Dear candidate,

congratulations. First of all, the big contextual buckets: 

1) stay motivated - remind yourself of why you are doing this job and what it means long-term for you and your career. also remind yourself of the fun parts with it and that it is normal to be a bit overwhelmed

2) try to take as much “free” time as you can so limit any other commitments you might have

3) connect with colleagues, build a base of like-minded people either from your firm or at other firms so you have people to speak to and keep you on track; 

Then the actual work buckets: 

4) when it comes to handling it all: spend at least 30min a day minimizing your workload, so use for example what you know from case prep to structure your work and re-prioritize, also minimize rework due to external inputs for example from project manager, so agree with her or him on the approach early on and then do what is high priority as opposed to what a detailed analysis would be. This way you also avoid redoing a lot of work in case they find a different approach important. 

5) storyline your work early on, focus on what the key messages are that you want to get ouf of your work - or- what are the hypotheses you want to test, understand early on how your work will be leveraged, so you have a direction and know what to focus on; 

6) Get as much training time from the project manager and other colleagues as you reasonably can to get up to speed quickly

Best regards

Hi there,

My first project was so hard! It was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

Know that you are not alone here! It's a hard job and there is a very steep learning curve. Keep pushing and you'll get there.

Here is my advice:

1. Remember your case training. Remember how you had to be clear about the objective? How you had to framework to structure solving the problem? How you had to ask the right questions? Yeah, a case wasn't just randomly designed :P (Apply your case learnings)
2. Ask questions. Ask why we/you are doing x. Figure out what's expected, etc.
3. Get frequent feedback. Don't work for 2 days on something only for it to get torn apart! Check in frequently and show drafts (make it clear it's a “first pass”) to make sure you're on the right path
4. Ask for help. You have colleagues and fellow Consultants in the trenches. Make friends/allies and lean on them. Everyone is good at something - know who's good at what and identify who is best to get help from in what situation
5. Consider a coach. It's not the craziest thing to get a coach to help you through the role. I have a bunch of candidates that I work with post offer to succeed in the role!

Here's some reading that might help:  https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

Good luck!

(edited)

Hi there and congratulations on starting on a new role and on this project, you have a very exciting journey ahead! 

My first project was awful as well, it was a due diligence. I completely second the advice already given by the colleagues, and would add a few more tips that would help you emerge as a successful consultant on this case, rather than a newbie:

1. Structure your work well from the beginning. Approach your work with prior planning, clarity, and systematization. This is a big notion, that encompasses, for instance: a) structuring your excel sheets in a smart way ex ante - a way that will facilitate the calculations that will follow; b) keeping track of all the sources that you used to create your slides, i.e. being ready to back up your claims by a specific document or client meeting notes; c) thinking through your output (your slides) before you tackle any analytical work to optimise your time

2. Do not overestimate your human abilities, which comprises: not promising the manager to do something if you are not sure you can accomplish it within the relevant timeframe; asking for help from colleagues and manager before it's too late; leveraging on your strengths while admitting your inexperience; actively scheduling in break time/snack time/family chat time; and simplifying your home life as much as possible (outsourcing tasks, stocking up on household items you will need, etc.)

3. Use this case as a learning opportunity, noting all the areas where you've struggled and where you wished you had more preparation (be it excel modelling or ppt shortcuts) to then implement these learnings in future projects.

Hope this helps and best of luck!!

Pragmatism is always the key. If you are presented with too much data, just absorb and deep-dive the ones you and your manager/partner consider the most relevant. 
In every job, there is no need to absorb every bit of data you manage, and keep in mind that ostensibly every domain in life abide by the Pareto Principle. 

Therefore, I suggest that you should always keep in mind the end goal (like in a case interview) and think backward from that. This approach clarifies what is needed to learn and deep-dive.
Be also aware of your biases. Many young consultants prefer to focus on things they like or create excessively complex models just for the sake of it. You will always be in a rush, therefore there is no point in over-complicate things. 

As far as your mindset and behavior are concerned, keep in mind that only with humility and a high dose of coachability you can ace at consulting. In particular, as a young professional it is mandatory to listen carefully to what other people say, integrate feedback in a blink, and fanatically focus on what you have been asked to do. 

As a corollary of the last point, discipline is always the most important factor for success. Simplify your life in order to make room for some extra time, be sharp in your health and appearance, be organized, avoid wasting time on social networks, ask yourself how you can automate things, and avoid any form of procrastination. 

Good luck!

Hey there,

My first project was a complete disaster. I was in an underground mining site for a capital project and didn't speak the language of the client. Still, I was there for 7 weeks of pure struggle.

None of my previous industry experience helped, nor the case training. All I had was pure will to somehow make it through the project and try and learn as much as possible throughout the process.

In my case, I had changed, role, industry, country, and language. Maybe a bit extreme, but it happens. After the first experience, everything got better and I had a crazy learning curve for the next 2.5 years.

Best of luck!

1. Communicate frequently to manage expectations (yours and your supoervisors')
2. Ask for help from your peers
3. Work hard