Why Consulting Was Worth It For Me (Pros of Consulting)

Hi everyone,
In this video I talk about why consulting was the right career choice for me straight out of school and why I don't regret pursuing a career in consulting. I have previously created a video where I talked about why consulting might not be a good fit for you and so this time I am looking at it from a 180 perspective to describe the pros of consulting. As much as having many aspects of consulting not be my cup of tea, not everything was terrible and in fact there are some aspects that I appreciated during my time at Deloitte. I have grown a ton during my time being a consultant and even if I had the choice to go back and choose my career path again, I would definitely start off my career in consulting.
If you have any questions, as always leave them in the comments below :)
How I got a job in consulting : • How to get a JOB AT Bi...
Cover Letter & Resume Reveal: • Resume & Cover Letter ...
ig: mikakimstagram #whyconsulting #ProsOfConsulting #careerinconsulting

[@gc9792]

1. Networking 0:30 2. Diverse learning opportunities 1:40 3. Exit Strategy 3:50 4. Work Ethic 5:05 5. Miscellaneous 6:45

[@birdtj82]

U are VERY pretty!!!! I am chinese so i know how much EAST Asian girls are OVER LOOKED when we are cute/pretty,,,as low IQ, less Spine(a lot ppl working at BIG FOUR are misogynistic ) same as women lawyer working at the BIG LAW. U remind me of some of my Chinese smart, best friends. HUGS! My family member works for the BIG FOUR--head office of Canada. OMG SO MUCH drama,,,,douche bag clients, douche bag partners, Karen, Malignant narccisit , covert Marc it’s, Dark Empath. Being in BIG FOUR, needs someone def has worked /lived/gone thru PARTY PHASE, lived indipendently in a city(not parents house)…that they have diff way of thinking /communicating/ work under pressure n deadline/ n enjoying the hustling. Ppl who were ANTI social,,,(ivory tower), think highly of themselves, not able to effectively communicate/set boundary/ burn bridge (press buttons ) …n have never gone thru Party phase know how to connect to GOOD PPL, but they wont be able to spot the FAKE ppl or Malicious ppl. U just sound so smart . I learn something from u. As Woman it’s empowering. :) xo.

[@transplantman2287]

"I'm the kind of person who has a hard time going to networking events" when I tell you my head FLEW UP (I was editing a photo on my phone while listening). That's me exactly. I cannot just spontaneously network; I need a reason to be there.

[@missmack2328]

Make up your reason

[@Native_love]

I loved being a consultant! All the traveling was awesome for the first 2 years! Flying in business class mostly was also awesome! After the first few years you get tired of the hotels and the weekly traveling. The parties are a fringe benefit however you need to be very careful what you tell your fellow consultants and how much you party. Everything in moderation!

[@TrangNguyen-jw7cv]

Hi Mika, thank you so much for the video and your honest sharing! The insights are super informative and useful! As consulting requires the consultant to learn fast about new cases, I am interested in (and will really appreciate) a video on how to succeed with the technical part in consulting (how to approach new cases and train an analytical mindset, etc.) Many thanks!

[@jayladavis8888]

This video was super helpful! Just started at the same company two weeks ago and this gave me more insight on what to expect!

[@gumdeo]

This kind of honest perspective is so useful for people thinking of entering consulting.

[@Aaa-dv3oi]

Wow thank you so much! I am a senior and I am considering different types of jobs that I might like, and your videos are super helpful at painting the whole picture of what working as a consultant could be like. Or at a big 4 company for that matter. However, despite me not knowing yet what I want to do, I know for sure that I would love to have the freedom to try these different roles. Maybe not forever but for a while it seems like a good idea to work there.

[@MubashirullahD]

This relevant material shows up when I start my career. I consider myself fortunate.

[@HJAFJKAJ]

Great video! Firms are cutting back on traveling in the aftermath of COVID. Partners I've spoken to keep telling me they are reducing travel and increasing remote working going forward.

