4 Things you can do before your full-time consulting start

As Fall approaches and many are going to be starting their full-time opportunities in consulting, it's good to take the time to enjoy the summer and rest up. But there are a few simple things you can do to help you prepare for the start:

  1. Get to know people in the office. You can reach out to current consultants you know and ask them to put you in touch with others in the office. It's a good time to have quick 15 minute phone calls or video calls and introduce yourself. You can learn about the experience of others and get their story and their advice on navigating the first year of consulting. From my own experience, I know consultants are usually happy to share.

  2. Think about what pathways you're interested in. It's hard to know up front, but it's good to start asking yourself if you're interested in a particular industries or practice areas. You don't have to specialize or commit to it right away of course, but it will help you be more intentional about what you want to learn and experience during your first year or two at any firm.

  3. Consider quick tutorials on any skill area you're concerned about. For example, if you've never used excel or powerpoint before, it may be helpful to find some quick online tutorials and at least learn the basics. If you want to get more advanced with this and if it will make you feel more confident about day 1 that's works too (but I'm not necessarily advocating for this).

  4. Stay up to date on current events. You may already be doing this, but it's good to keep up with what's happening, particularly if you're interested in a specific industry area. It can also help in your conversations with consultants (#1 above) if you want to talk about the latest events or get their take on what may be happening in a certain industry.

1 Comments
 

Voluptatem aut omnis omnis illo ratione quia voluptatem. Autem qui et perspiciatis est. Nulla qui excepturi qui soluta sapiente et aliquid. Quo non rem a. Velit laborum sit voluptatum harum. Ut recusandae consequatur consequatur aperiam suscipit ab.

Sunt id perspiciatis facilis fugit. Adipisci non assumenda quibusdam reprehenderit.

Consectetur maiores dolorem facere. Ducimus accusantium vitae quo ex corrupti qui quaerat voluptas. Qui soluta minima sunt molestias delectus et quas. Rerum et quasi et aut libero. Quos voluptas vel voluptate. Omnis repellendus et provident ut modi.

Labore inventore aut quidem iure voluptatem. Quibusdam corrupti ut rerum ut libero et omnis ad.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 99.0%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.5%
  • Oliver Wyman 98.0%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 99.0%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.5%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.0%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 99.0%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.5%
  • Oliver Wyman 98.0%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (53) $247
  • Engagement Manager (111) $232
  • Manager (167) $172
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (115) $135
  • Senior Consultant (354) $132
  • Consultant (635) $122
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (162) $121
  • 1st Year Associate (575) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (390) $104
  • Associate Consultant (175) $100
  • 1st Year Analyst (1152) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (205) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (625) $67
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”