From day one, Monitor consultants are asked to put their prior education and experience to use, while being constantly pushed to develop new skill sets and knowledge. We expect our consultants to be inquisitive and to have a strong appetite to learn and improve. In exchange, we offer them tremendous growth opportunities – and the developmental support and coaching required to master them.
On-The-Job Learning
The majority of learning at Monitor takes place on the job, where knowledge is put to use and theory turned into practice. We believe in the apprenticeship approach to development, in which each consultant is expected to have both a willingness to learn and an ability to coach. On the learning side, this means being comfortable taking on tasks and responsibilities you haven’t performed before, or working on a new client problem or in a new industry. As a coach, you are not only responsible for your own development, but for the development of your colleagues as well. In such an environment, open and honest feedback is critical to everyone’s development. From recruiting practices to training seminars, we have worked hard to develop a culture that values and fosters this.
Formal Training Programs
While Monitor believes strongly in the value of learning by doing, we also offer formal training programs tailored to an individual’s career stage. All employees kick off their Monitor careers with a new hire orientation, a multiday event designed to introduce new hires to Monitor and each other. Similar orientations are held as you transition from one professional development program to another. Formal classroom training sessions, held throughout your career, range from knowledge growth (e.g., marketing, finance, organization strategy) to skill development (e.g., analytical planning, effective client interactions).
Network of Committed Colleagues
Lastly, you will have a network of colleagues within the firm to turn to for advice and guidance. At the center of this network is your professional development advisor—a more senior colleague assigned to help you meet your development and career goals. This mentoring relationship is designed to provide you with a resource on topics ranging from approaching a difficult conversation to thinking about a long-term career at or beyond Monitor. In addition to your PD advisor, you’ll have an informal network of team members and managers, officemates, and peers to help you along the way.