[@Canilho]

10 projects in 2 years? That is actually messed up, and barely legal in some countries if there is an associated work contract with the consultants. My pros about consulting were the fact it helped me understand how the industry works, and how good or bad professionals are in the field. I've met a lot of people, that is a fact, and I also lived in several cities and traveled to other countries for some projects. The cons. Basically, you can be a "One Man party project", while the company takes all the profit and only pays you a small percentage of what you should make. Meanwhile, you take full responsibilities, pressure from your peers, your clients, your manager, etc... Another issue is that you don't own your life. Working abroad or moving constantly is a must for many clients, so you won't be able to build your life anywhere if you just don't know when you will need to move again. This was the main reason why I've quit my last job.

[@nicksabulis4000]

Hey Mikia, I'm so excited to hear more about how to get yourself on projects that you're interested in or align with what you want to do.

[@anne-en2tv]

I'd love to hear more about the politics and getting into projects you like, etc. I'm not the best at networking/etc either, but I'd love to learn more, especially since I'm starting in a B4 tech consulting role this summer. These videos have been great to get another perpsective! c:

[@MikaKim]

Noted! I'll create a video on that at some point :)

[@reginay3908]

@@MikaKim same!!! thank you so much

[@getdestroyed1958]

I just quit a B4 company and as far as politics. They shove DEI initiatives down your throat, you have no way to gauge where you stand on the pay scale to your counterparts. How you negotiate going in is your starting point and it doesn’t go up significantly from there. Small raises 1 to 3 percent is common. You being an asset depends on how cheap you are to them, not really what you know. You are a work horse, if you’re ok with that then you’ll do fine. They parade work life balance, but it doesn’t really exist. Advise is to get a clearance and go on federal projects. And understand that resource management puts you where there is a hole, not where you want to be. You don’t generally get to pick a project … hope this helps

[@jamiemcgrath1292]

@@getdestroyed1958 doesn’t B4 like McKinsey have a dedicated pay scale of how much raise you get for the next higher level role? You should be getting paid according to that pay chart.

[@getdestroyed1958]

@@jamiemcgrath1292 they don’t tell you what that scale looks like, or where you are at on that scale. What you make in Consulting is based on what you negotiated when you start. This means you can be starting a mile back from the starting line and you will work your way from there. You are an asset IF YOUR CHEAP. Once you start seeing your worth on the market, grab some high end certs, they don’t value that. They only value it to sell your resume to clients. Once you start asking for more money, or show them outside offers you received and asked them to match, they will toss you. No counters, no nothing because they know they can get a green college kid to do the work for cheap. Consulting is good to get experience, but get out once you have it

[@maximilliansanchez244]

just came across your channel... so helpful as someone’s whose thought a lot about consulting!

[@jefinjoseph7222]

hey! your videos are very insightful and helpful. thank you for doing this - appreciate it very much!

[@farshidjamali]

awesome video, thanks for sharing valuable points in your videos!

[@hnkul702]

Ah, I waited for this video and finally found it! Thanks!

[@DreamFirms]

Thanks for the tips Mika!

[@anshikanigam1190]

Hey Mika! Thank you so much for posting these videos. I am a consultant too and had no idea what I wanted to do after I graduated. Its been almost a year for me in consulting and I always wondered if other Consultants had similar thoughts about pros and cons in consulting. I am enjoying my hard mode life in consulting, the pandemic situation is helping me in a way cause I am facing less distractions since I mostly stay at home. 😁 This video really helps! Would love to hear more stories about your consulting life. :)

[@cashmoney2159]

Can you review my CV for a consultant's role?

[@snehabhat4876]

I like the fact that you made a switch from consulting to tech

[@kristencao2263]

Hi Mika, thanks a lot for this video. This is so insightful and informative. I will be taking a job as an HR consultant, and could not be readier to embrace challenges and grindy times :) :)

[@Prosperousakua]

You may have already made the video, but I’m really interested in the video about the politics and culture in consulting. Thank you for putting so much detail into explaining your videos.

[@ys.a6640]

Your sharing is just so great!

[@ranihari23]

Thanks for sharing your insights on consulting world :)

[@saniyarizwan3130]

Love your videos !! Can you do a video on skills to master if you want to stand out in consulting pleaseeeeee

[@jimmychan8008]

Love the sharing. Very insightful

[@DesaiAmogh9]

Thank you so much for making this video! The last part really helped me wrap my (confused) head around things :)

[@mingeumjeong4910]

Hi Mika, thanks for sharing this video. I am doing my PhD and recently got interested in consulting fields. still trying to understand what to expect from the field and this video helped a lot. just wondering if you plan to make a video about what made you decided to leave consulting despite these pros. this would be very much helpful as well. looking forward, thanks again 🙂

[@salexander3801]

Wowww, same company and experiences (I got the semi-bad end of a longer non-traveling project) but every pro and con you said is spot on. Plus the multiple interests of being an analyst, developer, or PM. Ready to transition now and I rather PM work tbh to work more by myself and not have unconducive bias hinder my career growth.

