One of the many differences between college and consulting….
Settling into a job out of college can be challenging. The working world certainly differs from the college experience. One of the primary challenges I have seen that new hires struggle with is recognizing that in consulting, we must always strive for the “A grade” on everything we do.
What do I mean? College semesters come and go. How well a student does depends on their dedication and attitude – how much work/effort am I going to put into this project or studying for this exam? Sometimes, a student will fall back on previous successes as the end of a class draws near. The thought is sometimes – I don’t have to get an “A” on everything. Additionally, once the semester ends, the slate is clean and the student does not necessarily have to worry about what the professor thinks of them. That thought process has no place in the consulting world.
Trinity’s clients pay a premium for our services. Accordingly, we must always provide value in everything we do. Our deliverables – in the forms of reports, letters, memos, and even email input – must always be developed with the idea of providing the best quality and value for the money our clients are paying. Every interaction we have with our clients, has an impact. And, impressions always matter. If we are doing our job well, we will be working with the same clients for years. But this only happens if we are always striving for the “A-grade” and making on-going good impressions.
Consultants must have this mindset as they go about their work in order to be successful over the long-term with Trinity.