We interviewed International Master in Management participants Lucia McCadden and Anne-Sophie Goossens about their experience in the Consulting Specialisation. Lucia is from Mexico and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Systems. Before coming to EADA, she gained research experience in green logistics as well as working in sales and virtual reality. Lucia came to EADA with the goal of combining her engineering background with an international business perspective.
Anne-Sophie Goossens is from Belgium and holds an MSc in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Ghent (Belgium). She came to EADA to gain hands-on business knowledge.
In the interview, Lucia and Anne-Sophie share their experience in the Consulting Specialisation. Participants in this specialisation completed a project with alumnus Philipp Herz, working to digitalise Bungert, a major retail shopping mall. This is one of 3-4 specialisations offered each year in the third trimester of the International Master in Management. The specialisations provide an opportunity for participants to explore where their passion lies and jump-start their career.
Why did you choose the Consulting Specialisation?
Our interest in the consulting industry was sparked at one of the on-campus recruiting events. The Consulting Specialisation was a great opportunity to gain more knowledge about the industry, the application process of the big companies and the job itself. The courses covered topics like big data and analytics, project management, and M&A and valuation.
How did the specialisation build on what you learned in the first two trimesters?
During the first two trimesters, we broad range of subjects provided a base of knowledge in areas including strategy, operations, finance and marketing. A good consultant doesn’t just need to be analytical, but also to have a broad knowledge about different industries, to be able to think strategically and to focus on different business issues. All of the work with case studies in the first two trimesters prepared us for a smooth transition into the Consulting Specialisation.
What has been the greatest take away from the specialisation?
We learned that as a consultant, you need to be a great listener and communicator, as well as a good leader. All of these skills are practised throughout the year at EADA through the many team assignments and the leadership modules at the Residential Training Centre. We also discovered that the consulting lifestyle is demanding, as you must be willing to work long hours and deliver high quality work. I see every day as an opportunity to practise the skills that consultant’s need, and to grow as a person.
How did the faculty and professionals in the specialisation contribute to your learning?
The entire faculty had prior experience in consulting and/or big companies, meaning that they had already overcome the challenges that we might face one day. This meant that they could share their experiences with us – like the challenges of dealing with clients who expect complete dedication to a project because “time is money”. They also warned us that we would need to work hard as a consultant, which I think it is essential to know so that we can prepare for our professional life in ‘’the real world’’.
The specialisation gave us a little taste of what it is really like to work for a big consulting company, but with the added advantage of being able to make mistakes and ask many questions in the process.
How did the specialisation prepare you to tackle the challenges of being a management consultant?
The specialisation helped prepare us both professionally and personally. On a professional level, the interview simulations and consulting-oriented CV preparation were invaluable.
On a personal level, the specialisation gave us a little taste of what it is really like to work for a big consulting company, but with the added advantage of being able to make mistakes and ask many questions in the process. We experienced first-hand the challenges of efficient time management and working under pressure – some weeks we had to deliver a new assignment each day.
To read other interviews in this series, click on the following links:
- MiM Cross-Functional Management Specialisation: Rankin explores how tech can maximise performance.
- MiM Specialisation Consulting: Lucia and Anne-Sophie learn about the industry first-hand
- MiM Specialisation Innovation Management: Judith and Cosma bring ideas to life
- MiM Specialisation Cross-Functional Management: Clara gets ready to face transformation
- MiM Specialisation Entrepreneurship: Aryan learns a new approach to business