What's up guys...
There was a recent topic regarding Consulting at the Analyst level and I would like to spark a new discussion on this....
If I join a consulting firm as an analyst is that the most basic of entry-level roles at a consulting firm? If I want to eventually become a consultant, does the analyst title set me up on track to becoming a consultant?
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At some firms, the entry level position is very similar to the post-MBA "consultant" position...at the client 4 days a week, owning a large workstream and client relationships, reporting directly to a Principal and presenting to Partners.
At other firms, you won't see clients, and report to someone more junior, but you'll build many of the same skills, and you'll still be on track...it'll just take longer.
Perhaps if you say which firm you are joining, someone on here will be able to let you know what to expect.
it's an HR - consulting firm focusing on employee engagement...i've already posted on the company and no one responded but I have a final round interview on Monday...
I also had a call with someone in HR who basically gave me a run-down of the position but she was talking so fast it was impossible to comprehend...
I heard her mention working on presentations which is obviously expected...but what other work is typical of entry-level associates in consulting....do they travel often??
also is it possible to see a sample consulting presentation..where could i find something like that other than just googling it?
it's an HR - consulting firm focusing on employee engagement...i've already posted on the company and no one responded but I have a final round interview on Monday...
I also had a call with someone in HR who basically gave me a run-down of the position but she was talking so fast it was impossible to comprehend...
I heard her mention working on presentations which is obviously expected...but what other work is typical of entry-level associates in consulting....do they travel often??
also is it possible to see a sample consulting presentation..where could i find something like that other than just googling it?
Well you said HR Consulting so I googled a Mercer presentation for you.
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS454US454&gcx=c&sourceid=c…
click the the top link. Also, in the future, look at what I google searched using operators and just re-run it yourself :) hope his helps!
well i think i may have made a mistake...its not really an HR-consultancy....its focus led me to believe that initially, however it doesn't seem to be the case...
Consulting work at the analyst level (Originally Posted: 11/06/2011)
Hi,
I was curious what type of work an analyst does on a day-to-day basis? Also, how do different firms vary in the type of work for their analysts? Specifically, compare top 3 firms (such as BCG) to a second tier, such as Deloitte.
Thanks.
Curious also how analyst role differs from associate role at MBB.
Analysts are smarter and get paid less. Other than that, the differences in what you actually do are a function of your tenure (i.e. once you're in your second year, you start doing more shit by yourself).
Making powerpoint slides and realizing no matter how much effort and time you put into them, your manager will always have feedback on how to change or "fix" them.
10,000% correct. That, random help for other associates, and shit load upon shit ton of "research".
You become a powerpoint master the way bankers eat and shit excel.
Nailed it.
I was so excited when my first document was approved by my immediate manager to be sent to a client presentation, only to see the final version on the company web portal in an entirely different form. As the posters above said, analysts basically do whatever their superiors ask of them.
The variability of the tasks is what makes consulting... consulting. On one hand, constantly learning new things as an analyst adds a level of excitement to the work, but at the same time you never really get your footing and that can lead to frustration. My firm was growing quickly, and as such had not yet instituted formal training. On my first day, as I was being hit by a barrage of acronyms, names, and deliverables, and the branch manager asked "you gonna sink or you gonna swim?" which seems to be the culture prevalent in the industry. You'll be blasted with things that you won't understand, and you can't expect them all to stick.
The way to succeed is essentially to get comfortable asking questions, but be sure that you've exhausted all means available to you to answer them yourself first.
Cliffs: Consulting is hard, brah
Develop financial or operational models (Excel monkey), take notes and send meeting minutes, create slides for deliverables, often times same slides in a million different variations.
Gets more fun after 2 years though....especially once you've built your network and some basic "expertise"
You are the jack of all trades. Do anything and everything the partners/managers require. Includes research (typically building cases to support partner's opinions rather than gathering data to base a decision off of), creating decks/proposals, developing timelines/checkpoints, and creating models in excel. As an analyst/associate, you will live and die in Power Point and Excel.
Your Power Point and Excel work ranges from editing someone else's half assed spreadsheets to creating 100 slide decks from scratch. You will quickly learn more than you ever wanted to about both programs.
Regardless of whatever you create, there will never, ever be a final version. Everyone will want something changed or tweaked to their personal style/liking, so it's best to just be mentally prepared for that.
From my experiences, the tasks an associate/analyst have don't so much depend on the firm you're at. The tasks you'll be doing correlate much higher with the types of project's you're involved in.
I've had two interviews for an Associate Analyst position at a consulting firm....waiting to hear back now on the final round..
the description states that it is an entry-level role...my question is: does that mean it puts you on track to become a consultant??
Most likely, yes., they'll want to groom you for a leadership position.
I cannot speak for all firms, but the hierarchy in my firm was as follows: - Interns at the lowest level - Apprentice Business Analyst (Guessing this is the same as an Associate analyst, it's basically an excuse to pay you shit while seeing if you can handle the hours.. "Sink or swim" and if you sink, they can your ass) - Business Analyst (Occurs within 1 year, pay less shitty, hours still as shitty) - Consultant (Masters degree required--provided by firm, hours still shitty) - Senior Consultant (Take a deep breath, you've survived the gauntlet, you essentially oversee projects at this point. The gateway between the managers and the monkeys. At this stage, you get your own office.) - Manager (Where you start enjoying life again, some late nights, consistently 50+ hour weeks, because you still QC all work before it is presented to clients)
Anything above this I didn't really grasp. Honestly, a group of 10-15 men in their late 40s whom I'd never seen before would walk into the office laughing their asses off, go into the board room, and walk out three hours later still laughing their asses off and leave the office. Upper management... we'll get there some day.
PM and I'll email you the list of interview questions I "borrowed" from my company's intranet. Good luck with interviewing!
I'm going through the same thing now as well.
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