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Were you involved in athletics, debate team, computer clubs, a sorority or fraternity, student government, etc. in college?
Played intramural basketball and softball. Was member of campus group called Berkeley Innovation (created solutions to improve student life, i.e. campus bus tracking system). Also member Alpha Pi Mu, an industrial engineering society.
Did you interview with other firms before joining KSA? If so, how was KSA different?
Yes, interviewed with other consulting firms and retail companies. KSA presented the most collegiate, friendly culture. Interviews with KSA felt much more like conversations (as opposed to a formal interview) than interviews with other firms.
What attracted you to KSA?
The strong focus on supply chain work (relating closely to my major and interests), the collegiate feel of a smaller company, the opportunity to travel, exposure to industry leaders, and the excitement of switching onto new projects every few months.
Do you have any interview tips for college recruits?
Know why you want to be in consulting and why you want to join the firm. Some lack of experience can be made up with clear communication of goals and demonstration of passion and initiative, but a lack of passion and initiative cannot be made up by any amount of experience.
Has consulting been different than you anticipated? How?
Consulting has occasionally been faster-paced than I anticipated. Because of short-term projects with a wide variety of clients (from different industries), the learning curve with respect to understanding how different businesses operate is extremely steep. This adds to the excitement and intensity of consulting work.
What has been the most surprising thing about this career choice?
I wasn't expecting to have as much responsibility so early in my career. It surprised me that within a month of joining the firm, I was already sitting in and providing input during meetings with senior VP's of multi-billion dollar companies. I always assumed that entry-level consultants would have limited interaction with client senior management.
What is your current project and your role? What are you learning?
I am currently staffed on a merchandise and inventory planning project for a multi-billion dollar telecommunications client. This is my first project that is not focused on the supply chain, and I am learning much more about merchandise planning tools and processes that feed into the movement of product through the supply chain.
What has been your favorite client project to date?
Trader Joe's network strategy project. I was working in the corporate office and had free access to a lot of the tasting-test leftovers and snacks.
What is your greatest lesson learned here at the firm?
To always be prepared to provide a solution to a problem I have identified.
What were your personal and/or career goals when you started at KSA? Have you met most of them?
Some of my goals when I started at KSA include having significant client exposure, maintaining a good work-life balance and staying in touch with friends and family. I have met most of these goals.
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