Don Dransfield, Boston Consulting Group

Don is a consultant with Boston Consulting Group. After receiving a BA in economics from the University of Cambridge he went into strategy consulting straight after graduation and has since worked on a number of exciting projects. He is currently involved with the integration of a merchandising and recording business for a global player within the music industry. His role requires him to report to a project leader and look after a new associate. He describes a working week for us.

Monday

I wake up in Munich after a weekend exploring the city and prepare for a 10 am meeting with a new client to introduce me to the issues a music business faces. I explain merchandising business rules and the meeting goes smoothly overall. Back at the airport, I call my associate to bring her up to speed and work from home for the rest of the day.

Tuesday

I have a 10 am meeting with my associate and the merchandising sales director in a London pub to prioritise for the project. The landlady is allegedly Amy Winehouse but there’s no sign of her! At 12.30 pm I have lunch with another client, after which I call the Spanish territory to finalise their actions before they ‘go live’ with the new promotional merchandise. At 6.30 pm I play football with the company team.

Wednesday

A tiring day of calls with some of the business’ overseas territories to discuss our next steps. Each conversation lasts between 45 minutes and two hours, and after speaking to the Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, Poland and Italy I’m ready for an early night! The first fortnight of any project is hard work, but it’s great when everything comes together and we make a client happy.

Thursday

I spend the morning with my project leader, associate and senior clients to discuss the key messages for our steering committee meeting. We’re done by midday and I grab a sandwich and head to relax in the park for my lunch break. In the afternoon I create documents and do some market analysis in preparation for the meeting, and advise attendees of the agenda. After football practice and dinner I head back to the office for a late-night call to the New Zealand territory.

Friday

The steering committee meeting lasts all morning and this week my team lead it. We’re all pretty exhausted by the end of it and I spend the afternoon writing up and sending out the initiatives we agreed. At 4 pm the project leader, associate and I meet with our vice president to update him on our progress and discuss the next steps. It’s an early night for me and I leave the office at 6 pm to get to catch my flight to New York for a long weekend visiting friends.

International travel is an option as a consultant

When I first started, I asked to work on London cases only as I was committed to mid-week rugby practices. I did a secondment at an NGO in Africa and loved it, so when I was promoted I decided I’d like a taste of the jet-set lifestyle. I now travel regularly and am transferring to our office in Canada.

The highs and lows of a graduate job as a consultant

The best thing is that each project becomes your baby. You work really hard on it for a few months, add value to the client, and then watch your ideas take off! The most challenging aspect is dealing with stubborn clients in difficult situations – sometimes a business doesn’t want to admit it needs help.