A day in the life of an Associate
7:30am
Alarm goes off. Just a few more minutes. At 8am I finally roll out of bed, and run out the door.
On the tube on the way in, my mind is getting set for our 10am CTM (case team meeting) with the Partner and Principal on my case. I'm trying to think of a clever way to provide more evidence to back our recommendations. Maybe some quantitative ratios?
9:00am
Arriving in the office, I spend some time creating a simple model in Excel to calculate the numbers I had been thinking about on the tube. Thankfully, not only do I have all the inputs I need but the resulting coverage ratio supports the view we’ve developed for our client. This is great – it confirms we’re on the right track. I quickly use PowerPoint to put together a slide that describes the coverage ratio and compares it to the ratios of a few of our client’s competitors.
10:00am
The CTM begins with the Partner on our case setting the direction for the steering committee meeting we have at the end of the week. Each taking turns, the three consultants on the case describe the emerging insights from the modules they are running. I introduce the slide I created this morning and we agree it sends a powerful message to the client. We spend some time at the whiteboard planning the key messages for the steering committee, and challenging the recommendations we’re proposing.
12:30pm
I meet a friend in the lobby and we head out to pick up some sandwiches to eat in the park. It’s a gorgeous day outside, and it’s really nice to get some fresh air and a bit of sun!
1:15pm
Back in the office, I start putting together a first draft steering committee presentation. We’ve spent 3 weeks analysing the information we’ve collected – now we need to communicate the merit of our recommendations. I send the skeleton presentation deck to the Principal and other consultants on my case team and ask for their input.
3:30pm
I run down to Starbucks to meet one of our new joiners for coffee. He joined about 3 months ago – and is full of questions about how the financial services market works. Having worked on two cases in this area, I do my best to fill in the gaps and put him in touch with a few other experts in the office.
4:08pm
Coffee ran over – I sign in slightly late for a virtual training on the dynamics and latest trends in the energy industry, being delivered online by our global heads of energy.
5:00pm
Having received feedback from my Principal on the draft presentation I sent him, I go through his comments, restructuring and making adjustments. He’s suggested I present one section during the meeting with the client, and so I spend some time planning what I want to say.
7:30pm
Happy that the presentation is in good shape, I send an updated version out to the case team. We have two days before we present – I’m sure we’ll have a few more iterations before then. I quickly change into my gym kit and head back out to the park to meet the Volleyball team for practice. The BCG European Championships are approaching and we need all the practice we can get!