As a regular mentor to new consultants, I regularly find myself addressing some challenges of consulting life by simply recommending gear acquisitions based upon my personal experience. After much extensive feedback about how helpful my recommendations have been, I thought it would be helpful to share the wealth with a wider audience. For those who are about to matriculate into consulting or recently started, this can really help you start off well equipped. For those who are recruiting for consulting roles, I think this can better illustrate the regular activities conducted by business consultants.
I want to highlight that although I will make some recommendations tied to certain brands, in no way am I associated with or paid by any brand. Additionally, everyone has unique preferences, I want to highlight that individual experiences can and will likely vary with the gear.
1. Improvements in Work Efficiency and Effectiveness
Wireless Mouse
Much of consulting involves manipulating PowerPoints and switching between different tabs on the screen. Most people suffice pre-consulting with their laptop touchpad, but the mouse makes all the difference in improving the speed and precision of your computer use. It also reduces the hand and wrist strain of persistent computer use. I personally appreciate the ergonomic qualities of the Logitech Precision Plus.
2nd Monitor
With so much multi-tasking at hand (for example floating between comparing two Excel sheets and improving a PowerPoint), it is super helpful to have a 2nd monitor to have some more screen real estate. I personally have two 2nd monitors. For my stationery desk, I have a curved HP monitor. I recommend curved monitors as they make it marginally less strenuous on your eyes to view the screen in its entirety. I also have a portable 2nd monitor for when I need to do some work while visiting family members over a weekend.
Headset or speaker system with easy access to a physical mute button
Much of consulting involves video calls and that was true even before COVID. However, it is frequently necessary to mute and unmute during such calls. For the unaware, muting is often necessary to limit ambient noise when not actively talking. However, it can be rather embarrassing when someone fails to mute or unmute. Getting a sound system (be it a headset or speaker system) often reduces that challenge. I personally use a Bose headset, but I have seen much of the consulting industry use Jabra devices.
2. Comfort While Working
Blue Light Glasses
After months of looking at screens for 10 to 16 hours a day, I would get regular eye irritation and occasionally some minor headaches. A friend told me about blue light lens glasses and those have truly changed my work experiences, eliminating any headaches and severely reducing eye irritation (I still have to give myself a 15 minute break every 5 hours or so). I recommend that you actually invest in quality blue light glasses like Felix Grays (which is what I have) or Warby Parker (works well for one of my friends) in the interest of comfort, durability, and clarity of lenses. My first two were cheap Amazon purchases and although they reduced the eye strain they had problems in comfort and durability, so I do strongly recommend to actually make a meaningful investment.
Seat Cushion (for most)
Unless you have an outrageously comfortable padded office chair already, I strongly recommend that you get a seat cushion. I used to think it would be fine just to “rough it” with a wooden dinner table chair but sitting 10 to 16 hours a day ended up giving me body aches. One of my friends got me smart on how a seat cushion changed her life, so I got my own. I purchased a seat cushion from Purple and sitting is truly comfortable, allowing me to focus on my work.
3. Mobility (more relevant for the post-COVID world)
Durable Backpack with space for lots of accessories
I remember how I came into consulting thinking that a laptop bag would suffice for travel. I was horribly mistaken. Here is a standard load that I recommend consultants carry:
- Laptop
- Portable 2nd screen
- Accessories
- Chargers (for all devices)
- Mouse
- Laser pointer
- Padfolio
- Umbrella
- Water Bottle
A durable backpack should suffice. In some consulting firms, backpacks are issued during orientation, but if you do need to make a purchase, I recommend the Patagonia Chacabuco. I had an old version of it in my tech days (where I carried almost as much gear) and it served me well with a combination of function and style.
Maneuverable Travel Suitcase
The gear that is most often stereotypically associated with consultants is the Away branded luggage. Many of my friends have them and swear by them. When I first started, I scoffed at buying an expensive new suitcase and just used one of my old holiday suitcases. I ended up having problems with ease of luggage transport and being able to predict when I would be able to take carry on luggage (depending on the overhead cargo storage size of each airplane). It doesn’t have to be Away branded (I personally use a travel suitcase from a startup) but investing in a higher tech functional product is smart.
Bottom Line
Consulting is just like being a craftsman. The skills and experience of the professional really define the quality of what is being produced. However, the gear available can empower the professional to perform at their best.
Hall Wang is a dual degree MBA and Master of Public Policy graduate from Georgetown University who has recently matriculated into a major management consulting firm. He has worked at America’s most innovative companies including Blue Origin and Facebook, as well as having done two combat deployments as a US Army Officer.
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One reply on “The Gear That Makes Consulting So Much Easier!”
Hi, thanks for this impressive knowledge!