You have 30 seconds to speak to your 20 year old self: would you still advise yourself go into consulting?

likefunny
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at
Highlighted IconHIGHLIGHTED

No.

I’d tell him some winning lottery numbers, then tell him to invest the winnings in FAANG, and then unload, and short the market in prep for 2008.

Oh and to quietly work with a few people from NJ to “get rid” of a certain NYC property-developing “celebrity”.

likefunnyupliftinghelpfulsmart

Im sensing a major case of TDS.

likesmartfunnyhelpful

I came in as an experienced hire, a bit later in life. To this specific question, I’d tell myself to do what I did- get the specialized skills from industry and join a firm later. For me, consulting has been a great experience. Not easy, but truly something I am thankful to be experiencing.

Much like when someone gets an MBA right after undergrad, I think people don’t get the most of it when they do it too early. Or maybe it seems like they don’t appreciate it. Being able to reflect on industry experience has been great. I notice the people who come up in consulting seem to have a an almost naive consulting-centric view. It takes all types and a career journey is very personal, so this is just my opinion.

My true advice to self would be about having confidence and not taking advice from people who aren’t successful. I would have had faster success if I followed my own interests/curiosity, rather than try to do what other people thought was “right.”

likehelpfulsmart

I joined consulting straight out of college, and I totally feel like I should’ve gotten some industry specific experience. I feel lost most of the times

Recent IconRecent

Appreciate all of your saturday night replies. Hope this brought you some entertainment to read. We r all lucky and thankful!

likehelpful

20? What would I tell my 20 year old self? When I was 20 I was in the military. Didn’t graduate college until I was 26. Worked in consulting until I was 30 and after several jobs, returned at 43. Several years later I look back....

Maybe I would have made a few different decisions along the way but I wouldn’t be where or who I am now. I would tell my 20 year old self that life is not a straight line. Life sometimes throws challenges in your path. Being smart isn’t good enough and hard work trumps talent. Those challenges will teach you more about yourself than any book can. That everything will not be all right but that you will overcome whatever is thrown in your path. That hope alone is not an approach. Action and investment and effort will win out.

I doubt I would have listened...as I needed to learn these lessons organically along the path of life.

like

Twenty year old me was in 1989. I didn’t get into consulting until I was forty. I would tell twenty year old me “you were accepted to Harvard, do whatever it takes to go there.”

likehelpful

Sorry D10, just saw this. There are a whole host of reasons, but number one was to get to a place where my kids could get a good education. Where I lived at the time, the schools are subpar to say the least. Even the private schools. I happened to see an add for McK on a job board looking for an expert. I didn’t even have to tailor my resume. Sent it in as is, interviewed 1.5 weeks later, started my new job about 3 weeks after that.

likeupliftinghelpful

Marry rich!!!

funnylikesmart

No start my own business

likesmarthelpful

Say more

If I could talk to my 20 year old self, I'd tell him about financial and romantic mistakes to avoid. I would not bother with work advice. 52 year old me is doing fine with work.

like

As a young guy, I’m curious as to what romantic mistakes you made. Any general advice?

likefunny

Start out in consulting - build great skills, travel the world, eat at nice restaurants... position yourself to leave at manager, go to industry and enjoy work life balance

like

Nope

like

Yes, but abroad

like

Without a doubt, maybe work harder in college and cut back on smoking 🥴🥴

likefunny

Live your life don’t think what society would care, don’t get married till your 35! Be vulnerable and take risks!

likesmart

Yes, and it was everything I expected.

My only advice to myself would be to figure out how to manage stress without drinking.

like

Same let me know what you find 😩😂

like

Don’t get married until you’re at least 35. Marriage is not a necessity and not everyone should marry. Work is work if not consulting other work could be bad too.

like

I would say the biggest villain is within yourself. It’s your “inner saboteur.” The little voice in your head that stokes your fears and tells you what not to do. Sure, the outside world may fuel it, but ultimately whatever is holding you back is in your head and sometimes the best you can do is to tell that little voice to shut it.

likesmart

Don’t get married so soon. At 23. Saying this as a 40 year woman. I could’ve had so much more fun.

likefunny

I think my focus would be more on family life and life advice for non-work related things.

I’d tell myself not to argue with my mom so much because she means well and wants the best for me

I’d tell myself to appreciate my grandparents and spend more time with them while I still have them

I’d tell myself to give my brother some guidance on careers and help him out in school

I’d tell myself to shed the anxiety about finding a good job because in reality most of the time things even out (look where I landed)

Things like that. In the big picture, work is just a piece of it

like

Do it, but don't get lost in it. Because it's unlike anything else, anything that industry or university can offer. It's fun, exhilarating, interesting while also being intense, exhausting and all encompassing. Like the difference between watching a Webinar vs going to a full week conference where you are immersed in the experience. Consulting is amazing, but so are the sacrifices, and that's what makes it generally unsustainable long term for most people.

like

Never listen to your father.

like

Daddy issues, perhaps?

like

Don't spend your life working hard to make other people rich. Start a business you love and work like hell to build your own life your way.

likehelpful

It’s all going to turn out all right. You are going to be amazing and blessed with a great life.

like

Related Posts

If you had to choose only 3 TV shows to watch from now on, on a loop, which ones would you choose?

like

Anyone have a good sample/model clause for Feedback? (software development context)

What are the best ways to reduce my out of pocket expenses when buying, this can be negotiating options or other ideas? I’m 25 and a first time home buyer and would like to keep a good amount in my savings. I plan on only putting 3% down and am looking for homes within the 350-400 range but received a pre approval for up to 600.

