「高大上」的諮詢顧問？ What its like to be a consultant?

因為《我的前半生》

父老鄉親們向我翹起大拇指

「高大上」的諮詢顧問啊！

回頭想來，此言非虛

你看，高跟鞋蹬得氣勢逼人

大江南北到處出差，永遠都在上班

賀函男神說的，「拿人錢財，與人消災」

「高大上」也並不好當

本期」神秘嘉賓"為你揭秘諮詢顧問的真實生活！

謝謝收看！請給我們留言分享你的想法或繼續提問！

本集全集中英翻譯稿如下

oday our special guest is... ME! Surprise!

今天我們的特別來賓是...我！驚喜！

Yes, today Im inviting myself to talk about

what its like to be a consultant

是的，今天我邀請我自己來談談做諮詢顧問是什麼樣的

As many of you guys know, consultant is a very mysterious job

正如你們很多人知道，諮詢顧問是一個很神秘的工作

just like FBI

就像FBI

No, Im kidding

不，我在開玩笑

but there is a lot of confidentiality involved in the job

但這個工作的確有很多保密性

that is why I think, me myself, as an ex-consultant, is probably the best guest to invite to talk about todays topic

所以我認為，我自己，作為一個前諮詢顧問，可能是最好的嘉賓來談今天的話題

Plus, it is fun to invite myself to my show, right?

再說，自己請自己做嘉賓也挺有趣的

Why did I decide to become a consultant? 我為什麼做諮詢顧問？

The answer is really simple

答案其實很簡單

I think it is the quickest and the best way to train your business skills

我認為這是最快最好的訓練你的業務技能的渠道

from softer skills like communication, stakeholder management, teamwork, leadership

從軟技能，比如交流管理技能，團隊合作，領導能力

to hard skills like excel modeling, or creating a powerpoint presentation

到硬技能，比如excel建模，或創建一個powerpoint演講

You will definitely get the chance to work with clients from different functions

你一定會有機會和不同部門的客戶工作

which is a great way to broaden your business experience and knowledge

這是拓寬你的業務經驗和知識的好方法

plus if you are lucky enough, you will also get the chance to work across different industries or travel around

另外，如果你足夠幸運，你也能獲得不同行業或旅行各地的工作機會

which is not what most of the jobs could offer

這不是大多數的工作可以提供的

What is a consultants life like day-to-day? 諮詢顧問的日常是什麼樣的？

Well, first thing to get out

第一個要講清楚的就是

It is nothing like "House of Lies", please!

這完全不像「謊言堂」里講的， 拜託！

maybe a little bit...

也許有那麼一點點...

We usually work as a team of 2-3 analysts and associates

我們通常有一個團隊，兩到三個初級或高級諮詢顧問

plus a project manager, plus an

associate partner and a senior partner

再加上一個項目經理，加上初級合伙人和高級合作人

At the beginning, we really do a lot

of reading, a lot of research on

在開始的時候，我們做大量的閱讀，大量的研究

what is the industrys latest trend

行業的最新動向是什麼

and really trying to understand what is the biggest problem that the client is asking us to solve

真正了解客戶要我們解決的最大問題是什麼

then the project manager usually will help to break down the big problem into smaller pieces

然後項目經理通常會幫助把大問題拆解成小部分

and every individual analyst or associate will own one to several pieces of the work-streams

每一個諮詢顧問負責一個或幾個問題

and we will do a lot of problem solving on our individuals or as a group

我們會自己或集體一起解決一些問題

but ultimately you will be the one owning your own work-streams

但最終，你是負責自己的那幾個問題

and really conduct a lot of analysis, research external data, interview experts

進行大量的分析，研究外部數據，訪問專家

and usually at the end, we will put all the pieces of the puzzles together

通常最後，我們會把各個部分拼起來

and present to the client a really nice deck

為客戶提供一個完整的書面方案

but more importantly, all the important findings in a month or six weeks time frame

但更重要的是，在過去一個月或六個星期的重要發現

I had my highs and lows

我有過好的和不好的日子

I worked from 60 hours to 100 hours (per week)

我一周工作過60小時到100小時不等

I literally had time when I was feeling that I was going to faint in the office when I stared into the lights

我曾經有過在辦公室看到燈要暈倒的感覺

It was really tough

非常辛苦

There are definitely moments that I felt very proud

但我也有感到非常自豪的時刻

When the client was telling you "That is it! Youve really helped us to nail it! to find the answer!"