[@stanleystanley6343]

Wow I think big4 experience is very similar no matter the firm or location. Aside a few areas, I loved my time at a big4 no regrets!

[@vanillavey1584]

please talk about how you manage your time & stress management :)

[@layonnguyen5139]

Thank you so much because of making this videos that help a lots

[@Christina-yt3bi]

Hi, I loved your honest and non-judging voew on pros and cons of Consulting,. You mentioned, that you'd have to play your politics right to get the projects which are right for your development.. Can you make a video about that? That would be great! Best wishes :)

[@jennifercheng8193]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience as a consultant. I'm a Ph.D student and about to graduate soon, but still don't know what to do next. It seems that doing consulting is good choice for me to explore what I really want to do.

[@moejaman7557]

What did you get a Ph.D in if you dont know what you want to do? Typically, you get a Ph.D in what you like/want to do. Just curious.

[@jennifercheng8193]

@@moejaman7557 Well, people change their minds along the way

[@fuadhasanapiglotis]

Hi Mika thanks for sharing your insights, may I ask where were your previous consulting firms' office locations or the country you worked in? I recently myself have started working in management consulting in Europe, and I really enjoy it, because of office culture and work-life balance. just wondering if I am the lucky one or is it so in Europe work-life balance is prioritized... thanks

[@The_abdelhafid]

Thanks for your existence !

[@faisalpujinugroho2565]

I love it!!

[@nicoleh6428]

Hi. What skills and knowledge i should know and develop to perform at top level in consulting? Thank u

[@marquishenderson2674]

This was dressed up to be a positive video but was another video about the cons really. I get that your experience probably wasn’t the best for you but I was really looking forward to concentrating on the positives

[@fahid3342]

How did you go from consulting to software engineering?

[@angelchan7047]

Your video was very insightful and I enjoy it very much! Since you transitioned from being a consultant to a software developer, May I ask if your technical skills, such as programming skills, were honed during your tenure as a consultant? or did you hone it on your own time?

[@pikapikachu5292]

Are you working as a software engineer now? How did that transition go? Also, how long did you worked as a consultant?

[@Mr.Hamzah]

Do you need to look Handsome/beautiful for Consultant??? I heard people discussing this.Just wanted to know your experience on this!!

[@surajmali6641]

Could you make a video on how you switched to become a software engineer?

[@Mikejostar]

Hi Mika, You’ll prob may or may not see this comment but my problem is I want to break into consulting, but I’m constantly being out done by people younger and less experienced as me (i.e. recent grads) I have multiple high-level certifications, an MBA and at least 7-10 years experience yet it’s never enough. I’m building my network, I’m a member of an professional organization but more and more I’m burning out trying to get in that I know the rewards would be amazing for me and my family. Please tell me what the real issue is?

[@rubensung4245]

I thought about applying a consulting job, but I was not even qualified

[@SuperEbza]

What's the impact of Covid on travelling and going to client sites?

[@elizabeth6387]

hii do share with poliics at the office and how to navigate these :-))) would love to hear about it as i feel that this wld help ppl who arent in consulting too!

[@OiVinn-eq1ml]

How many hours did you work a week? And is burn out real?

[@ziv982]

Hello , about CPA , do you have any book of pdf of UK or us taxation to share. Thank you for your kind?

[@sarangnagbhidkar4956]

Subscribed... ♥️

[@richardplays3255]

Hi Mika! Just started watching your videos. What program did you graduate from during college? I've graduated from Business Program then ended up being a Project Manager in the Tech Industry. I really want to put myself in a more technical role as I discovered that I am having more fun on the technical aspect of the Projects. Having Software Engineering/Developer roles is being on my top priority for the future of my career. Any tips or comments on the career Path I'm taking on?

