Tips and suggestions for starting in unprecedented times

Hey!

Surprisingly, my start date was not postponed and I am joining a T2 strategy firm next month at entry-level (Western Europe). My concerns regarding eventual delays were alleviated by the confirmation; nonetheless, new ones arose having to start a radically different career in (nearly) unprecedented times. Having just finished my doctorate, I expect a different approach to problem-solving and research but I would love to hear any suggestion you would have loved when you were starting out

what you think is a good way to approach strategy consultancy work?

what type of relationship to establish with managers and partners?

how do I maximise the impact of online training and what extra resources do you recommend?

Finally, as the firm group does mostly growth and M&A work, I would love any tip on handling the inevitable downtime until the economy keeps up again and how to make the most out of it to stand out.

Thank you!