當客戶告訴你「就是它！你真的幫助我們找到答案！」

That is a moment of pride

這是一個值得驕傲的時刻

and as a consultant before, I definitely had a couple of those moments

以前做諮詢顧問的時候，我有過幾次這樣的時刻

but ironically enough, those are also the projects where I worked the longest hours

但諷刺的是，這些也是我工作時間最長的項目

The most interesting difference and common problems Ive seen across companies 作為諮詢顧問，我所見過的公司之間最有趣的不同與相同之處

Its very interesting that you will observe there are definitely common problems that every company face

非常有趣的是你會看到每個公司都存在的共同問題

but I think the most interesting part is the culture

但是我覺得最有趣的部分是公司文化

Some companies move really fast; some

companies move really slow

有些公司動作非常快; 有些則很慢

and some companies always want things to be perfect

有些公司總是想把事情做到完美

or some really doesnt care, they just care about moving really fast and are not afraid of breaking things

而有些則完全不擔心，他們只管做事， 不怕出錯

but there are definitely a lot of common problems that Ive seen across all kinds of companies

但我在所有類型的企業中絕對看到很多共同的問題

The first is the data problem

首先是數據問題

Everyone knows data is super important

每個人都知道數據超級重要

but every single company Ive worked with has data quality issues

但是每一個公司都有數據質量問題

Isnt that interesting?

是不是很有趣？

and second is communication

第二是交流問題

Different divisions or functions usually are very siloed

不同部門通常都非常孤立

People dont know what others are working on

人們不知道別人正在做什麼

which often times creates

inefficiency

這往往造成效率損失

Goods and bads about being a consultant 做諮詢顧問的好處與壞處

Well, the goods are a lot

有很多好處

One, you get really awesome business training

首先，你會得到非常好的業務訓練

which is not most of the place would offer in a very quick two years

這不是大多數的地方會在很快的兩年內提供的

You get the opportunity to work on many different functions, train your business skills

你有機會在許多不同職能工作，訓練你的業務技能

which definitely pave a way for your future

career development

這為你今後的職業發展鋪路

and second, opportunity to work with senior leaders even at a very young age

第二，在很年輕的時候有機會與高層領導一起工作

its not only the client you work with, but also the partners in your company

不僅是你的客戶，還有你公司的合作人

who often times would become a really good mentor and advisor to you

很多時候他們會成為一個很好的導師和顧問

And third, if you are lucky enough as I said before, you get the opportunity to work across many different industry

第三，如果你足夠幸運，就像我之前說的，你有機會在許多不同的行業工作

and travel around a lot of beautiful places

去很多美麗的地方出差

and the fourth, which is also a very important point why a lot of people go to consulting

第四，這也是很重要的一點，為什麼很多人去諮詢

Consulting company usually offer people

opportunity to go to business school after two years

諮詢公司通常會在兩年後給人們提供機會去商學院

and they will pay for your tuition, as long as you come back work for the firm again for another two years

只要你讀書後回來為公司再工作兩年，他們就會支付你的學費

which is really a good deal

這實在是一個很好的安排

and the bads...

不好的事情...

so the bads... obviously number one - the hours

不好的事情有......很明顯，工作時間

and second, I think Ive touched about it before

第二，我之前提到的

You dont necessarily always get the opportunity to pick your project

你不一定總是有機會選擇你的項目

so you dont always get to work on different industries or in different places

你不能總是去不同的行業或在不同的地方工作

It really depends on project availability

這取決於有哪些項目存在

depends on your previous project experience

取決於你之前的項目經驗

and ironically enough, if you are successful, if you did a really good job in your previous project

諷刺的是，如果你成功了，如果你在之前的項目表現很好

youre more likely to become an expert

in the same industry

你就更有可能成為同行業的專家

because people trust that you have that knowledge and could do a good job for the next company

因為人們相信你的能力與知識能做好下一個同類型的工作

and the third might be more controversial to say

第三點說起來可能有點爭議性

I dont think consultants always get the opportunity to drive the impact that they want to