[@MikaKim]

Hey I'm a math grad! If you are thinking of switching in to a SWE role, you should start coding on the side to see if you like it. There are so many good free resources/tutorials out there so that's where I would start!

[@jamiemcgrath1292]

Tech companies hire PMs without any tech background, that’s very common. And also a bit controversial lol. But if you like the technical side, definitely start practicing software engineering to see if you like it like she said. But I know actual tech roles are very strict on requiring an actual CS degree. Something to think about. Or at the very least they’d want you to have a STEM related degree like physics, math etc. if you have a pure economics/business/finance degree it might be a bit of challenge. There’s just way too many good CS graduates for companies to give you the role over them.

[@aquilaa6611]

how did you make the switch to software engineering?

[@ev1700]

Did starting your career as consultant affected your career as software engineer? I mean did you found it difficult to get a job that you don't have an experience with it? For example: a student who got graduated as an IT, but they started their career as business analyst. After while they want to quit the BA career and go back to some of IT related jobs such as developing or administrating etc. From your experience is it possible? It would be great if you could answer 🙏🌸

[@salexander3801]

External or internal projects, a cert, and a network like Linkedin! The game is who you know or what you have atp

[@myopinionnotyoursok]

What kind of consulting projects did you handle?

[@abdurrahmanibrahim4802]

Did you already have swe engineering technical skills during consulting or did you learn on the job?

[@ianmadredinos7962]

I'm moving to Accenture from a non consulting org. And when you said, "Consulting is like playing a game in hard mode with big exp rewards." As a souls-bourne gamer, I'm prepared and this will be going to be worth it. I guess.

[@miahsjamal]

How much did you earn in your first year ?

[@captivesojourner]

Nice Shirt!

[@ALCRAN2010]

What about anything makes a person a "consultant"?

[@perrybright7186]

I didn't hear high salaries💔💔💔💔😭😭😭😭

[@amolgadage9221]

You should be model, you look so beautiful 😍😍😍

[@internetgirl3099]

haha back then they only hired 200 ppl nationally?? This year just July alone there are 600 new peeps

[@ADIKarnik]

yea i would like to see the video of politics and managing politics to sail through growth.

[@vanessagarcia3482]

Same here! I’d like to see a video of the politics in consulting! Great video by the way!

[@mudgalclasses5789]

i want to partnership with you

[@jg7088]

The CEO of doordash was a BCG alum haha

[@utubeuser7314]

You've got a nice blouse/top

[@satria8500]

I am a Software Engineer seeking for consulting career, yet you left consulting for software engineering. What a joke

[@bevq2246]

Why do you want to switch into consulting?

[@cashmoney2159]

When is politics in consulting video coming?

[@berealrelentless6237]

This doesnt sound like consulting. You are a new hire. your working for a company as an employee. This is a bit naive talk, but everyone has to find their own path.

[@princesscarolyn1063]

Wat

[@jonathanj9260]

She was already a consultant for 2 years...

[@p.6916]

우연히 추천영상에 올라왔길래 봤다가, 나머지 영상들도 모두 보고 있네요. 어찌하다보니 기회가 되어 유학을 와서 정착하게 되고 근근히 버티며 지내다가, 얼마전 빅4 한곳 파트너로부터 내년 그랫 프로그램 막차 잡오퍼 연락을 받고 서류를 기다리는 중이에요. 아직도 실감이 통 안나는데, 지극히 평범한 학점과 스펙에 영원히 해결되지 않을듯한 영어와 로컬 문화 적응 문제 등이 여전히 많이 걱정이 되는 와중에 너무 과장되지도 않은 빅4에 대해 현실적인 이야기를 들려주셔서 많은 도움과 위안이 되었네요. 혹 이민 1.5세대 또는 2세대로서 느낀점을 공유해주실만한 것들은 없을까요? 감사합니다.

[@MikaKim]

안녕하세요! 우선 축하드려요 :) 어줍짢은 조언 하나 드리자면 네트워킹이 제일 중요하지않나 싶습니다. 물론 실력은 기본 베이스고 회사에서 minority로써는 네트워킹을 통해서 더 actively 사람들도 만나고 opportunity를 seek out하는게 중요하다고 생각합니다!

[@ChristopheLereverend]

Great video, keep it up! the hardest part of my experiences is time management? Any advice or video welcoming! Thanks, Mika Kim