Apologies if this question seems a bit naive but wanted to get this forum's opinion on educating oneself on certain topics in order to hold better conversations with longer tenure colleagues. As a 22-year-old analyst I'm not super interested in or knowledgeable about luxury cars, cigars, watches, fine liquors, golf etc the list goes on.
Have people faced this issue before? If so what did you do to address it, e.g. should I start stalking watch and car forums?
I definitely don't mean to indicate that people in consulting firms only care about those things-most people are actually pretty down to earth. It would just be nice to contribute to conversations about those topics as well.
MBB people are just people. Yes, there are a few of them that are into luxury cars or watches or whatnot. By and large they were into that before they came to MBB. But like most people, the vast majority of them don't care.
There are people at MBB who are into music and food and old video games and sports and clubbing and wine and fantasy football and everything else, just like normal people. Just be yourself. If you try to "educate yourself" to talk to "longer tenure colleagues" about "luxury watches" you will look like a douchebag.
MBB people are just people. Yes, there are a few of them that are into luxury cars or watches or whatnot. By and large they were into that before they came to MBB. But like most people, the vast majority of them don't care.
There are people at MBB who are into music and food and old video games and sports and clubbing and wine and fantasy football and everything else, just like normal people. Just be yourself. If you try to "educate yourself" to talk to "longer tenure colleagues" about "luxury watches" you will look like a douchebag.
Talk about it indirectly. For example, say you graduated three years early by completing high school and college at an accelerated pace. Just make it an additional bullet on your education section.
sorry posted in wrong topic.
@"devildog2067" is right on; not sure why he got MSed. Most consultants are definitely not the models and bottles type. Cultivate hobbies that you enjoy and let conversation flow from those.
If you're going to do anything contrived for the sake of conversation, watch highlights of the local pro sports games.
I never understood the whole models and bottles thing. If you have game, you don't need to spend $1,500 on a VIP table.
And if you don't have game because you're busy working 60-100 hours/wk but have plenty of money and little imagination on how to spend it... Then what?
Being able to talk to girls has nothing to do with working 60-100 hour weeks. It has everything to do with confidence and not being a weirdo. Depending how you look at it, you can buy yourself confidence, but can't buy yourself out of being a weirdo.
I guess the best you can do is flash enough cash such that people are willing to overlook it. That has a high cost though.
That was my point. There's people for whom the models & bottles value proposition makes sense.
Just become well read, keep up with current events without getting too political, if you like golf learn about it and pick the game up, if you're into cars be able to talk about them (and for example, I like cars but I'd be much more impressed if a 22 year old started talking about the 369ci '69 Camaro or something like that than someone drooling over a $325k Italian, but that may just be me) but make sure it's something you like. It's more about developing interests and hobbies outside of work and being an interesting person. There are certain things where you're more likely to find a common interest with others in your field (nothing against Nascar, but if you're a consultant/banker in NYC or SF, you're most likely not finding too many other Nascar fans) but like what you like. I'm not in consulting and I believe consultants do tend to be more down to earth, but even in PE or IB I find it strange, and really a bit obnoxious, if a 22 year old starts going off on $20k watches. No one actually sits around talking about the stock weight of their business cards.
I was just going to say this: well read & current events. keep sex politics and religion out of it, but that should be enough.
OP, I appreciate cigars, wine, liquor, and golf, but I wouldn't say I'm a connoisseur of any of it. and to put it bluntly, no one expects a 22 year old to be an expert with those things.
and dingdong, I'm in the heart of NASCAR country and people who wear sleeves and don't have mullets don't like nascar either. it's not a southern thing, it's a redneck thing. NASCAR has 2 strikes against it: it's always on during NFL events, and they just go left. but maybe us city folk just don't get it.
Also, I don't know what you've heard, but MBB consultants don't make enough to start talking about luxury cars and watches, except from a hobby point-of-view. Those who get to the partners level, maybe, but certainly not those you talk to on a regular/ semi-regular basis.
Unless the MBB you're talking about is Moore-Bridgewater-Baupost.
It's more important to improve upon your skills as a conversationalist. If the individual you are speaking with is into cars and watches, then ask them about those topics and get them to talk about their passion for them. You do not have to be interested in or an expert in those topics yourself. This can be applied to any interest another person may have. As long as you get them talking about it and ask them lots of open ended questions about what they are into, you will make a connection and be fine. Just remember, people care about themselves and like to hear themselves talk, they don't actually care what you are interested in.
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