Ex-McKinsey consultant reacts to "Pros and Cons of Consulting" from kchoi

Kristina from the channel "kchoi" created a video about the Pros and Cons of consulting. Kristina Choi is a consultant herself, working in a boutique consulting firm in change management consulting. In this video, I react to her video about Pros and Cons of consulting and offer my perspective. I am a former McKinsey consultant, having worked with the firm for 6 years. From my experience in an MBB consulting firm, I will reflect whether her observations are correct for the MBB context as well. MBB stands for McKinsey, BCG and Bain and summarizes the leading top management consulting firms. As an Ex-McKinsey consultant, I hope to help you decide whether a career in consulting is the right choice for you. Do you ask yourself - what is consulting? This video will help you to better understand how consulting firms work and what consultants do.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:07 Reaction to kchoi's video
18:38 Wrap-up
Original video on kchoi's channel:
• Pros and Cons of Consu...
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[@FirmLearning]

Thanks to kchoi for this video - check out her channel, link in the video description! Do you want to learn to create slide presentations like top management consultants? I created a course for that: link.firmlearning.com/slides

[@bykchoi]

Thanks for the shoutout and the thoughtful responses! I know this is going to be so helpful for anyone looking into consulting/MBB firms 😊

[@FirmLearning]

Thanks for watching Kristina! Was a pleasure to create this reaction video. Best, Heinrich

[@persephone2450]

Absolutely the BEST video for people considering the Consulting path!! Thank you!

[@FirmLearning]

Wow glad to hear - thanks so much!! Best, Heinrich

[@arihantjain3975]

Thank you Heinrich for sharing such insightful and helpful perspectives directly from the experts and leaders in consulting. I also loved the way you have not only shared the industry perspective but also your takeaways which makes it even more helpful and clear for all of us. Thank you once again for giving us such amazing thinking fresh perspective and insights always.

[@FirmLearning]

Thank you Arihant, very kind of you. Always a pleasure to have you as a viewer!! Best, Heinrich

[@jackjack-xw1ci]

Excellent content as always Heinrich. I find this video providing more than just insights about consulting + guidance but also how to "criticize". Thanks a lot.

[@FirmLearning]

Very happy you liked it Karen, appreciate it! Best, Heinrich

[@mcdlr9197]

Really cool new format of yours! Please more videos like this!

[@FirmLearning]

Thanks!!

[@cheneunwien4259]

This is a great comparison video from two different perspectives(boutique and MBB), I have learned a lot! Thank you!

[@FirmLearning]

Very happy to hear that, thanks Nyuan! Best, Heinrich

[@Soldknight324]

I've just got my first consultant role at one of the Big 4 banks in Australia, working on projects and process management, enjoying going through these videos :)

[@FirmLearning]

Lots of success to you man! Best, Heinrich

[@DarkChoc0]

Hi Heinrich, Thanks for the high quality content you consistently put out on your channel. I’m a newbie at an APAC arm of one of the MBB firms. It would be very helpful if you can do a video on something like a “survival kit” for newbies as the first 6-12 months are usually the hardest. Wish u the best.

[@FirmLearning]

Hi, thanks for watching! Also thanks for the video idea, have noted that down for potential future videos! Best, Heinrich

[@Gorlenius]

Great stuff, looking forward to this!

[@FirmLearning]

Thanks, hope you liked the Premiere! Best, Heinrich

[@131JCAM]

Just found your channel, great content! You have a new subscriber

[@FirmLearning]

Joel Cameron thank you Joel, much appreciated. Welcome to the family! :) Best, Heinrich

[@thevincentliew]

Thank you so much for the information! Just found your channel a few days ago and I've been watching all your videos! Could you possibly make a video explaining how students can get a job at an MBB firm after graduating when they did not go to a target school like the Ivy Leagues, Stanford, or Cambridge/Oxford? Thanks again!

[@FirmLearning]

Thanks Vincent, very much appreciate that!! Yes, look forward for one of the next videos. Currently preparing a collaboration with another KZbinr in the consulting niche, the video will also touch on importance of target schools! Best, Heinrich

[@yunliu8425]

Hi Heinrich, I am interested in listening to your live stories of how you deal with difficult customers in your career. What kind of methodology did you apply to collaborate with them?

