One aspect of consulting career development that I don’t think those new to the industry sufficiently appreciate is the importance of having a community of mentors. Yes, most firms have a system whereby each consultant is required to have a designated mentor to be an official guide (formally titled Coach, Counselor, etc.). Yet, beyond that, new consultants are encouraged to acquire informal mentors during their consulting careers. After a few years of experience, I thought it would be helpful to highlight key lessons learned and some of the consensus on best practices in building a mentorship community.
Lessons Learned
Two frequently mentioned factors that new consultants consider when seeking mentors are perceptions of popularity and shared identity. There is of course nothing wrong with seeking mentors using these considerations, however I often hear reflections of missed opportunities from people who have overly or exclusively focused on these criteria for considering new mentors.
1. Going for the “Popular” Mentor
It is easy to understand why there would be a desire to have a mentor who is popular, well-known with lots of positive name recognition across the firm. There are perks in being able to shine by virtue of being able to claim an association. The frequent reality I have heard though is that the most popular mentors are some of the most bandwidth constrained professionals within the firm. Thereby, however well-meaning and sincere they might be as mentors, it is often difficult to get the level of engagement from them that you desire. This might not matter that much for a more seasoned consultant. However, for a new consultant, it really helps to have a mentor who takes the time to conduct proactive mentorship.
2. Seeking Mentors based on Shared Identity
I often hear about consultants, new and seasoned alike, who try to find mentors based on shared identity. Oftentimes this specifically refers to a demographic identity (e.g. race, national origin, or gender). However, it can also be an experiential identity (e.g. professional background, academic background, alumni status, etc.). I completely understand the power of shared identity and how it’s only human for us to seek kinship through it. However, a lot of times focusing squarely on identity connections means precluding potential mentors that may be terrific at coaching a new consultant or who have relevant professional connections. A lot of times I hear this epiphany expressed when a consultant has a mentor where there is no shared identity but turns out to be positively impactful. I always recommend to new consultants to think of a shared identity with a mentor as a bonus but not as a prerequisite.
Best Practices in Building a Mentorship Community
1. Pick the Right Mentor for the Career Objective at Hand
As people progress along their consulting career different career objectives come to light. In the beginning, nearly every new consultant has the same goal of acclimating to consulting. As time goes on, different consultants have different career goals. Some might want to focus on getting promoted early. Others may want to explore different business areas. Whatever the career objective may be, it helps to get a mentor that is really good at helping achieve specific goals. Some generally great mentors are multi-sport all stars and are stellar at nearly everything. However, the typical mentor is best suited for a select roster of career objectives. It can take a little bit of detective work and some honest conversations, but it helps to find mentors who have the right mix of empathy, firm knowledge, and career strategy perspectives to really drive towards specific career goals.
2. Availability
A lot of the time, the best mentor is simply not available. In my opinion, it is better to have a good mentor that has good availability to dedicate towards mentorship rather than having the best mentor that has no time to do the mentoring. This is especially true for those new to consulting. It helps to have a mentor who can take the time to help provide frequent navigational guidance. I always recommend that it is helpful to find a mentor who has the right balance of ability to support specific career goals and availability to provide the mentoring.
Bottom Line
At its core, finding a mentor is about finding a coach who can help you to strategically achieve career objectives. Sure, prestige in association and personal connections can be major bonuses. However, at the end of the day, it is about whether the mentor has the best qualities and time available to provide the targeted career coaching that you will need to achieve your focused career objectives. If a mentor can’t help you with achieving those career objectives, it doesn’t matter how well liked or relatable the person is.
Hall Wang is a dual degree MBA and Master of Public Policy graduate from Georgetown University who has recently matriculated into a major management consulting firm. He has worked at America’s most innovative companies including Blue Origin and Facebook, as well as having done two combat deployments as a US Army Officer.
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