Anyone who survives at a consulting firm for 10 years will have some hard-earned lessons. Here are ten I picked up over the last decade.

Here's a quick story about how one seemingly small decision can lead to your soaring to the next level in your career.

If you've ever felt "rejected" during your job search or push for a promotion then this post is for you.

This is hands down the question I see the most often. The question is telling but the answer is even more important.

I’m going to share something very personal because I think if it can help even one person, it’s worth putting this out there.

Looking for motivation has a fatal flaw that doesn't get talked about nearly enough. Let's change that today.

Once I introduce you to Big Mo, you're going to want to make sure to keep him around and this post will show you how.

Career advice I would give for younger adults looking into leadership positions.

This article explains why you need to consider saying "no" to clients more often.

Let's talk about what to do when you get sucker punched by your client.

I'm pretty sure Yoda has a quote for everything. And I pulled this one just for you.

This resume writing technique will make sure you never miss out on a job opportunity.

After reading this article, you'll never wonder what to do at the top of your resume again.

Using this formula consistently produces the perfect resume bullet.

Read on to see the reason why adding a skills section could actually be hurting your resume.

If you want to see what type of networking messages will always get ignored, this is for you.

In this article, you'll see how to set yourself apart by following the most fundamental rule of networking.

Knowing the difference between two key things can be the difference between you thriving vs struggling in your career.

Learning this technique inspired by a classic food can make you a better leader.

If there's any doubt about the return you're getting on your effort, you're going to want to read this.

Here's how to make sure you next move after a promotion snub is a good one.

Are you making the same job search mistake as this job seeker?

This is a quick way to determine if you're getting in the way of your own success.

Some things sound better in your head before you say them. This is one of those things.

In this article you'll see how to make it easy for anyone who is reading your resume to know you'd excel at their job.

This award has a funny name but it's a reminder of one of the most important lessons I've learned in my career.

Some of the best career advice can come from some unusual sources.

I refuse to let her ruin my love story.

Here's a simple 8-step example for how to get any results you're looking for.

If you want results, I'm going to show what to do instead of wasting time on New Year resolutions.

A quick lesson on job search through the lens of one of the greatest heavyweight boxing fights of all time.

Give me 30 seconds and I'll show you a guaranteed way to know if your career headed down a dead end track.

This is a bet of a trick question and I'll show you why in this post.

Sometimes "common knowledge" is the very thing that's holding you back. Here's a prime example.

You may not even realize you've been telling yourself any one of these 4 but you won't be able to unsee it after reading this post.

Men and women job search differently but the reason probably isn't because of the reason you think.

One reader credits a single post for saving their job. You can read their exact words here.

Even though the milkshake was awful, at least we got something out of the experience!

Getting your resume seen is surprisingly similar to sparring in Tae Kwon Do. This post will teach you one of the single most important concepts to always have in mind before sharing your resume.

If you get this part of networking wrong, it really doesn't matter how good your resume or offer is.

Hugging a cactus doesn't feel very good but sometimes is exactly what you need.

If you want to find success in your career, there is a key mindset shift that has to happen in your decision making.

This article covers how to craft a resume that gets your expertise across without rambling.

Let's talk about resume bullets, why they're the most important part of the resume, and how to write them.

There are 6 key elements you want to capture coming out of any meeting. I'll show you those plus 5 tips for what to do when you're feeling lost in a meeting.

Okay – I admit it. I just wanted to try to find a way to refer to another one of the most iconic scenes in movie history, but I promise you it works.

So much of surviving and thriving in the corporate world is about mindset, particularly when you’re in search of a new job.

"Should using the word 'sweet' in a client meeting always be forbidden?" I'll answer that question here.

This idea randomly popped in my head today about the similarities between Dr Pepper, Baskin Robbins, and the world of management consulting. The answer: flavors. I’ll explain.

What we should spend a bit more time talking about is what coachees / staff can do to help people help them. You know, in the spirit of controlling what you can control.

You ever wake up and you have that one thing on your calendar that has you feeling all kinds of nerves?

Aside from you only being able to control so much, you worrying about what somebody else is doing can have a real negative impact on your performance.

A while back my daughter came home with one of those inspirational quote type of sayings from one of her teachers.

All kinds of articles exist about the benefits of smiling, both socially and personally. And it all makes sense, yet you still should avoid telling people to smile more.

I’ve discussed the importance of showing up to conferences and job fairs , but never really talked about what to do once you’re *at* the job fair. Here are the 5 keys to job fair success.

The more you move up the ranks, the more scary it is to take vacation, but there are several reasons you NEED to make this a priority.

This post isn’t about overindulgence but instead it’s abut how to work most effectively with a team, especially one under constant pressure to produce results.

A couple of weeks ago, someone sent me a question how long should you wait before you can consider job hopping. Here's my response.

The answer to getting promoted applies to practically any industry, at least any job that requires you to interact with people... Which -- by math -- covers… just about everyone.

It's a struggle trying to figure out how to deliver hard-to-hear information without making the person on the other side feel like trash, but it is possible.

What should you do when confronted with news that something you worked on missed the mark?

One of the most underrated skill great managers have is the ability to give constructive feedback, but the great ones avoid the need do so whenever possible.