[@FirmLearning]

Hi Priscilla, thanks for this suggestion, appreciate it. Yes, might pick that up for future videos! :) Best, Heinrich

[@MarkusF460]

great video, as always :-)

[@FirmLearning]

Thank you Markus, much appreciated! :) Best, Heinrich

[@benedictus7081]

Thank you Heinrich and Kchoi for both of your useful insights. I am an aspiring consultant, now working as an office worker in a large conglomeration group. I'm not a consultant by title, but my job is somewhat like a consultant, but only serving the subsidiaries within the company group. Recently I happen to get a chance to deal with this difficult client, who is considerably having rather a key position in decision making, yet rather demanding, stubborn, pushy, snobby, and tend to be defensive every time our team try to argue with him regarding some matters within the project. (I am certain you might have had the similar experience) My question is: when you are put in rather similar condition, would you choose getting things done easily and quickly (e.g. due to the deadline) but you have to cut corners in your quality (e.g. compromising some part of your projects executed not on an ideal theory/concept)? or would you kindly share some perspective and perhaps some tips as a consultant to deal with this kind of situation? Thanks in advance.

[@FirmLearning]

Hi, thanks for watching! Glad to hear you liked it. Very good question, dealing with difficult clients is for sure not always easy and it is difficult to be in such a situation without the results suffering in one way or another. Will add this topic to my ideas list for future videos. Feel like I cannot provide a valuable answer just in a few comment lines as the topic is more complex than that. But please stay tuned for future videos! Best, Heinrich

[@benedictus7081]

@@FirmLearning Thank you Heinrich, cannot wait to learn more from your videos. cheers, Ben.

[@grainofsalt2113]

Maybe you should do a zoom with her. That way you each gain followers from each other's channels

[@FirmLearning]

Yes, good idea ;) Best, Heinrich

[@arpitap4859]

Hello Sir, At Mckinsey or any Management Consulting, Can We choose projects which we interested to work in?, Suppose I am from MBA Finance, So can i choose Finance based Projects?

[@FirmLearning]

Hi Arpit, In most firms (McKinsey as well), staffing works like a marketplace. There are partners starting new projects and looking for consultants to staff - and then there are the consultants who would like to work on specific projects with specific people. The more you have to offer in this marketplace, the easier for you to get staffed on exactly the projects you would like to do. E.g., factors that play into this are your overall reputation (are you considered a high performer), your experience with the topic of the project (have you done a similar project in the past), seasonality (how many projects are currently starting / how many other consultants compete with you to get on that specific project), availability of projects in the field you are interested in (some industries offer much more projects than others) etc. Hope this helps. Lots of success to you! Best, Heinrich

[@soultaker5399]

As it was mentioned that "some of the consultants quit their job, as they tend to go for pursuing far better opportunities", can you mention a few of such jobs?

[@FirmLearning]

Hi Chitturi, that of course depends on your goals. Just an example: Founding a start-up can be very rewarding ;) Best! Heinrich

[@xiaoyangwu9270]

What if you encounter bad projects in the rows during consulting ??

[@FirmLearning]

Hi Xiaoyang, well yes this would be of course inconvenient. You will need to judge for yourself whether you see a perspective for your situation to improve. At some point, it might be the decision to leave. Best, Heinrich

[@thangduongtrong5729]

i wish to be consultant because i want to know about many industries .my job now is investment in stocks, which require me to know about many industries

[@FirmLearning]

Makes sense, lots of success to you in your investment career! Best, Heinrich

[@vikramsharma5033]

Do Advanced Degree Consultants in MBB type firm also have similar work life balance.

[@FirmLearning]

Hi Vikram, yes believe the lifestyle is independent from the degree you got in MBB. Best! Heinrich

[@vikramsharma5033]

Firm Learning Thanks for a quick reply.

[@jasonnicholas5104]

Yo Rich, why did you left McKinsey?

[@FirmLearning]

Yo, wanted to do something more operational! Best, H

[@jasonnicholas5104]

Firm Learning Best of luck Heinrich, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! Your channel will definitely grow with the value that you provides to us 😀

[@FirmLearning]

@@jasonnicholas5104 Will do my best, thank you! :)