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Just going to list them out in bullet point form (which is a tangentially-related skill you pick up from consulting, how meta, lol):
PowerPoint: formatting, slide design (visual; not storyboarding, which is a separate skill), short cuts, hot keys, etc.
Excel: I personally haven't used excel all too often on my projects for models (only had to build one model, and that was a simple revenue forecast model). Obviously YMMV.
Storyboarding: knowing how to break down a message and how to effectively convey it on slides in terms of layout, word choice, headlines, tag lines, etc.
Attention-to-detail: you will become a pro at picking out 'defects' on your slides. This is important as your reputation for producing quality work is foundational to your success.
Relationship skills: just learning to become comfortable in your own skin in an office environment is something you'll pick up on as you gain experience. In terms of with clients, you won't be managing client relationships as an entry level consultant. You will obviously interact with them when you interview them or when you're drafting formal emails, but the relationship skills you're talking about are much more relevant at the higher levels. Being a charming, charismatic, sociable, and most importantly, likable, (which is a function of the aforementioned characteristics) will do wonders for your career in terms of how people perceive you and yes, to be explicit, how you're reviewed. No surprise there. That's true for any job in the entire world. Obviously not everyone can be a smooth hotshot without the associated cockiness/douchebaggery, but if you are a naturally charming dude/gal, leverage the shit out of that skill.
Managing expectations: this is not just for the client, but also for your managers. The key is to be explicit and straightforward when communicating expectations. Being indirect and passive only leads to miscommunication, misunderstanding, and poor results. Be upfront and direct. This is a two-way street, obviously, as the client/manager also needs to reciprocate the same level of straightforwardness.
Research: knowing how to verify resources and their accuracy/validity/credibility. It's also important to be able to break down any research you've done into key/core findings and their implications on your project work.
Travel: self-explanatory, but you'll find yourself becoming much more efficient at packing your bag, knowing how much time you'll need to get to the airport (i.e., how to maximize sleep before those Monday morning flights), etc.
Expensing shit: you'll become adept at maximizing the value you can get from expensing meals. It's a very conscious thought process for me when I'm planning trips in terms of meals, lodging, transportation and knowing what combinations of spending/niceness/quantity of food and drink you can balance together for a trip.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Sounds like the OP wants us to write his cover letter.
@The Boss - That is not true. I only wanted a better understanding of what skills a typical person would build in his/her arsenal by being into consulting and what specifically relates to strategy vs ops vs tech.
@Rana - Thank you very much for your detailed comments. Helped me to understand the skills much much better. Appreciate you for taking the time out to write this post.
Learning to review and clean data. Check-sums, Filtering, and never hiding rows in the actual data section. Use "grouping" if you must.
After I just spend all last night trying to find out why numbers from another consulting firm were all out by 10%, it's because they randomly decided in the middle of their data to hide two rows and make a combined heading....thus double counting the row in every formula.
Change Management: Because execution and strategy are two sides of the same coin, and if you can't help your client implement or start to execute you've got a problem
Doing your homework up front, a solid assessment and getting down on the ground finding out how things really are is huge. Don't trust their "process chart" - walk that chart through yourself talking to people at each step to know what really happens.
You need the client more than they need you. Even the biggest consulting problem has 2 other firms who can do the work. Do what is right for them, put yourself in their shoes and act accordingly.
To be honest (and it may sound a little cliche) but I think one of the core consulting skills is big picture thinking....the ability to understand how all the components of a problem fit together, and how pulling one lever will impact all the other parts of the problem.
In my experience, that's what clients really value in consultants....and if you can't do it, you won't go very far as a consultant.
Sub'd
Consulting Skills Set (Originally Posted: 02/17/2016)
Heading to business school in a few months.
Would like some insight into how proficient one needs to be with Excel for consulting?
What does an entry level associate work on in Excel on a daily basis?
Thanks!
Often: Vlookup, Hlookup Pivot Tables If statements (i.e. SUMIF, COUNTIF, etc.)
Sometimes: Index match Text manipulation (LEFT, MID, RIGHT, SEARCH, etc.) Data validation
My tip: knowing keyboard shortcuts and how to move around and select things is perhaps the most important thing. It can really save you a lot of time. I personally don't use a computer mouse at all.
Whats skills did you pick up from Consulting? (Originally Posted: 02/10/2017)
Again, I've been leaning towards the IB route, but I've heard people talk about how bad it is. Everyone who comes out is always brilliant, but I'm also a little curious about the difference in the skills you pick up.
how to gain and use travel/hotel award points
Could be an interesting and informative thread actually.
bump, I want to hear answers too.
A phenomenal stable of Tinder matches throughout the country
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