The biggest difference between an internship at a consultancy and a “normal” internship is that, at the end of a consulting internship, if you perform well, you can expect a job offer. Pretty awesome, right?
However, whether or not you get an offer depends on various factors.
Below, I list three important points of advice that cannot be found in any consulting guidebook. Although they won’t guarantee you an offer, they will increase your chances enormously.
Let us dive right into the topic. Be aware that the order does not indicate the importance.
1. Reap the low hanging fruit first
If you are doing a consulting internship you will inevitably encounter situations where you must complete several tasks simultaneously. Preferably, you do them all at once and ASAP. A very stressful situation. So, what to do?
The answer is quite simple. Look at the tasks and ask yourself the following question. Can I complete some of these tasks quickly and with little effort without delaying completion of an important task? If so, do those tasks first.
Why should you structure your time this way?
Let me answer this question with a simple analogy. Imagine you are under time pressure and want to make an apple pie. You have an apple tree in your garden. Do you choose the most beautiful and juicy apple in the crown of the tree, which is difficult to reach, or rather a normal apple hanging right in front of your nose? It is the same with your internship tasks.
You will be under constant time pressure and your boss will want to see results. Therefore, satisfy him by delivering good results quickly. That way you will make a good impression and strengthen your reputation. Your boss will start trusting you and your abilities. The more complex tasks require more time and are much easier to handle after a few quick wins have given your voice more weight.
By the way, as a consultant this is called prioritizing.
2. Ask questions
I know from personal experience that this can be difficult.
You hold a high opinion of yourself and believe that you already know it all. Asking questions? What for? After all, you already know everything anyway.
The brutal truth is that you will often not have all the answers. That is perfectly normal. After all, that is why you are doing an internship.
It is important that you ask questions for two reasons. Firstly, although your questions may be simple, asking questions can make you appear engaged and enthusiastic about the work. Secondly, you should rather ask too many questions at first, and perhaps even some that your counterparts consider “stupid” than run the risk of venturing off in the wrong direction.
What do I mean by this?
Imagine a situation in which you, as the boss, give a task to an intern. He smiles and nods, starts working, and 4 hours later presents you with a solution. The solution has nothing to do with initial task. In other words, the intern has wasted 4 hours and suffered a loss of credibility. He will not be trusted with more challenging tasks. This problem can be avoided if you ask questions in the beginning.
As an intern you will regularly encounter situations where your boss dictates tasks to you and some of the details are unclear. In this case it is your responsibility to ask questions. If you do not do so, your boss will expect a good solution the next time you talk about the task.
3. Make them like you
I know what you might say. Consultants are very rational and objective. Thus, you do not need to be friends with your colleagues. Your work should speak for itself. And yes, partially you are right.
However, consultants are human too. Breaking news, right?
It goes even further.
Despite what you learned in your first year economics class, humans are not 100% objective and rational. So, when it comes time for your evaluation, you will inevitably get a better review if your boss likes you. Simple as that.
You are not convinced?
Imagine a situation in which you are asked to evaluate a friend of yours. Do you really think you would be completely objective? Of course not.
Since you will be better evaluated if your boss likes you, think about how to get there. Obviously there is no one size fits all approach here. Every boss is different. Some like to have extensive conversations and talk openly about private issues, others prefer to be quiet and like to separate professional and private matters. Thus, try to understand your boss. In which situations should you avoid disturbing him? What are things that he does not like at all? When is he particularly accessible? What are his hobbies? If his hobbies are different than yours, take the chance to learn about a new topic and become familiar with his hobbies. This way you can talk intelligently about a topic that interests him if the situation is suitable. But be careful. Do not be a suck-up, but rather take a genuine interest in the topic.
To conclude, the application of these three tips is no guarantee that you will receive an offer after your consulting internship. However, if you apply them successfully, you will improve your chances and be an important step closer.
Not convinced yet? Just give it a try. What can go wrong?
Till Margraf is in his late 20s and an enthusiastic consultant at Roland Berger. After studying business administration in Cologne, he completed the CEMS Master in International Management in Lisbon. In his free time, Till enjoys sports and going out into nature.
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