The first 100 days
I can well remember that I was nervous when I looked forward to my first day as a consultant at GP+S. During my studies I had already gained a first impression of daily business at a strategic consultancy as a working student. Nevertheless, I was naturally excited about my new tasks as a consultant.
First day:
WELCOME
TO GP+S
When I arrived at the office in Bad Homburg in the morning on my first day at work, I was expected by a Managing Partner, who took me to my new desk. On the way, he explained to me that he would act as my mentor in the future in order to give me the best possible support with any questions I might have and in my development as a consultant. On arrival at my desk, like every new consultant, I received my company laptop and business phone, which I had already chosen in advance.
Although I already knew all the consultants from my time as a working student, most of them took the opportunity to welcome me as a new colleague. After a number of employees from Admin and IT had supported me in setting up various systems and tools, in the afternoon there were one-on-one meetings with my mentor and another Managing Partner. In addition to clarifying organizational issues, they once again explained their respective areas of expertise and industry-specific features
After my first day I was positively impressed that as a former working student I had been given the same attention as every new consultant at GP+S.
First week:
COLLEAGUES AND
FIRST PROJECTS
My second working day started with a kick-off meeting for my first project – a competition analysis for a leading energy sales company in Germany. The question had already been defined. There were three people in the project team – one Managing Partner, one Senior Consultant and me. The first ideas for the approach were worked out, a project plan was drafted, and tasks were allocated. There wasn’t much time to catch my breath in the first week.
On the next day, I was directly involved in a second project in which I was able to support the project team to prepare a project kick-off for a business field strategy development. The tasks in both projects were complex and demanding. However, thanks to a generally very cooperative and helpful atmosphere I always felt comfortable and, in a position, to carry out my challenging tasks.
Thanks to a manageable team size of 50 colleagues in total, the employees all know each other well and there is a friendly, family-like working atmosphere. Everyone here is also on a first-name basis with the management.
First Month:
IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE PROJECT
You are quickly given responsibility at GP+S. After the first week I was completely involved in the competition analysis project. For this I had to quickly acquire relevant industry knowledge and understand the business model of the client and its competitors. The industry expertise and the knowledge of the other consultants helped immensely to understand the complex interrelationships and mechanisms.
In projects at GP+S the project teams always act in close coordination with our clients, which they greatly appreciate. The regular conference calls and meetings to discuss issues with the clients, who usually contribute a high level of expertise and seniority, are demanding but fun at the same time. The professional preparation of the meetings within the project team plays an important part in ensuring that I can contribute well at this level.
First 100 days:
FULLY ARRIVED
After a little more than 3 months, I had fully arrived at GP+S. I had developed initial routines and felt confident in the project work and in dealing with clients. Thanks to my contributions to different projects, I was able to gain valuable experience and learn a lot from my colleagues. The highlight of my starting period at GP+S was without doubt the presentation of the interim results of the competition analysis to the client’s senior management at a workshop lasting several hours.
Overall, in the first 100 days I got a good overview of the variety of different tasks and consulting topics. In addition to technical knowledge, during this time I was also able to develop my methodical knowledge further. For example, the regular in-house PowerPoint training was extremely helpful. The tips and tricks taught helped me to become more professional and efficient when creating presentations.
One further highlight for me was our team event. The entire team went on a geocaching challenge followed by a tour of a sparkling wine winery and tasting in Wiesbaden. I am looking forward to the future at GP+S and am excited about the challenges that await me here in the next time.
