By Muke Abdelnaby
1. Be prepared prior to showing up on your first day at your client. Read the companies 10K/annual financial report (if applicable) to understand the company's finances, risks, opportunities, and current operations.
2. A consultant has 3 Bosses that they need to satisfy and seek approval. Who are the 3? of course, the Client whom you are providing services. The second is the firm itself – How much time away from the client are providing to help establish and strengthen the firm's image. Finally, the third is yourself/family/friends—What do you want out of being a consultant and how will you rate your success. At times all three of theses bosses' goals are in sync and align, but more often than not, they are not. Its your challenge to know when to push and pull between them all.
3 . Take your mundane/trivial tasks seriously and get them completed as if they are part of the critical path of a project. Upper management tends to assess your work ethic no matter how big or small the task.
4. "Be George Clooney," George paid his dues by playing an extra on The Roseanne Bar TV show before he got his break on ER that later turned him into a bigger performer, director and producer. There is no short cut or entitlement to moving up in consulting.
5. Everyone has their "Word." Some people have been gifted with specific skills such as presentation, creativity, networking, sales, but everyone has their word and the ability to keep it or break it.
6. Learn what is impacting your clients' business. Listen or read, NPR, Bloomberg News, WSJ, etc. and share them with your client and co-workers. Listening to Justin Bieber or Top 40 will not help you get ahead in business.
7. "Play for the name on the front of your jersey not the back
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