Tips for Success
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We'd love to guarantee you the insight to ensure your career in consultancy will be the most sparklingly successful ever. Sadly, we can't quite do that. What we can do though, is give you the pick of our insights from the experiences we've had in the world of management consulting.
This is not a comprehensive guide on how to get ahead in the tough and competitive corporate world - just a few pointers to set you off in the right direction. You do not necessarily have to have several online business degrees and a killer CV in order to make it in the challenging work place of today. Some tips are common sense. It is vital to note that soft skills can go a long way. We hope you find this list useful.
We've included some tips we have never necessarily used; none of us has ever had an 'elevator chat' with the CEO - but different things work for different people. Go out and impress.
How to Impress Senior Management
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Advancement should be all about ability, effort and merit. Unfortunately, even in the relatively meritocratic world of the blue-chip consultancy firms, that is not the full story.
Knowing the right people is critical, not just for promotions, but also for finding those plum roles and international transfers that can make the difference between having a great job and searching the headhunter websites.
In most companies, particularly those that are more hierarchically structured (such as IBM) it is therefore very useful to have an advocate in high places, someone who can support your case from on high. That means impressing senior management - people who are not easy to impress.
- Get the right role - you could be doing the best job on the project, but if you're not visible, no-one will know. This is mostly a case of luck.
- Be socially active - senior management often try to make the effort to come along to the odd project social. Make sure you're there too.
- Don't be a sycophant - nobody likes a suck-up. It will alienate you to your peers, and the management won't be much impressed either.
- Communicate appropriately - the most precious thing to a senior manager is time. Be concise, clear and efficient. Make every second count, and leave if you're not needed.
- Look at the bigger picture - your status reports are very important to you. Senior management, frankly, aren't that bothered. Recognise their scope of concerns.
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Top Tips
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More generally than impressing senior management, what's the best way of getting ahead? Some more general tips for success.
- Be professional - basic stuff. Your punctuality, appearance and language should be blue-chip too.
- Look the part - entry-level consultants are hired out to clients at up to £1,000 per day. You need to look like you're worth that, so make use of that salary and iron those shirts.
- Always give 110% - again, not rocket science, but nothing speaks louder than consistently high quality work. It takes time perhaps, but it will be noticed.
- Network, network, network - it really is all about people. Your colleagues will help you find roles, get promotion and help you out if you're struggling. The more people you know, the easier life will become.
- Practice and Initiative - big presentation coming up? Get in front of the mirror. Feeling a bit short of knowledge on test plans? Apply for some training, or ask your colleagues. It's your responsibility to improve yourself, but you can use the many resources the company makes available to you.
- Be nice - you've seen The Apprentice; even the winner is a cretin. But that's because it's TV, not business. If you're pleasant, affable and fun, people will want to work with you, and you'll have a better time. Don't be Machiavellian - you will be found out.
- Admit mistakes early and take responsibility - the head in the sand approach creates more problems than it solves. Take the rap, and you'll do better in the long run. Mistakes happen, but if dealt with well you can come out with more credit than if it hadn't been made in the first place.
- Communicate with your manager regularly - they're busy, but they'll appreciate you taking half an hour every couple of weeks for a quick update. They want to know if you're overloaded, bored, in need of a new challenge or struggling. It's also a great opportunity to remind them of your achievements and successes. Make it a regular formal meeting if necessary.
- Get to know the client - its good for the project, and its good for you.
What to Avoid
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- Making it up - if you don't know the answer, don't wing it. You will get found out, or worse, put the project in a tricky spot. Admit you don't know and offer to get back to the questioner with the information as soon as possible.
- E-mail - Unavoidable of course, but beware. It's all too easy to send that amusing forward to a group list including your CEO. Be very, very careful with e-mail and messenger programmes.
- Trying too hard - some people just go that little bit far, and try and do a little too much. Don't. You're being laughed at, and its not really helping you. Remember that it is still just a job.
- Screwing over your colleagues - it will, deservedly, make you a pariah amongst your peers. Reputations travel rapidly in consultancy too, so if you're known for dumping on your co-workers or being intensely over-ambitious, you will struggle. Play hard, but play fair.
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