Most first year consultants find the work learnable; it is the travel, the steady stream of feedback and the number of people to keep happy that wear them down. Build a routine that travels with you, treat feedback as information rather than a verdict, write down what each stakeholder expects, and plan your next move from what you enjoy, not from what everyone else is doing.
How to build routines while traveling
Many consultants spend part of the week at a client site, often leaving early in the week and flying home at the end of it. Hotel life can be fun for a month and draining after six. Build a travel routine you can repeat in any city:
- Pack the same way every week. A permanent toiletry kit, chargers that never leave the bag and a short packing list cut decisions down to almost nothing.
- Keep your wake time. Even in a different time zone, stay close to your usual schedule when you can.
- Move before the day starts. A short hotel gym session, a run or a bodyweight routine in the room.
- Choose a default dinner. Team dinners are frequent and heavy. Have one simple order you fall back on.
- Set a nightly shutdown. A set time when the laptop closes and you call someone at home.
Our guide to working long hours covers sleep and food on demanding weeks.
How to respond to tough feedback
Consulting cultures tend to give a lot of direct feedback, often quickly and sometimes bluntly. For people used to being top of the class, the first critical review can sting.
- Listen, then ask one clarifying question. “Can you give me an example?” helps you understand what to change.
- Do not argue in the moment. Thank the person and take a day before deciding what you think.
- Turn it into one or two actions. Vague feedback like “be more structured” becomes a specific habit you can try on the next deliverable.
- Follow up. A week or two later, ask whether they have seen the change. It shows you heard them.
- Track patterns. One comment is a data point. The same comment from three people is something to work on.
See how to ask for feedback and preparing for a performance review.
How to manage multiple stakeholders
You may answer to a manager and a partner at your firm while working with several people on the client side, each with their own priorities. A few habits keep you from getting pulled apart:
- Write down what each person needs from you and by when, and confirm it in a short note after meetings.
- Know who decides what. When requests conflict, raise it with your own manager rather than picking a side.
- Send brief, regular updates so no one is surprised.
- Be friendly and reliable with everyone at the client, including junior staff; they often have the information you need.
Our guide to managing up has more on keeping managers informed.
Keeping your life at home intact
When you travel most weeks, home time is short and full of chores. Batch errands for one morning, automate bills and savings, and put your standing plans with friends or a partner on the calendar before the week fills. Long distance from people you care about is one of the most common reasons consultants decide to change paths, so give those relationships deliberate attention. See relationships and family.
How to plan your next move
Many people enter consulting to learn and keep their options open, then feel pressure to decide what is next. A steady approach:
- After each project, write down what you enjoyed, what drained you, and the industries or functions that interested you.
- Talk to former colleagues who moved into different roles; see informational interviews.
- Separate the travel and hours from the work itself. Would you like this work at a different pace?
- Set a check-in date with yourself rather than deciding in the middle of a rough week.
When the time comes, our guide to negotiating a job offer can help.
Where a mentor helps
A consultant’s week changes constantly, which is exactly when routines and relationships slip. A mentor gives you one constant: a short session by video from wherever you are, texts between sessions, and help turning feedback and big decisions into a plan you follow through on. If stress becomes anxiety, low mood or burnout, a licensed professional is the right step. In a crisis, call or text 988. See early career mentoring.
Related
- First year analyst: hours, habits and health
- Unwritten rules of the workplace
- Moving to a new city for work
- First year associate at a law firm
- New Grad Nurse: Getting Through the First Year
- Your First Sales Job: Daily Habits That Build a Pipeline
Common questions
How do consultants stay healthy while traveling?
With a repeatable travel routine: a fixed packing list, a steady wake time, short morning workouts, a default dinner order and a nightly shutdown time.
How should I handle harsh feedback from a manager?
Ask for a specific example, take a day before reacting, turn the comment into one or two concrete habits, and follow up later to show the change.
When should I start planning my exit from consulting?
Start gathering notes on what you enjoy from your first project, but set a deliberate check-in date rather than deciding on a bad week.
Can I meet with a mentor while traveling?
Yes. Sessions are by video and scheduled in your local time, and you can text or call your mentor between sessions.
Get started
Want one steady point of support while your weeks keep changing? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.