Final ABSA meeting of the year! On May 20th, we held a guest speaker panel with Accenture about onboarding tips and first day success on the job.
Meet the Panelists!
4.5 years at Accenture
Management Consultant – technology
Studied Economics at UCI
2 years at Accenture
Senior Strategy Consultant
Studied Policy & Human Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon
2 years at Accenture
Management Consulting Senior Analyst
Studied Chemical Enginering at UCLA
3 years at Accenture
Management Consultant – Supply Chain & Operations
Studied Communications at Seattle University
Q&A
What should a student expect on their first day at a job? Do you have any tips or advice for them?
Ray: Consulting is a wide breath of industry and functions, so there’s no uniform fit of how your first day will be. Normally consultants will join an ongoing project, and it will often feel like drinking from the fire hose. Take time to understand what is going on, ask lots of questions, and be curious to learn.
Kenny: His advice is to keep an open mind and be able to learn quickly on the job. Everyone will have to learn how to function in a corporate setting, and it’ll be a new change to adapt to no matter what.
Lucy: Students should expect to be able to learn to become a corporate adult and how to survive and thrive in that environment. It is normal to feel imposter syndrome when joining and adapting to new projects. Remind yourself that everything will be okay. She also advises networking and finding a mentor that is friendly and will be supportive of your career growth.
Chris: Approach things with a curious mindset. Whether it’s joining a new project or learning new jargon and acronyms, there may be things you don’t understand at first but make sure to jot them down and clarify your understanding later.
What is something you find rewarding/challenging about your job?
Ray: He was in the military before his career at Accenture, and he was jumping into the intersection of technology and business for the first time. Seeing how a large-scale company operated and succeeding in that environment was a challenge but also very rewarding to him. The friendships you make along the way are super cool and you can reap the benefits of the relationships.
Kenny: Consulting can be a challenging job and people are constantly working with driven people. It keeps you at a higher level, sets your standard at a higher level, and is a great place to start your career in.
Lucy: It is challenging to jump from project to project as you are forced to grow faster with your deliverables and outcomes. Because of the nature of consulting work, you can see the difference between the work you did and how it compares to what you’ve done now. Being able to see growth over the years is rewarding.
Chris: Being able to see the end users. Another aspect is working with clients and being able to mitigate problems for companies are both challenging and rewarding.
When/how long did it take for working to become natural to you/ something that you didn’t have to think too much about?
Kenny: In the consulting industry, it’s common to not ever be comfortable since you are always trying something new and taking on various projects. There may be some specific operational tasks and core set of consultant analyst skills that become routine, but overall, there’s no point where you become comfortable in the job.
Ray: He never entered cybersecurity realm until now. Acknowledging what things that are “right” and working hard helped him build his confidence and find his groove.
Lucy: When she first joined, she had a strict business persona, but she was able to find her groove in year 2. She compares it to college years where in freshman year, everything is new, but in sophomore year, you get adjusted to the environment and how to survive. Everyone is on their own timeline and finds their groove at different times.
Chris: It took him about a year to catch his groove. It will take time and repetition to understand and excel in similar responsibilities and tasks. There’s also adjustment to the 9 to 5 schedule and figuring out balancing the work and social life.
Any other pieces of advice to share with students?
Ray: Being a normal person, leverage your network, focus on developing yourself holistically, take care of yourself.
Kenny: Network intentionally, don’t force any connections. Have fun.
Lucy: Knowing who you are and not making work your only focus on life. Be genuine.
Chris: Fake it till you make it but find a place that’s comfortable, so you don’t burn yourself out. Use critical thinking skills and think ahead. Ask questions. Whatever your passions are, keep striving to achieve them.
Thank you for reading the last blog post of the 2023-2024 school year!
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