What It’s Really Like To Work In Consulting After Your MBA

Tuck alumni at McKinsey and Deloitte share how their MBA prepared them to succeed in consulting and what the industry looks like today.

Consulting remains one of the most popular and rewarding paths for Tuck MBAs, with more than a third of recent graduates joining firms such as McKinsey, Bain, BCG, and Deloitte each year.

Tuck’s general management curriculum, trust-based community–including the world’s best alumni network–and personalized career support prepare students to excel in both the consulting recruiting process and the demanding, team-based work of the field itself.

Below, alumni at McKinsey and Deloitte share how Tuck prepared them for successful careers in consulting, and what working in the industry looks like today.

Dave Dauphinais T’18, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company

1. What made you decide to pursue consulting? In my fall year, I had a realization: In the absence of clarity about what I wanted to pursue professionally, pick something that gives me options. Like most MBA students, I was given the advice to “follow your passion.” And if I’m honest, I didn’t have a clear professional passion when I was at Tuck. Rather, I had a practical motivation to get apprenticed broadly across the spectrum of business imperatives like growth, strategy, operations, tech delivery, implementation, etc. Consulting is an excellent way to do this.

2. What do you like most about working in consulting? The dynamic nature of the projects, the complexity of the problems we have to solve, and the caliber of people with whom I work comprise a curriculum of development that is truly extraordinary. I don’t think I could have gotten this level of apprenticeship and credibility anywhere else.

3. What has been the biggest surprise or learning curve in your consulting career so far? I was surprised at the value of the full “toolkit” you develop as a consultant. As an example, the ability to structure problems is a skill you will develop rapidly in consulting. Secondly, I had a misperception that consulting was all about finding the answer for our clients. While that is often the case, we are also coaches and capability builders to help our clients succeed. I love this aspect of the work.

4. Looking back, how did Tuck best prepare you for success in consulting and the recruiting process? Two ways: First, the general management curriculum Tuck exposes students to a variety of business problems. This is a strong foundation for consulting. Second, Tuck has a distinct culture that puts an implicit value on empathetic leadership. They call it the “Tuck fabric” and you’ll feel it when you step on campus. Problem solving and analysis alone is seldom enough to deliver real sustainable impact for our clients. They often (and should) ask for advice on change management and implementation. Tuck’s culture of collaboration and empathetic leadership means you leave the campus ready to engage on these topics.

Bridget Sullivan T’21, Engagement Manager, McKinsey & Company

1. What made you decide to pursue consulting? Prior to Tuck, I was part of the enterprise strategy team at a B2B SaaS company. I loved working with the executive team to design and execute strategic initiatives like their IPO and new product launches. At Tuck, I decided I wanted to repeat that experience across a range of companies; advising on the design of their biggest strategic efforts and fitting my expertise from developing and delivering corporate strategy elsewhere into their unique culture and context. As a consultant I have the opportunity to do that every day. It’s always interesting, never routine, and consistently impactful work.

2. What do you like most about working in consulting? My time at McKinsey & Company has exceeded even my highest hopes in many ways. There are three special privileges of working at the Firm that stand out most: the trust our clients give us to tackle their biggest challenges; the ability to access expertise across fields and industries and translate that expertise into practical advice for our clients; and the persistence and creativity my colleague bring to the team room every day. It’s an empowering combination and keeps me coming back for more.

3. What has been the biggest surprise or learning curve in your consulting career so far? I’ve been inspired by McKinsey’s commitment to synthesizing academic research with the lessons of boots on the ground experience. I learned that both perspectives are essential at Tuck, but I’ve also come to appreciate the intention and investment needed to combine those perspectives into something actionable. McKinsey has made an intentional commitment to do that well. I’m especially proud of the research my colleagues have put out this year on the ways that organizations are rewiring themselves to lead in the AI era. It’s work that directly impacts the way we support clients navigating this tremendous change. It’s energizing and challenging to bring the insights of theory and wisdom of experience to companies at the leading edge of applying these technologies at scale. 

4. Looking back, how did Tuck best prepare you for success in consulting and the recruiting process? My time at Tuck was transformative. The consulting club and career center team certainly prepared me to deliver in my case interviews. More broadly, and just as importantly, the Tuck community gave me the skills I’d need for my future in team rooms and in front of clients, including preparing me to take thoughtful risks and navigate uncertainty. The Tuck alumni network at McKinsey has also proved to be a rich and supportive community. Four years after graduation, my Tuck classmates and mentors are still my first phone calls when I’m looking to celebrate a great study or seeking an outside perspective on a client problem. 

Nick Desimone T’22, Manager, Monitor Deloitte

1. What made you decide to pursue consulting? I initially entered consulting out of undergrad because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I figured consulting would give me access to a variety of experiences across industries. When deciding to pursue my MBA, I knew I wanted to stay in consulting because of the pace and volume of learning it provides. While it is cliche to say, every day really does bring new challenges, and I am consistently given opportunities to grow. It has allowed me to understand how all functions of a business work together and to further the skills I sharpened during my time at Tuck – whether my hard skills are tested by a challenging financial model, or my soft skills by needing to generate alignment across a diverse group of stakeholders with differing priorities.

2. What do you like most about working in consulting? I’d say two things–first and foremost would be the people. I get the chance to work with—and learn from—incredibly smart and uniquely motivated people from a variety of backgrounds. Their experiences and personalities keep each day interesting and make me a better consultant and a more well-rounded person. The second would be the opportunity to make an impact for our clients – I thought it was so cool the first time I heard the impact of work we’d done called out in an earnings call.

3. What has been the biggest surprise or learning curve in your consulting career so far? I don’t know if I would call it a surprise, but the biggest challenge I think I have faced is trying to figure out how to adapt my approach to be successful working with different personalities. I quickly learned that a project management or presentation approach that may be effective with one client or stakeholder may be a non-starter for others. It’s important to be agile and adaptable, and to not be afraid to lean on others for insights on what may work best.

4. Looking back, how did Tuck best prepare you for success in consulting and the recruiting process? There is no doubt that Tuck has made me a better consultant. I honestly don’t think I took a class from which I haven’t applied a classroom learning to better do my job. However, the biggest impact Tuck made was on my soft skills. Tuck’s small class size and fully-immersive experience allowed me to not only get to meet, but to get to know almost everyone in the class, which has made me more understanding, more agile, and better able to relate to my teams and my clients.

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Amy Mitson is director of admissions, recruitment, and marketing at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and has been at Tuck since 2000. Amy serves on the admissions committee and leads recruitment and marketing. Her student services and admissions experiences have helped acquaint her with Tuck’s operations, history, vibrant campus, and alumni community. Amy’s favorite aspect of Tuck is the people; working with current and prospective members of the Tuck community is a consistent source of motivation and inspiration.

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