Here's my story - I spent a decade working for 2 of the Big-4 Management Consulting firms at various levels and grew from a Consultant to Senior Manager (1 step short of Partner) in the process.

I pivoted to Consulting after my MBA (Finance/Strategy) and having worked 8 years as a Chartered Accountant in Audit and Risk management. I had enough experience working on multiple Microsoft programs (Word, Excel Visio, PowerPoint, Project, SharePoint), and other analytical tools.

Needless to say, I was quite confident about my Finance and tech. skills when I joined Consulting. I mean - I had the client-facing analytical experience, I was a CA, MBA - so I must know pretty much everything about working in a client-facing project-based profession, right?

WRONG!

I learned some harsh but invaluable facts in my decade long Consulting career. I’ll keep them limited to the top 5.

Spoiler alert: These mainly cover soft skills but without the basic technical expertise and a willingness to reinvent yourself constantly, they are pretty much worthless.

  1. Content matters, but presentation matters more:

    I’m not referring to pretty icons on PowerPoint but highlighting a key skill called Storyboarding.

    Storyboarding is hands-down THE MOST important skill you can have as a Consultant/ Senior Consultant.

    In a nutshell, storyboarding refers to presenting your ideas in a format that has a logical flow to it. Research shows that people are more open to and more likely to remember the same fact if presented as a story. The presentation should tell the story behind why we started the project to where we are now (progress), what are the key findings, and what are the next actionable steps.

  2. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know:

    Every third person will tell you that your path to success depends on your network. The question you should be asking yourself is, “Do I have the right network to support my success?”

    It’s easy to fall into the trap of equating your Linkedin contacts to your network, but real networking is about nurturing your connections. It’s not only about what you get from your mentors, sponsors, and coaches (and yes, they have different roles), it is also about making them successful so they can help you in a higher capacity.

    And mind you, networking takes patience and perseverance. Your network can disappear in a flash if it is limited to 1–2 key Partners/ Senior Managers. And the way to grow and nurture your network varies by level too. While it’s acceptable to be aligned to 3–4 Senior Managers when you are a Senior Consultant, as a Manager/ Senior Manager, you need to cast a wider ‘net’ to create more opportunities for yourself.

  3. You are your own brand:

    Consulting is extremely fast-paced and you will mostly be dealing with people who have extremely short attention spans – be it a Partner at your firm or the client on your project. If you cannot explain your skill set and the work you do in under 30 seconds, you’ve lost them.

    In fact, top management consulting firms now require all professionals - yes - even Analyst and Consultant levels to have an elevator pitch ready. This includes defining the value they bring to the firm and their clients, their experience, and areas of professional interest.

    Your brand becomes even more important at more Senior levels as you climb up the Consulting ladder. This may vary across firms, but some variant of presenting your value proposal to senior Partners, is a well-known rite of passage to higher levels in Consulting.

  4. The Client is King:

    Consulting is all about client service and it is your job to be a trusted advisor; to understand the client’s concerns and use your experience and skills to suggest solutions to their complex problems.

    It is too easy to fall into the trap of ‘I am a Consultant and I know best’ even without trying to understand your client’s personality (that drives their work style), aspirations (that influence decision) and emotions (yes all Consultants have to become therapists, especially at the senior-most levels!!)

    If you haven’t invested the time in building good work relations with your client …. Start NOW! It is amazing how many Consultants complain that the client doesn’t see the value of their efforts and yet they don’t invest the time in understanding their client.

  5. Ambiguity is your best friend:

    Ambiguity may translate to uncertainty for most people, but for Consultants Ambiguity equals Opportunity. In my 10-year long Management Consulting career, I have reinvented my brand at least 4 times and switched to an entirely new network of Partners every 2 years on average, maybe more.

    Why? Because Consulting is a profession that demands that you Upskill or Die. Thanks to the technological revolution, all industries are changing at a phenomenal pace - be it Finance, Healthcare, Consumer Goods, or Insurance.

    You are valuable as a Consultant only if you can constantly pivot and acquire the relevant skills to bring the latest innovative ideas to help your clients succeed. There is no middle ground.

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 Punya is a former management consultant with 15 years of experience at 2 Big4 firms, serving top Fortune500 clients. She has lived and worked in 6 countries and changed 3 careers working across several industries. Punya is passionate about coaching new and aspiring Consultants to succeed in Management Consulting.