I'm a consultant in my mid-20s. Here's what a day in my life is like and how I use AI in my job.

Clouds Joo said every day is different in consulting and that she's typically on a new project every five to eight weeks. Clouds Joo

• Clouds Joo, a mid-20s consultant and content creator, said every day at work looks different.
• She said consulting has a steep learning curve that makes it great for young professionals.
• Despite the fast pace of the job, she said she's able to have a good work-life balance.

Clouds Joo, a young professional and content creator, is only in her mid-20s, and yet she already has experience working in many different industries.

That's because she's a consultant.

The London-based strategy and management consultant works at a leading global consulting firm. Clouds has asked to use her nickname, which she goes by on social media, for privacy reasons, but Business Insider has confirmed her identity and employment.

Describing her role in the simplest terms, Clouds told BI her job is essentially acting as a strategic advisor for global businesses and helping them navigate challenges in a constantly changing world. Around three years in, Clouds said she thinks consulting is "one of the best industries you could join as a fresh grad."

There are three factors that she thinks make consulting a great entry-level job: one, there's a steep learning curve, so you can learn a lot early in your career; two, there's so much variety that you won't get bored; and three, since you work in so many different fields it opens a lot of doors in terms of exit opportunities, so you won't limit yourself to one industry.

Getting into consulting

Clouds studied business management for her undergrad and then got a master's in management. In her last year of school she learned about consulting from people at her university and decided to start applying.

"I think the reason why consulting was so attractive to me was because you get to work in projects with multiple different companies across multiple different industries, so you don't really get siloed into one knowledge area," she said.

She said there was a very rigorous application process, which involved completing multiple rounds of case studies. One example could be a coffee company that wants to acquire a doughnut company, and the consultant would be asked to determine if this makes sense. The job candidate then has to start asking questions about the company's financials and capabilities and make some calculations on the fly to provide a solution.

Clouds said it's typically all done in a 45-minute interview, so the job candidate has to think quickly on their feet. Though the application process can be challenging, she said it can help determine if someone is right for the fast-paced nature of the job.

A day in the life of a consultant in her mid-20s

Clouds said she typically starts work at around 8:30 a.m.

Because she's a night owl, she usually does not do much before work beyond brushing her teeth, doing her skincare routine, occasionally getting a 10-minute ab workout in, and then logging on.

Her job gives her the flexibility to work from home most days of the week, so on days she goes into the office, she wakes up a bit earlier to account for getting ready and her commute.

Her workdays can look different depending on the project she is working on. Clouds said the projects typically last between five and eight weeks, though sometimes longer, and that she is working for one client at a time.

"Within each project it's usually a different client, a different team, a different manager, so your role changes dramatically every single time you change projects," she said.

Clouds said she personally loves changing projects every couple of months and that it's one of the things that makes consulting so attractive to new grads.

"The learning curve becomes really steep because you're consistently always learning about a new industry or a new client every single time you change projects," she said, adding that the drawback is you can never really get too comfortable.

Regardless of the project, every day typically starts with a stand-up, a meeting in which everyone on the team can share what they accomplished the day prior and what they are working on that day. Clouds said because the projects are relatively short-term everything is super fast-paced, so the daily check-ins are crucial.

After the stand-up, her days tend to consist of other meetings, calling experts, analysis, and consolidation of insights, as everything collected from her research needs to be combined and presented back to the client. She spends a lot of time using Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel.

"Usually that consolidation falls under the junior levels, which would be myself, so a lot of collecting insights and putting it all together in a very neat storyline on PowerPoint," she said.

Despite concerns over how AI could disrupt consulting, Clouds said she and her colleagues have worked generative AI into their workflows and that it allows them to be more efficient. For instance, instead of having someone scramble to take notes during meetings, AI can be used to transcribe notes in real time.

Work-life balance in consulting

Clouds said she tries to strike a good work-life balance, which can be difficult in the consulting industry. Some projects only require her to work 40 hours a week, while others are more intense and require more than 60 hours a week.

When she logs off at the end of the day, she uses her evening to do personal things that are important to her, like working out, filming and editing content, and socializing with her friends. She tries to have planned dinners sprinkled throughout the week. If she can't see her friends during the week, she makes sure to see them on the weekend.

Clouds, who says she typically gets a full night of sleep, said people often ask her how she balances everything. She said she is hyper-efficient with her time, often editing videos during her commute on the tube or while getting steps in on the treadmill.

Clouds doesn't think she'll stay in consulting forever. As a member of Gen Z, she said her generation loves variety and is less likely to stay in one career forever. As a consultant, she can also explore opportunities and industries.

"I think there is a lot of beauty in exploring different opportunities, different industries, different jobs, and having that flexibility in your life where your life isn't just your job."

Have a news tip or a story to share about working in consulting? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

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