我不認為諮詢顧問總是有機會如他們所想，創造價值

Sometimes because of politics, the

recommendation have to change

有時是因為公司政治，建議必須改變

and often times, the consultants dont stay long enough through execution

而很多時候，諮詢顧問不能留足夠長的時間到執行階段

Whats the career path for consultant? 諮詢顧問的長期職業發展如何？

Well, usually there are two major paths

通常有兩個主要的職業道路

One, work really really hard, and become a partner in the firm

一種是工作非常努力，成為公司的合伙人

and the second, you could get a few years of training and then go out to work for a corporate

第二種是，在幾年的培訓後，走出去到企業工作

and there are really a lot of choices, if you go to corporate

如果你去企業，選擇真的很多

You could work on strategy, marketing, sales, operations, finance - You name it

你可以做企劃，營銷，銷售，運營，財務， 隨你想

And nowadays, its also very popular to become a product manager or program manager in a Tech company

如今去技術公司做產品經理或項目經理也很流行

Whats required to be a good consultant? 做一個好的諮詢顧問要具備哪些條件？

Well, there are a couple of things that every single consulting firm will talk about

每一個諮詢公司都會說到這樣幾件事情

You have to be really eager to learn and a very fast learner

你必須非常渴望學習並且學得非常快

And second, you have to have very good

problem-solving skills

第二，你必須有很好的解決問題的能力

You have to be very analytical, being able to tell insights from data, break down big problems into small

你要能做數據分析，把大問題化小

and really solve them even if they are very ambiguous at the beginning

即便問題一開始很模糊不清，也要能想辦法解決

You have to have really good stakeholder management skills and communication skills

你必須有很好的管理和溝通技巧

Teamwork is definitely super important

團隊合作絕對是超級重要

You will have to switch your project teams from time to time

你經常要換項目團隊

so at the beginning, we usually do a team learning session together

所以在開始的時候，我們通常會做一個團隊了解活動

so that everyone could take advantage of others strengths

讓每個人都可以借用他人的長處

and also dont get tripped off on some styling things during the project

也防止在項目中由於風格不一而鬧矛盾

Theres no time for drama

沒有時間鬧矛盾

And lastly, as you grow more senior

最後，隨著你的成長

leadership and expertise in certain functions or industries will definitely become more and more important

領導力和專業知識肯定會變得越來越重要

How to be successful in interviews for consultant? 如何在諮詢顧問的面試中成功？

Usually there are 2-3 rounds for a consulting firm interview

諮詢公司面試通常有2-3個回合

and sometimes there will be a written test involved

有時會有筆試

In the in-person interview, there are usually two parts

在面試中，通常有兩個部分

One is the behavior part

一個是行為部分

So they will ask you a lot of questions about your previous experience

他們會問很多關於你以前經歷的問題

to demonstrate your teamwork, leadership, communication skill, problem-solving - You name it

證明你的團隊精神，領導能力，溝通能力，解決問題的能力，你能想到的所有事情

Everything we just mentioned thats important to be a successful consultant

我們剛才提到作為一個成功的顧問需要具備的重要條件

And the second part is they will do a couple of case studies with you

第二部分，他們會和你做案例分析

Often times it is a simple business questions like

通常這是一個簡單的商業問題，比如

Why did revenue decline?

為什麼收入下降？

Or, when the company think about entering a new market, what are the things they need to consider?

或者，當公司想進入一個新的市場，什麼是他們需要考慮的事情？

There are definitely a lot of books that could help you to understand how to crack those questions

市面上有很多的書可以幫助你了解如何破解這些問題

and a very famous one is called "Case in Point"

一本非常有名的叫「Case in Point」

so in the interview, stay structured, do your math right, and communicate very clearly will definitely help you succeed

所以在採訪中，有條理，把數學做對，並表達清晰，一定會幫助你成功

Memes 口口相傳

Consultants always travel around with luxury experiences 諮詢顧問總是可以到處旅遊並且有奢華的享受

like first-class flight, 5-star Michelin restaurants, or 5-star hotels

比如頭等艙，5星級米其林餐廳，或5星級酒店

Hmm.. How do I feel about it?