Can anyone recommend a good moving company? 📦

like

Please feel free to distribute among colleagues

Post Photo

Age 44 and starting to notice a line down my left forehead from sleeping on the same side. Also have sun spots from growing up in the southern hemisphere with little use of sunscreen as a kid but all summer swimming.
Any advice on devices like this or My Skin Buddy?

Post Photo
like

Anyone from Leidos? Anyone? ...... *crickets*

like

How long does it take for IBM to send offer letter? I have been selected in the technical rounds and the financials have been agreed upon too. I then had to complete Cognify test which I did last friday. Still have no communication from the HR. This is my first job change after campus, so I'm really anxious. I would appreciate you advice. Thanks

Hi,

Please refer me for Automation testing profile.

I am having 10years of experience in software testing

KeySkills: Manual Testing, Selenium Automation with java, TestNG, Maven, Rest Assured, Cucumber, Git, Microsoft Azure and Jenkins.

Thanks,
Laxman Lamani
9008640696

like

London, UK. Currently work in real estate finance for a retail/commercial bank. 2+ years exp in debt (mezz and senior). Graduated 2018 from UK target in Real Estate (around 1/5 modules were finance). Looking to get out of retail and move to corporate. Think IB might be a push but MBD at GS sort of think more likely. I’m doing CFI modelling course to get my skills up to scratch. Any other suggestions? I think CFA has slim to no value in my situation but open to hear otherwise. Cheers

like

Cocreation is something I as a customer like very much. Especially when you can give input, discuss and it gets implemented or taken into account. I was wondering: how do you create a Cocreation community that gathers regularly? Do you have multiple groups? How do you manage them al if you’re a small company?

Tested a day before I was supposed to get my period and got a faint positive. Glad I didn’t tell my spouse because my period just came three days late. Is this common? I’m reading it may have been a chemical pregnancy

like

Have any of you successfully transitioned from staff attorney to Big Law partnership track (or know of someone who did)? What was your experience? How did you do it? How did you start off as a staff attorney in the first place?

like

I just found out that I passed the 4th CPA exam!!! I want to reward myself with (among other things) a nicer laptop bag. I can barely close my car door while carrying a laptop bag, lunch, water bottle, coffee mug, etc. in to work every day. I want to splurge but not too much (probably not more than $200). Can anyone recommend a cute and VERY spacious bag? I’ve been too busy studying on top of everything else I have to do in life to keep track of what is “in.” Any suggestions?

like

Recently switched jobs and need advice on 401K.

1) I have both Roth and traditional 401K. Can't change traditional 401K to Traditional IRA as I backdoor Roth and it complicates things.
2) does it make sense to move Roth 401 to Roth IRA to save on fees / have more options?
3) what would you invest in?

Current allocation:
FID 500 index (FXAIX): 58%,
FID Target 2055: 26%,
FID growth CO K6 (FGKFX): 12%,
FID bond - 4%

like

What is life like at a large Bay Street law firm?

like

Hi folks, I’m wish to break into tech sales as marketer. Have got consultative, training and prospecting experience in my own business but need to get back to traditional work. I’m based in Toronto and interviewed with a US SaaS company recently, open to networking with anyone in this area over a virtual hang! If you’re part of any exclusive “women in sales” groups please offer me an invite!

Do you find that you have little patience for texting on the dating apps? I find myself trading texts for a couple of days and then ready to either talk, meet or move on. Little interest in providing daily updates to a stranger or keeping up with a chat box within an app on my phone. Wondering if I need to be more patient.

like

How is Viacom account in terms of good project and learning opportunities?
Tech stack : Java, Spring Boot, Microservice, Cloud

like

Do Cisco renegotiates offer if competitive offer is shown from another company? Role is for grade 10. Tech stack is networking.

Additional Posts in Consulting

What are acceptable ride/taxi services including personal cab services like Blacklane for associate? Does the rate apply from your home office to the airport or I can expense from my actual house?

like

Need some recommendations for an office chair for around $300.

like

Best consulting firms in Houston?
Looking for new opps

like

What are the best consulting firms for someone that’s looking to work in the aviation industry? Can be big consulting firms with strong presence in aviation or boutique firms. Preferably commercial strategy type of projects. US based. Thank you!

like

Is anyone willing to look at my resume to let me know if I’m qualified enough to be a consultant at Deloitte? TIA

like

Does it make sense to MBA to get back into consulting ? What are some other options post MBA

like

Would you guys be interested in a learning bowl so that we can recommend each other online courses that can benefit our careers?

like

My Coach told me that Manager Promotions are not announced earlier and you only get to know when your partner discussed the CRT results with you.

like

There's no joke funnier than one told by a Partner.

like

Advisory all hands chat anyone? Come on in.

like

Was told to ghost hours on a project. Very close to calling the ethics hotline.

like

NOTHING is worse than being sick in a hotel room except being sick in a hotel out of the country with no medicine & too weak to go get any.. thank god last night is over

like

Runners and OCR folks! Are we enough to have our own bowl?

like

Ik it's not NYC or SF but the Chicago apartment hunt grind is getting to me 😪

like

Struggling with a consultant working remote. he doesn't join client calls, provides no excuse for missing them. SM says that I have to keep him until 30 Nov. any tips?

like

Is PLN 22,000 per month salary is good to survive and save some money with family in Poland?

like

What are typical backgrounds for people who go into product management at FAANG companies?

like

I just had to bail on my parents for the night because my team is in a crunch. Can't describe how bad it feels.

like

what difference does 109% vs. 100% utilization make at Year End? Latter basically means you took your PTO, former means you worked every minute of the year (Consulting, S&O)

Would it be too much if I asked my parents if I can get a small work desk to keep at their house while I live there? I'd be so much more productive.

likefunny

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Send download link to your phone

OR

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Messaging rates may apply

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal