Consulting Career Guides
What Consultants Actually Do: Beyond the Buzzwords
Noel DCosta
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Here's What Consulting is All About!
Consulting sounds impressive on a resume. It’s one of those fields people throw around casually — usually paired with words like “strategy,” “insights,” or “solutions” — but if you stop and actually ask someone, what do consultants really do day to day?, you’ll notice… most people pause. Some might say it’s endless meetings. Others imagine it’s building PowerPoints. A few will half-joke that consultants just tell you what you already know — but charge a lot for it.
The reality, I think, is a messy blend of all those things… and sometimes none of them. It depends on:
The type of consulting (management, operations, technology, you name it)
The industry you’re working in
The client’s actual problems (or the ones they think they have)
Honestly, the specific day you’re asking about
When I first heard about consulting, I had this polished image: constant business travel, five-star hotels, slick presentations in glass offices. (Maybe you’ve pictured that too.)
In practice? Well, sure, there’s some travel. But most days looked more like:
Sitting in a random conference room with weak coffee
Staring at data you barely understand (yet)
Piecing together insights while a client emails you… three times in an hour asking for updates
Sometimes the “strategy” you’re delivering is basically helping the client organize their own messy thoughts into something usable. And that’s fine. It’s still valuable.
Before we dive into the actual daily tasks — the meetings, the research, the deck building, and all the unglamorous work that happens behind the scenes — it’s worth pulling back the curtain a little.
Let’s forget the buzzwords for a second. Let’s look at what consulting really feels like when you’re the one doing the work.
Consulting isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about knowing how to find them when the path isn’t obvious.Behind every polished presentation, there’s usually a messy process of digging, questioning, and rebuilding ideas until they actually make sense.
Section 1: Defining 'Consulting' Without the Fluff
Consulting, when you really boil it down, isn’t as mysterious as it sounds. It’s just solving problems — problems that, for whatever reason, the client can’t (or maybe just doesn’t want to) solve themselves. Sometimes it’s about speed. Other times it’s politics. Or maybe they just need someone external to say the obvious things out loud.
At its core, a consultant is basically… an outsider.
Someone brought in to see what the insiders might be missing.
Someone to poke at the uncomfortable parts without worrying about office drama.
Someone who can help package messy problems into something that feels manageable — even if it’s not, really.
I should probably say: not all consulting feels the same. It depends on what kind of “mess” you’re being asked to clean up.
Broadly speaking, there are a few flavors:
Management consulting — helping businesses organize better, manage people, cut costs, figure out why everything feels stuck.
Strategy consulting — thinking about bigger moves, like entering new markets, launching new products, or sometimes just staying alive.
Technology consulting — advising companies on what tech to use, how to modernize old systems, or how to not get hacked (which, yeah, happens more than you’d think).
Operations consulting — streamlining the nuts and bolts: processes, supply chains, logistics, efficiency. Less flashy, still critical.
Honestly, sometimes a project labeled “strategy” turns out to be an operations nightmare. Other times, what starts as a tech update morphs into a full business transformation.
It’s messy. No two projects are exactly the same, even when they pretend to be.
And that’s maybe the one thing you can count on: whatever consulting project you’re on… it’s almost never just what’s written on the contract.
Section 2: Typical Day-to-Day Tasks of a Consultant
A Consultant’s Day Is a Cycle of Meetings, Analysis, and Communication
If you’re picturing a glamorous consulting day, packed with high-stakes negotiations and dramatic boardroom moments… yeah, that’s not it.
Most days feel a little more ordinary. Maybe even repetitive. Definitely busy.
There’s a rhythm to it though. Most consultants, whether they’re new or seasoned, follow a rough daily pattern. Not because anyone says you have to — it just kind of happens once you’re juggling ten things at once.
Morning Routine
Mornings usually start with… catching up.
Checking client emails that probably came in overnight. (Clients have no real schedule. Some send updates at 11 PM. Some at 5 AM.)
Reading internal team updates — Slack messages, project trackers, maybe a late-night memo from the engagement manager who “just had a few thoughts.”
Then, typically, you prep for the first internal check-in call.
It’s not glamorous. It’s often just “where are we stuck?”
Sometimes it’s more like a team therapy session, depending on how the project’s going.
Midday Routine
Midday is where the real action starts — or at least, it feels that way.
Client Meetings:
Status updates, check-ins, steering committees — whatever you call them, they’re usually about showing progress without showing panic. Some are smooth. Some feel like getting grilled.Workshop Facilitation:
Every so often, you’re not just reporting back. You’re running brainstorming sessions, or helping the client team “align.” (This sounds fun until you’re herding 12 executives with totally different agendas.)Analyzing Client Data:
This is the grunt work nobody talks about.Poring over financial reports.
Digging into customer feedback.
Trying to make sense of operational messes.
You don’t always have clean data, either. Sometimes you have… half a spreadsheet and a lot of assumptions.
Afternoon Routine
By afternoon, it’s time to package everything.
Building PowerPoint Decks:
Yes, you spend a lot of time on slides. Some days, it feels like you’re less a consultant and more a graphic designer with strong opinions.Drafting Recommendations:
This is where you’re shaping “the answer” — even if, truthfully, you’re still figuring it out yourself.
You write like you’re confident. You edit like you’re second-guessing everything.
Evening Routine
End of the day — assuming you’re not still stuck in meetings — is about regrouping.
Internal Team Debrief:
What worked today? What blew up? What needs escalation tomorrow?Preparing Deliverables:
If there’s a client readout or a major meeting tomorrow, you’re tightening decks, fixing typos, smoothing out messages.
(And yes, sometimes you’re still doing this at 9 PM. It happens.)
Honestly, the day isn’t some neat checklist you finish and call it done.
It’s more like juggling plates — answering questions here, digging into numbers there, calming a client, pushing a team — all while trying to stay two steps ahead of the next deadline you know is coming.
And when you’re lucky?
You end the day knowing at least one thing actually got moved forward. Maybe two if it’s a really good day.
Section 3: Real Deliverables Consultants Produce
Consultants Are Paid for Their Thinking — and Their Ability to Communicate It.
At the end of the day, consultants aren’t really paid for just “being smart.”
They’re paid for taking messy problems, making sense of them, and delivering something the client can actually use — something tangible enough to justify the invoice.
What that looks like in practice depends on the project. But almost always, it comes down to a few key deliverables.
1. Slide Decks:
The backbone of consulting work.
Strategy presentations, financial analysis decks, market research summaries — whatever the topic, if you can’t fit it into a neat, visual storyline on PowerPoint, it might as well not exist.
(Some weeks, it honestly feels like 70% of your job is just “make it deckable.”)
2. Excel Models:
Behind every deck, there’s usually a spreadsheet doing the heavy lifting.
Cost-benefit analyses, revenue projections, scenario modeling — all packed into grids, often with just enough formatting to pretend it’s client-ready.
(There’s a reason Excel is considered a survival tool in consulting.)
3. Executive Summaries and Memos:
Sometimes clients don’t want a 50-slide presentation. They want a two-page memo that cuts through everything else and says:
“Here’s the situation. Here’s what we recommend. Here’s what happens next.”
And writing that memo? Weirdly harder than making 50 slides.
4. Training Materials:
If the consulting work leads to changes — like a new system rollout or a process update — you might also be tasked with creating the training decks, handbooks, or cheat sheets to help the client’s employees actually use the new stuff.
(Not the most glamorous work, but critical if you want the solution to stick.)
5. Dashboards or Templates:
Especially in tech-heavy projects, consultants often deliver reporting dashboards, KPI trackers, or template toolkits.
Not because the client can’t build them — but because they need a ready-to-go version that they can plug in immediately without overthinking it.
And honestly?
Sometimes the deliverable is less about how “perfect” it is — and more about how clearly it tells the client:
“Here’s your problem. Here’s what you should do next.”
If you can do that? You’re already ahead of half the industry.
Section 4: Common Myths vs Reality
Consulting has a bit of a mythology around it — part earned, part… wildly exaggerated.
If you ask around (or just watch enough movies), you’ll hear a lot of big statements about what consultants are and what their lives are supposedly like.
Most of it isn’t completely wrong. But it’s rarely the whole story either.
Here’s a quick look at some of the bigger myths — and what actually happens.
1. Myth: Consultants “just talk.”
- Reality:
Sure, consultants do a lot of talking. Meetings, presentations, workshops — it’s part of the job. But underneath all that, the real work is in execution. Building models. Running analyses. Designing processes. Drafting strategies that clients can actually use… not just hear about and forget.
(Honestly, if you don’t deliver something real, you don’t stay in consulting very long.)
2. Myth: Consultants live on planes.
- Reality:
Maybe that was true 10 years ago. These days? Post-COVID, hybrid work is the norm. Lots of projects are remote, or at most, require occasional travel.
Some consultants do miss the frequent flyer miles, though.
(Others are quietly thrilled they don’t have to live in airports anymore.)
3. Myth: All consultants work crazy 100-hour weeks.
- Reality:
Long hours happen — absolutely. Some projects demand it. But it’s not automatic. Hours vary based on the firm, the client, the project phase… and how well the team manages scope creep (which, let’s be honest, is a constant fight).
4. Myth: Consulting is glamorous.
- Reality:
It’s structured problem solving, under pressure, usually in tight timelines.
Glamour? It’s rare.
You’re more likely to be fixing broken spreadsheets at midnight than celebrating over champagne.
Consulting Myths vs Reality
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| 1. Consultants “just talk.” | Sure, consultants do a lot of talking. Meetings, presentations, workshops — it’s part of the job. But underneath all that, the real work is in execution. Building models. Running analyses. Designing processes. Drafting strategies that clients can actually use... not just hear about and forget. (Honestly, if you don’t deliver something real, you don’t stay in consulting very long.) |
| 2. Consultants live on planes. | Maybe that was true 10 years ago. These days? Post-COVID, hybrid work is the norm. Lots of projects are remote, or at most, require occasional travel. Some consultants do miss the frequent flyer miles. Others are quietly thrilled they don’t have to live in airports anymore. |
| 3. All consultants work crazy 100-hour weeks. | Long hours happen — absolutely. Some projects demand it. But it’s not automatic. Hours vary based on the firm, the client, the project phase... and how well the team manages scope creep (which is a constant fight). |
| 4. Consulting is glamorous. | It's structured problem solving, under pressure, usually in tight timelines. Glamour? Rare. You’re more likely to be fixing broken spreadsheets at midnight than sipping champagne. |
| 5. Consultants always know everything walking in. | They don’t. They ask smart questions fast, learn the environment quickly, and leverage experience across industries to spot what matters. |
| 6. You hire consultants when things are broken. | Preventive consulting is more valuable. Many projects are about optimization, scaling, or preparation — not crisis control. |
| 7. Consultants take over and push out internal teams. | Good consultants enable, not replace. The best ones train, support, and leave a stronger internal team behind. |
| 8. Strategy consultants don’t execute. | Modern consulting is full-stack. You’re expected to plan, implement, track impact — not just deliver slides and walk out. |
| 9. Consultants work solo and don’t collaborate well. | It’s a team sport. Consultants work across clients, partners, vendors, and internal teams constantly — collaboration is a core skill. |
| 10. They use the same playbook everywhere. | Templates exist, but delivery is tailored. What works for a tech startup won’t work for a global manufacturer — and good consultants know that. |
Section 5: Why Understanding Daily Work Matters Before You Join
It’s easy to get starry-eyed about consulting.
The brand names — McKinsey, BCG, Deloitte — they carry a lot of weight. (I mean, walking into a room and dropping one of those on your resume? It definitely opens doors.
But chasing the brand without really understanding what the job feels like day-to-day… that’s where people get blindsided.
Consulting isn’t just about saying smart things in meetings. It’s about grinding through messy client problems, both the structured ones (where there’s a clear playbook) and the ones that are… honestly, a bit chaotic.
If you don’t like ambiguity — if you want every assignment to come with perfect instructions — consulting might feel more frustrating than fun.
You have to match your personal skills to what the job actually demands:
Are you good at breaking down complicated data?
Can you manage clients who change their mind halfway through a project?
Can you stay calm when the “right answer” isn’t obvious yet?
If that sounds energizing, consulting can be a great fit.
If it sounds exhausting just reading about it… well, better to figure that out now rather than six months into your first engagement.
Conclusion
Consulting, when you really step back and look at it, isn’t just about big ideas or fancy buzzwords. It’s about structure — breaking messy problems into pieces. It’s about thinking clearly when things aren’t clear.
It’s about delivering something real. Communicating it in a way that actually makes people listen.
If you’re serious about getting into consulting, don’t just memorize frameworks or rehearse perfect case interviews. Focus on mastering the real daily work — the client calls, the messy data, the half-finished projects that need rescuing.
That’s where good consultants are made.
And if you want a clearer picture of what that journey looks like in real life, not just on paper, take a few minutes to read Noel D’Costa’s story.
It’s one thing to hear about consulting from a distance. It’s another to see how someone actually lived it.
If you have any questions or are looking to become a consultant, please don't hesitate to reach out!
Questions You Might Have...
1. What do McKinsey consultants do?
McKinsey consultants solve business problems for clients — anything from cost-cutting to market expansion. They interview stakeholders, run analyses, build presentations, and advise executives. Reddit users often say it’s intense, with lots of structured problem-solving under tight deadlines.
2. How to become a consultant?
You usually need a strong educational background (often an MBA or technical degree), problem-solving skills, and experience in business analysis or strategy roles. Some start through campus recruitment; others transition from industry jobs.
3. What do consulting firms do?
Consulting firms help companies solve problems they can’t handle alone — strategy shifts, operational fixes, technology upgrades, market entry, and more. They offer outside expertise and a structured approach.
4. What do consultants do day-to-day?
Consultants spend their days:
Meeting clients
Analyzing data
Building presentations
Facilitating workshops
Drafting recommendations
It’s a mix of research, client management, and communication.
5. Do consultants travel a lot?
Before COVID, yes — almost every week. Now, many consultants work hybrid: a mix of remote work and occasional client site visits. Travel still depends on the client and project needs.
6. What do management consultants do?
Management consultants advise companies on improving operations, organizational structure, strategy, and growth. They often work with executives to diagnose problems and design actionable solutions.
7. Do consultants make a lot of money?
Generally, yes. Entry-level consultants at top firms can make $80,000–$120,000 per year, with experienced consultants and partners earning much more. Bonuses and perks add to total compensation.
8. How to become a consultant with no experience?
Start by building skills consultants need: problem-solving, communication, business analysis. You can pivot from industry jobs, gain certifications (like project management or data analysis), and network your way into entry-level consulting roles.
9. What exactly does a consultant do?
A consultant listens to a client’s needs, identifies underlying problems, proposes solutions, and helps implement them. Their job is to bring structure, insight, and clarity to messy situations.
10. What do consulting firms actually do?
They diagnose company problems, design strategies to fix them, and sometimes help implement the changes. Their value is both expertise and the ability to drive action.
11. What is the main role of a consultant?
To help clients solve problems they can’t (or won’t) fix on their own. Consultants add outside perspective, analysis, and structured solutions.
12. What do consultants do all day?
They alternate between:
Client meetings
Research and data analysis
Deck building (presentations)
Team discussions
Writing reports or recommendations
No two days are exactly the same, but those tasks are constants.
13. How do consultants make money?
Firms bill clients either hourly, by project, or through retainers. Individual consultants earn salaries, bonuses, and sometimes commissions based on project success.
14. What is the main goal of a consultant?
To solve a client’s problem in a way that’s practical, actionable, and valuable — ideally faster and more effectively than the client could on their own.
15. Is consulting well paying?
Yes. Even junior consultants earn solid salaries, and senior consultants or partners can earn very high six-figure incomes, sometimes even seven figures at top firms.
16. What does Deloitte actually do?
Deloitte provides consulting, audit, tax, and advisory services. On the consulting side, they help businesses improve operations, implement technology, manage risks, and grow sustainably.
17. Why do companies hire consultants?
Lack of internal expertise
Need for an unbiased outside perspective
Speed (consultants are paid to move fast)
Temporary help without long-term hiring costs
18. What are the skills required for a consultant?
Key skills include:
- Problem-solving
- Communication
- Data analysis
- Presentation building
- Client management
- Adaptability under pressure
19. Is consultant a stressful job?
It can be. Tight deadlines, high client expectations, and frequent changes can create stress. Some people thrive on it; others burn out quickly.
20. What qualifies you as a consultant?
Typically, strong expertise in a specific domain (strategy, finance, tech, etc.), plus the ability to diagnose problems and recommend solutions clearly. Certifications or advanced degrees help but aren’t always mandatory.
