Nicholas Hinchley

How did you end up in consulting?

At university, I studied physics and chemistry, and always appreciated the variety of studying two different science disciplines. As I approached graduation, I became interested in consulting as a way to maintain that variety in my work and practice problem-solving on more tangible problems than I was encountering in my degree. I did a short stint in FinTech after graduating, which helped provide some commercial context, and from there, I quickly moved into consulting. 

How do you balance your life with work as a consultant?

I always try to make time to go to the gym in the morning and protect one evening a week for personal commitments. Beyond this, though, consulting workloads often come with big ebbs and flows, so I always make an effort to take advantage of the slower periods, so I'm refreshed and ready for the busier periods. 

How did your previous experience help you excel at Bain?

Having worked in consulting before Bain, I had started developing core consulting skills. I had a good grasp of different types of consulting projects, was familiar with the core tools and programs, and had been able to practice building client relationships. Learning the Bain way of doing things was definitely a steep learning curve, and there is more to learn, but having consulting experience before joining has definitely made it a much easier task.