嗯..我怎麼覺得呢？

Definitely this!

當然是這個！

But I will caveat it is not always true

但我要說清楚並非總是如此

Sometimes you do get the chance to fly first-class because you are flying really long distance

有時候，因為你真的飛很遠，你會做頭等艙

You do get the chance to stay in a better hotel, 3-5 stars often

你通常會住三星到五星酒店

And restaurants, well, we dont really waste all our clients money on restaurants

還有餐館，我們真的不浪費客戶的錢在餐館上

but we definitely do fancy dinner when we wrap up a project, just as a way to celebrate

但當我們項目結束，作為慶祝，我們一定會去吃一頓大餐

One thing I would say is that consultants work really really hard

有一件事我要說的是，諮詢顧問工作真的很辛苦

so the companies are also trying to treat them as well as possible so they can focus more on work

所以公司也試圖儘可能地提高待遇，使他們能夠更專註於工作

Consultants are only invited when there is a big problem 諮詢顧問只有在公司出現危機的時候才被僱傭

Hmm... I feel...

嗯......我覺得......

This is definitely not true

這肯定是不正確的

Although a lot of companies will invite consultants when they do have big problems

雖然很多公司會在有大問題的時候請諮詢顧問

there are often times projects that we focus on growth

我們也經常做增長方面的項目

We usually help clients to figure out what are the next level of growth we could achieve

我們通常幫助客戶決定增長的下一個契機

what are the new markets they should have step into

應該進入什麼新市場

what are the new products they should consider building

應該考慮建立什麼新產品

so its not always about bad things!

所以並不總是壞事！

Next time when you see consultants in your corporate, dont freak out!

下次你看到諮詢顧問在你的公司時，請不要驚慌！

It doesnt mean that your company is in trouble!

這並不意味著你的公司有麻煩了！

Junior consultants hourly pay is even less than McDonald 諮詢顧問初期每小時的工資比麥當勞還少

But fortune will come to you once you become a partner

但是，一旦你成為合伙人，就會很有錢

I definitely feel a poop-face about this one!

我明顯會給個「粑粑臉」

I dont know if its true or not comparing to the McDonalds pay

我不知道和麥當勞的比較是真是假

I never looked into it

我從來沒去驗證過，

but we definitely didnt get paid as much as we should given the hours that we work on

但考慮到我們的工作時間，我們絕對賺的比該得的少

but I think it is also because while you are working, you are actually getting a fair amount of business training

但我想這也是因為在工作時，你也得到很多的業務訓練

but it is true that once you become a partner, that you will get a lot of money

一旦你成為合作人，你倒是真的會賺很多錢

Consultants usually deliver a beautiful deck and then check out 諮詢顧問經常是紙上談兵，並不執行實際操作

Well, as I said before, it is true sometimes

正如我之前說的，這有時候是真的

and I will give it a poop-face

我會給它一個「粑粑臉」

But it is not up to consultants

但這不在於諮詢顧問

because usually the cost for consulting firm is really really expensive

因為通常請諮詢公司非常貴

so the company wouldnt be able to afford having the consultants stay on for a long period of time

所以公司一般無法承擔一直留著諮詢顧問

so what happens usually is that they align on the final strategy with the consultants

所他們通常與諮詢顧問定好最後的策略

and then they will have their only internal team to carry out the implementation

然後由內部團隊來執行

Consultants always talk about things in three 諮詢顧問總是概括事情為三項

Its the magic number! Yes definitely, and I love this!

這是一個神奇的數字！是的，我愛這個！

Although I think during this show, I didnt always stick to the rule of three

雖然我在這個節目中，可能並沒有始終堅持這個「事事為三」的原則

but having three key takeaways is definitely super powerful

但是總是給出三個關鍵點，絕對是超級強大

別忘了，我們在很多地方等著你哦！

每周末更新！敬請期待！

微信公眾號：評常DNA

騰訊視頻頻道

http://v.qq.com/vplus/8e5a9be2034ac9216327cef9581e0400

愛奇藝頻道

http://www.iqiyi.com/paopao/u/1437889638/

喜馬拉雅頻道

http://m.ximalaya.com/88854489/album/9696777