Consulting looks glamorous from the outside: client meetings, big presentations, travel. The first year is usually quieter and far more hands-on.
Most of the work is structuring and analysis
Analysts break a client's problem into smaller questions, gather data, clean it, and turn it into charts and findings. A large part of the day is spent in Excel and PowerPoint.
You support first, then you present
Early on, your job is to make the team's thinking easy to follow: accurate numbers, clear slides and good notes from interviews. Speaking in front of the client comes as you earn trust.
The skills that matter
- Structured thinking: breaking a problem into parts that don't overlap.
- Comfort with numbers and spreadsheets.
- Writing short, clear sentences.
- Taking feedback quickly and without ego.
Is it right for you?
You will probably enjoy consulting if you like solving puzzles, learning new industries quickly and working in a team to deadlines. If you want deep expertise in one area from day one, a specialist role may suit you better.
The best way to find out is to try it: solve a few cases, build a small analysis, and talk to someone who has done the job.