Why I Chose To Start My Career in Management Consulting

Listen to: 679 – William Hinge  

“No they can’t control me. All these suits sitting acting like they know me”

Why Did You Choose to Go into Management Consulting?

It’s taken me a couple of years to reconcile my thoughts on the world I was in / am in / the one I still have ties to. I don’t think I’m there yet, and maybe that’s okay.

“You should go into consulting”.

A friend once told me…I recall rejecting his thought.

It’s what all the business kids with 4.0 GPAs went into (at least those who didn’t “dream” of becoming ibankers). I saw them compete for internships and brag about their upcoming branded positions, while I never felt good / smart / passionate enough to be a part of that world. More so, it was the resistance I had in believing that corporate jobs could fulfill anyone…let alone, me.

Was I going to leave my acting days behind, where creation was literally the job, to sit in a cubicle and work 9 to 5 (8 – 11)? That wasn’t going to make me happy.  

I ended up in management consulting largely because I wanted to be in a creative space. Hah. Hear me out! Creative technology companies, digital marketing agencies and tech-type companies with incredibly exciting cultures were being bought out by massive consulting firms. Consulting firms could no longer depend on stagnant accounting department revenues (i.e. Big Four), and they were looking for ways to grow their consulting services in inorganic ways. Turns out, this was the case. In 2019, Accenture acquired Droga5, while having Fjord, and Infusion in its portfolio. Deloitte acquired Huge. PwC started its internal Digital practice. This is the space I wanted to be in. I was too corporate and structured for the agencies, and too creative for the corporations. I chose a consulting firm that married the two, and hoped I could have the chance to grow my career in digital interactive type of work.

Management consulting and professional services is an incredible line of work. It’s been a crazy crash course on all things business and I have not learned this much…well, ever. It can be stiff, and it’s got a shelf life for most. However, it sets you up to understand different industries and facets of the business world. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my corporate career and am so grateful.

I’ve had high highs and low lows in consulting. It’s what has made it so interesting.

Want to know the best and worst parts of consulting life? Read more.