You probably expected PowerPoint and Excel, right? Here are the skills I found the most important and also one of the hardest to learn because it requires experience and practice. That’s the beauty of consulting is that you’ll always be learning and adapting!

Don’t be overwhelmed if you’re trying to get into consulting and realize you don’t have any of this or even exposure to sharpen these skills! You most likely have already worked on this, you just need to transfer those experiences over.

You can learn situational awareness by sometimes literally observing in internships or the dynamic and reading the room at your jobs and internships or simply asking your manager or mentor what would you do in that situation. It’s something that comes with time and there is no one right answer for everything, but you’ll get it!

For storytelling, think about how you tell stories to your friends about what happened last week or convincing your parents to let you get a dog. 😂

Thinking on your feet is something easily found everywhere! If someone asked you for directions or if you worked at a restaurant or in retail, how would you respond or if a teacher cold called you, what would you do?

These are all essential skills, but it’s important to know that as we evolve, so do the skills! Just keep sharpening them and don’t stop learning!

Follow me on Instagram at @christine.innovates for more! I go over technology consulting, technology, consulting, careers, and also my own personal stories and narratives as a young working professional!