Every year International Masters and International MBA participants have the opportunity to join the Consulting Club and experience working as consultants. This is one of the most popular clubs on campus and is jointly coordinated by EADA Careers and EADA Community and it aims to facilitate the transition into consulting, organizing a wide range of activities to educate participants about the types of consultants, provide networking opportunities within the industry and prepare students for the selection process.
Nils Timm and Stephan Karall, students of the International MBA class 2021-2022 are this year’s leaders of the club. We interviewed them to know more about their expectations and why they decided to join the club.
What attracted you to join the Consulting Club?
Nils: Meeting a wide variety of people that share the same interest was one of the points that motivated me for the Consulting Club. Being a part of a club helps me to gain knowledge, skills, experience in communication and group development.
Leading the consulting club gives me the opportunity to bring in my personal and professional skills. Additionally, I want to show a high level of dedication to the club and create an atmosphere in which all participants, coming from different backgrounds and programmes, can grow.
Stephan: Social activities are a big part of the experience when studying abroad. Gathering weekly with your motivated colleagues to work on our problem-solving skills, while getting more insights into the consulting industry immediately caught my attention. I firmly believe that the interaction between passing on individual knowledge and benefiting from the knowledge of one’s colleagues is optimally realized in the Consulting Club.
Having experience in leading social clubs in the past, I did not hesitate a second when Nils asked me if I wanted to run for president of the club. Despite our “official” title, we represent the philosophy that each member of the Consulting Club is equally responsible and accountable for the success of it. Hence, I try to motivate and support my colleagues to bring in their own ideas and spread the attitude to grow together as a team.
What is the aim of the Consulting Club?
Nils: the consulting club connects people sharing the same interest and provides an area of learning and exchanging ideas. Also focusing & preparing students for a career in the consulting industry is one of the main aims of the club.
Stephan: I see the great goal and mission of the Consulting Club in bringing together as many motivated students as possible in order to grow together. Additionally, our aim is to exploit these synergies between the students and to create as much personal and professional added value as possible.
What do you think are the most important qualities of a successful consultant?
Nils: Important qualities for a consultant include social as well as analytical skills. Starting with the ability to listen to the customer and clearly understand the need, by being curious and shaking up patterns from the past. It is important to be flexible and adapt your thinking when facts change.
Stephan: Having a calm mind in critical and stressful situations as well as being flexible regarding the ability to adapt to new circumstances and tasks. In addition, the ability to build a social network and create a warm ambiance in your team. Long working hours are certain so a trustful and pleasant work atmosphere is crucial.
How do you think the Consulting Club can help you achieve your career goals?
Nils: The Consulting Club will be the perfect starting point to prepare me for the consulting industry. My career goal after the MBA is to work as a consultant, which will allow me to learn at a very fast pace as well as work on different projects within different industry sectors.
Stephan: Coming from a background in law, solving problems has always been one of my passions while working. The Consulting World is quite similar to that – being able to quickly come up with a well-structured solution approach is something that will not only help you in the consulting industry, but in every job that requests you to make strategic decisions.
Would you encourage future students to join the Consulting Club? Why?
This club is a chance for all of us to get deeper insights in the consulting industry and start to network. If you are interested in the consulting industry this could be the chance to kick it off. "
- Nils Timm
The Consulting Club is the perfect start to get deeper insights in the industry. I deeply recommend the club as each student applying for a job in consulting should be aware of the tradeoffs you have to make when working there. Besides that, even if you decide not to stay in the consulting industry, the problem-solving skills you will develop while preparing for the interviews will help you in any job. Finally, the network and friendships made in the Consulting Club are likely to last and enrich your life."
- Stephan Karall