Relationships might be built online but they are solidified in person, whether that be business (think client buyers) or personal (think online dating).

Finding ways to win against small odds is one of the best ways of differentiating yourself versus your competition.

There are 3 important lessons you can draw from the Atlanta Falcons' epic shortcoming.

Isn’t it great how you can always trust your kids to hold up a distortion-free mirror with a reflection of ALL of your behavior?

If you’re starting a service business, you may have concluded that it makes sense for you to charge a retainer up-front. Here's how to do it right.

I was in this restaurant, home of some of the best pulled pork I’ve had in some time, and a noticed a sign on the wall that resonated with me. It said...

There is no one path to success in consulting, so it’s interesting to hear what people remember as the most useful advice they’ve picked up so far.

Most people will tell you that college is the time in your life when you learn the most, but I have to disagree with those people.

You know what the worst thing is that can happen to a consultant trying to get promoted? You telling them exactly what they need to do to lock in that bump to the next level. I'll explain why.

As painful as it is in the moment, not getting promoted might be exactly what you need to boost your career.

Aspiring management consultants often think maximizing client satisfaction is all about doing whatever the client wants to make them happy. Those people are wrong.

With great prestige (and high bill rates) comes great scrutiny.

Odds are your clients have a day job in addition to supporting the consulting project where you spend full-time hours. That means wasting client time needs to be a top concern for you.

One of the hardest things to produce as a management consultant is an executive summary.

When you work on a presentation or a project deliverable, do you like to sketch out the full document first or polish each section in sequential order before moving on?

You often hear about how you need to make nice with gatekeepers (which is true), but you can’t stop there.

Client retention is tricky. If you don’t watch yourself, you current client can quickly turn into an ex.

You might be thinking your business can’t afford to turn away money because of some stupid policy. You’d be thinking wrong.

Part of your job as a consultant is to make the unreasonable possible. This often entails assigning a ton of action items and dates to people who probably would prefer you faded away into oblivion.

When it comes to building a career in management consulting, you learn that many of the success habits build on each other. One such habit is setting due dates for every action item.

Consider these three points below next time you have the opportunity to pitch a client.

I've observed 12 common habits in those who stick around and find success in consulting.

The credentials you need also depends on where you want to live in the consulting world.

Trying to describe cockiness vs self-confidence almost reminds me of that famous quote from the Supreme Court trying to describe obscene pornography.

I don’t know about you, but there’s something about someone saying or implying I can’t reach a goal that I’ve set that really activates my “will to win”.

Last week, I received a message from someone that gave me chills. It started with a simple declaration, “tomorrow is my last day at the firm.”

Who knew something that sounded so right could turn out so wrong.

Most people won’t want to admit smart people give bad advice too until they’re on the receiving end of it. Enter "follow your passion."

Sometimes less is more when it comes to preparing client documents.

After reading the post about the 12 reasons you NEED to have a mentor, a reader asked a great question in the comments about how to find the right mentor. Here's how you do it.

I had a great question from a reader this week, one that highlights the age-old dilemma – how to convince your boss when you know he’s wrong but he has no idea.

“I get by with a little help from my friends” is more than a catchy theme song for one of the most memorable shows of the early 90s. It’s how you need to think about managing your career.

You don't have to be a boss to be able to delegate work when you follow this simple advice.

Address these two things and you’ll be ahead of the game.

Academic success isn't always a good indicator of success in the accounting industry.

No matter what kind of entrepreneur you are, there are some basic accounting things you or someone you hire needs to know to keep your business from imploding.

Without even seeing what you submitted, I can give you a some direction on where you may need to change your approach to improve your odds on the next application.

Explaining what a good resume looks like is best done by demonstrating what it’s not. I think you’ll feel the same way by the end of this post.

Sometimes it's not what you're saying but how you say it.

I hate the phrase "sense of urgency" but if you don't understand what people mean when they say it, it can become a major roadblock your career progression.

The importance of managing down doesn't get talked about nearly as much as it should.

Have you ever heard the saying “Practice makes perfect?” Well, I have news for you – that’s not quite an accurate statement.

When you talk to people that work in client service type of jobs, they'll always tell you travel is part of the job and if you don’t like to travel, you should choose a different career.

One of the perks of being in management consulting is the flexibility that you have when you’re not on site with the client. You have to be careful not to abuse it though.

People often learn best from things not going according to plan. Here's a prime example.

I love working in politics…well, public service or government as I like to call it. And it was totally a pleasant surprise.

Law school isn't for everybody, especially if one of these five rules applies.

Interacting with clients always has a certain element of surprise, but it gets especially fun when the client’s fiscal year is the same as the calendar year.

Here's how to avoid letting the influence of managing other people go to your head.

When I got involved in Accenture’s recruiting process, someone told me the best and worst thing about consulting, but it didn’t really resonate with me until much later.

This article discusses how to make your self a no brainer choice when a promotion becomes available.

As MBA recruiting began, I emailed a close mentor to test my conclusion that consulting was the right move. He agreed but that wasn’t all he said. If he stopped there, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

If you’ve been around accountants long enough, you know that there are some people out there who take the CPA exam and leave it at that. That's a major mistake.