingly. 

With regards to on the job skills, you'll develop these over time, including the speed. So get ready to spend time developing yourself personally, so come in feeling fresh and well rested!

All the best! 

on Jan 08, 2025
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offer! In terms of your question:

Q: I have started brushing up on my excel and power point abilities (having seen other consultants, i work at a 10th of their pace). Anything else to hit the ground running? 

I reported a few tips below:

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IT TOOLS

The most important tools are Excel and PowerPoint, which you are already preparing for. You can check in advance with your office if they recommend training on any other tool, such as Alteryx or Tableau and if so, do some prep on that.

If you can, focus on learning keyboard shortcuts with Excel as they come in very handy during the job.

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INDUSTRIES

In your case, you will most likely work in a specific industry. If needed, you can learn more about it before starting with your new job.

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ADDITIONAL LEARNING

Reading is a great way to invest your extra time. If you don't have time to read, I would recommend Audible and listening to books related to consulting/topics interesting to you.

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FIRST WEEKS

Below you can find some tips for the first weeks:

  1. Take notes during meetings/discussions with your manager to remember details.
  2. Double-check your work. The first impression is very important when you join a new company. If you show you are reliable at the start, you will create a solid reputation.
  3. Define priorities for your work. Identify the most important activities and prioritize them before starting any task. Whenever the priorities are unclear, you can align with your manager at the start of the project.
  4. Align with the team on your personal needs. If you have personal commitments, align with your manager/teammates as soon as possible, so that they know them in advance.
  5. Ask for feedback from your manager every few weeks. This will show you are proactive and willing to learn.
  6. Ask for help when you don't know what to do. Better to have the team know you are in trouble with meeting a deadline than missing the deadline.

All the best for a great start!

Francesco

Florian
Coach
on Jan 30, 2025
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hey there,

Congrats on the achievement!

If you are interested in preparing for your new role, I'd suggest the following:

When I got the offer some years ago I did the same. I reached out to people I knew in McKinsey and people who interviewed me to ask: what can I do to make the start easier? how can I prepare?

The answer from everyone was: Relax! Enjoy your time before you start and don't think about it. You will figure it out on the job. I followed that advice and it made sense to me once I joined.

When you start at in top tier consulting there are 2 ways to learn:

  1. Formal training. The formal training sessions/ weeks/ days in the beginning, are nice, however, they are more for networking and meeting your peers. You learn some interesting concepts and get some useful tips from more experienced consultants BUT
  2. Constant and implicit learning on the job is where it's at. No matter if you are a newcomer or a veteran after 2 years, you will always find yourself on a steep learning curve. As soon as you barely mastered one skill or the skills needed for one level in the hierarchy, you will take care of things, which are expected from a more senior colleague. This cycle never ends. You are expected to learn on the job, learn from your colleagues, your mentors, sometimes even the client. So basically a newly promoted Engagement Manager has the same 'struggle' as a new-hire Business Analyst. They both need to work in a completely new environment and role.

Knowing that, if we now go back to square one in your BCG journey it makes perfect sense to enter the firm with a blank slate with a lot of curiosity and eagerness to soak it all up and quickly learn the ropes.

Nothing matches the experience and the learning and this is a good thing (also the reason why ex-consultants are valued highly on the job market).

You will learn everything you need to master while doing it. You will be thrown in the cold water and need to swim. However, your colleagues will always be happy to help you and mentor you. And for the rest, you will figure everything out along the way. The key here is always to ask for tips, shortcuts, feedback, etc. Don't be quiet if you get stuck.

Lastly, if you have no domain knowledge about a certain industry or topic, read through the internal library of documentation (which is endless) and call some of the firm experts on the topic. Usually, they are happy to offer you a short call to get you up to speed.

But here’s something extra: Since the question came up ever so often with my clients, I've authored a book titled "Consulting Career Secrets," specifically to guide newcomers like you in navigating this journey. The goal of the book was to answer all typical questions of entry-level consultants and show them the way to make the entry and the transition as simple and painless as possible. While no book or training can entirely prep you for the unique experiences of your first day, week, or project, it offers comprehensive insights to mentally prepare you, suggests essential tools and skills to acquire, shows you the ways how to do that, and strategies to quickly adapt and excel in your new role. You can DM me if you want to know more.

In any case, don't sweat the small stuff and enjoy the ride!

Florian

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