The MBB consulting journey is challenging and treacherous
Working in an MBB firm is extremely challenging, especially if you are an experienced hire in your 30s. To help consultants, I write this newsletter sharing best practices and unspoken rules.
If you joined MBB Consulting as an experienced hire in your 30s, brace yourself for a wild roller coaster ride. I would argue that experienced hires have the most challenging time in MBB consulting.
How do I know this? Well, that was my experience.
I joined McKinsey at 34.
The first two years were extremely challenging.
I experienced unbearable stress, pain, and anxiety.
I was actually an okay-ish consultant. I consistently received average ratings, and occasionally, I even received a higher one.
But deep down, I knew I wasn’t safe. Any bad project could derail my case. I wasn’t confident in my own abilities.
I was dependent on external circumstances and luck.
The job expectations were unclear, and they changed from partner to partner. I had no idea what I needed to do.
I felt alone and had no one to share my challenges with.
Then, I met two people who changed my life. They helped me to achieve high performance and become a confident consultant.
1. Alex
He was a superstar consultant, a proper nerd.
I remember hearing office legends about him. Once, he took the GMAT test on a bet with his friends. He prepared for only a few days and scored 780 (99th percentile). He didn’t even plan to apply for an MBA.
He worked at an unimaginable level, creating impeccable documents. Partners and clients adored him.
Fortunately, we became good friends.
Throughout the project, he taught me his tips and tricks.
Alex’s lessons helped me to achieve a step change in my performance.
You can read about Alex’s playbook in this post: How to Create Great Slides.
2. Tim
Tim was a superstar manager.
He also had a sharp mind and was a brilliant problem-solver, perhaps the smartest person I met in the firm.
His unique spike was building fantastic relationships with senior leaders and clients.
He helped me with career management skills, explained how the firm operated, and mobilized leadership support for my promotion.
Interestingly enough, I had known Tim for a few years. But he started helping me only when I improved my performance after implementing Alex's playbook.
In hindsight, I understand that Tim did this only because I became valuable to him. In a way, Alex helped me to unlock Tim's relationship.
Consequently, Tim unlocked relationships with senior partners. This helped me understand their needs and how to become useful to them. It also taught me how to ask for help.
You can read about how Tim helped me to build sponsorships in the firm: Sponsorship is the Most Valuable Resource in Consulting.
I am forever grateful to both Alex and Tim.
They taught me the best practices and unspoken rules—the ones that you can only learn through true supporters.
Soon enough, I managed to become a high-performing manager—something I couldn't have dreamed of before.
It was the first time I enjoyed working in consulting. As a result, the demand for me significantly increased. This gave me opportunities to steer my career trajectory by selecting projects I liked.
It felt fantastic!
But I kept wondering how my journey would have been different if I had met Alex and Tim much earlier.
Fast forward a few years.
I taught these 'secrets' to consultants who worked on my teams.
Together, we sharpened this playbook, structured it, and made it more practical.
I was surprised to see how fast consultants can grow by learning this playbook with only a fraction of the stress and friction.
That is why I write this newsletter: to give consultants a fighting chance and to compensate for gaps in development and coaching.
This newsletter follows a specific structure.
The best way to start reading this newsletter is with the Zero to Hero Journey post.
It creates a clear journey map for the first 24 months, and this newsletter is structured according to the specific steps of this journey.
Also, when you read this newsletter, I encourage you to focus on two key development priorities.
1. Stop The Productivity Bleeding
Consultants often stand in their own way by making many simple mistakes.
Learning best practices can reduce the number of mistakes you make. Then, you can focus on creating quality content, radically improving your productivity, and building momentum.
Basically, this is what Alex taught me.
The best articles to start reading:
2. Manage Your Career Proactively
Navigating firm politics is often the hardest part for consultants to figure out. But without this, it would be difficult to become a high-performing consultant.
It’s a necessary evil you must learn.
This is what Tim taught me, not just how to survive but how to thrive in consulting.
The best articles to start reading:
The consulting profession can be a fantastic place for learning and development.
But navigating its complexities and requirements is difficult. The ‘Up or Out’ policy applies unbearable pressure to perform fast. If you can find people who can help you navigate, your chances of success will increase dramatically.
The consulting journey is complex and treacherous.
That is why I developed a coaching program for MBB consultants to help them achieve high performance and become successful.
If you are an MBB consultant and sick of struggling with performance and development, I would like to speak with you.
Book a Free 1-1 Consultation to discuss whether I can help you through my coaching program. There is no commitment, and you can ask any burning questions in a risk-free environment.
Read this post to learn more about the Hero’s Journey coaching program.
Hey Ryan. Wasn’t sure how to contact you, so thought I’d leave a comment! Would you be interested in collaborating for an article (for my biz brain one)?