The greatest accomplishments will follow a focused person.
Our society rewards specialists more than generalists, and the way to become a specialist is to remain focused on one area for a prolonged period.
At all stages of our life there are times to explore and times to focus. When playing sports as a child exploring different sports will help you identify your strengths and find what you naturally enjoy. However, as you get older, focusing on one sport will help you stay competitive.
When in college you have to pick a major, which is the first step to focusing your career. When choosing classes, the first two years you get to explore different topics within that major and in your last 2-3 years you are focusing on classes that interest you and preparing for your first job.
The cycle of exploration and focusing are separated by the process of deciding to commit. The earlier you make the commitment, the better chance you have of achieving your objective.
For example, for undergraduates who want to go to medical school, starting early can give them an edge by allowing them more time to find opportunities that improve their competitiveness and by allowing them more time to meet all of the necessary requirements, like the MCAT exam. Making the decision to commit another 4 years of study is not to be taken lightly.
At some point we all will have to make a decision that impacts the next 4+ years of our life.
Consulting
If you are interested in consulting, take the time to follow up and see if you may enjoy it. The earlier you get exposure to consulting the more time you will have to explore, experience, and educate yourself about what to expect from a consulting career.
Consulting is an industry with many flavors, and so you should take the time to see where you may fit in terms of firms, locations, type of work, and types of clients. Some people will make a career out of consulting, but for most it is only a chapter in their journey.
If you think it is the right path for you to follow, then you will need to take the time to prepare yourself for the case interview and develop skills that will help you perform on the job.
Making the decision
Everyone will have their own decision making process. You may rank options, consult peers, do a detailed analysis, or simply flip a coin. Maybe you will even make a framework to answer the question “Is consulting right for me?”.
The biggest leap forward will be when you make the decision. Articulating your goal will help you weave it into your identity. Sharing it with others will help you remain accountable and ask for help as you get started on your new path.
Viewing opportunities through a focused lens
Once you have made the decision, the next step is to determine the end goal. Starting with the end in mind will help you chart your path and figure out what skills you will need. You can then search for opportunities to build those skills.
You can also use hero-based thinking to consider what a top consultant would do in different situations. It will help to talk with a few consultants to get a better understanding of how they approach problems and think critically about solutions.
You can also vision board your ideal resume. Write the job titles and accomplishments you want to place on your resume and use that to help guide your decisions about which opportunities to say yes to and which ones to avoid.
Exploring once you have focused
Once you have committed to an area, take time to explore the opportunities within that area. The goal is to keep exploring until you have found an attractive position that matches your skills and interests. This process will continue throughout your career as you switch roles or companies, ideally each time finding a job that is a better fit. A job where your natural tendencies, skills, knowledge, personality, and strengths align with the responsibilities and tasks that need to be accomplished.
Sticking to your commitment and having an exit strategy
Remember that anything worth doing is going to be hard work. It’s important to realize that the reward will likely come only after many failures and lessons learned. Not all plans work out, but it’s important to stick with it at least until you have learned something from the experience.
If you need to decide on a new path, ideally you should be moving towards something better rather than away from something bad. The idea of moving towards something is that you are conscious and deliberate about what you want in your next position and this will help you to focus your efforts and find a role that is a good fit.
Taking action
The more practice you get with making decisions the easier it will become. Develop a method that works for you and use it whenever you can. Don’t dwell on setbacks, big or small, for too long since new opportunities will start to pass you by, and you may find yourself with fewer options.
Andrew Kuczmarski is a PhD candidate at the University of Delaware whose passion lies at the intersection of science and business.
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