Most people who are considering the decision to work in management consulting cannot avoid the classic clichés:
Here you can find out why I decided to go into management consulting anyway, how this decision came about and whether these clichés are reflected in my day-to-day work at TMG Consultants GmbH.
After successfully defending my Master's thesis, I was on a plane to Costa Rica a few days later. What began as a language trip turned into a nine-month backpacking tour through South America. Between many highlights such as the diverse cities in Colombia, the Cordillera Huayhuash mountain range in Peru, the wine regions in Chile and Argentina and the many people you meet on such a trip, there were also quiet moments to reflect on my personal future and the path to my career.
Regardless of industries and specific job descriptions, I first thought about what basic characteristics my professional role should have. Influenced by the impressions of my trip, I quickly realized that variety in the form of working with different people and working in different places was an important requirement for my future job description. As a graduate, I also wanted to gain my first experience quickly and develop myself further. As I didn't want to commit myself to a specific industry (automotive, medicine, mechanical engineering, etc.), management consultancy quickly became the focus of my considerations. Even though I was well aware of the above-mentioned clichés, I didn't want to let other people's assessments put me off my idea too quickly. So it was clear: I had to gain my own experience in management consulting.
I have now been working in management consulting for almost 5 years. During this time, it has become clear that longer working days are part of the job from time to time. However, depending on your own ambitions and motivation, this characteristic can be transferred to many other professions. Living out of a suitcase is related to the current project. Not all projects require a 100% presence on site and sometimes there are projects that allow you to commute home every day. I haven't personally experienced the elbow mentality. I can't rule out whether this characteristic exists in other management consultancies. At TMG, I really appreciate the collegial cooperation and mutual support. Even with the last cliché, the superficial business administration snobs, I have always been able to convince myself of the opposite at TMG. The different project assignments and the personal focus as well as the project teams consisting of experienced and new colleagues lead to a rapid build-up of experience, which directly counteracts superficiality.
The decision to join a management consultancy has turned out to be the right one for me.
