Joining a Consulting Club as a Non-Business Student: My Best Tips

by Angelynn Huang ‘24

I’m a current senior studying biomedical engineering (BME) with an emphasis in electrical engineering. However, my time at USC in terms of extracurricular activities was not BME-focused; rather, it was consulting-focused. I joined AIM (Association of Innovative Marketing Consulting) in the first semester of my sophomore year and was immediately placed as a Project Manager of a team. Following my experience there, I joined the E-Board and have taken on different roles within the club, ranging from social media management to client recruitment.

One of the most common questions I get asked is why I chose to join a consulting club as an engineering student. The answer is simple: the experience consulting organizations at USC provide you with is invaluable regardless of the industry you’re planning on entering. As an engineering major, our curriculum revolves heavily around the technical aspects, such as data analysis, learning how to code, hard-life sciences, and practical lab work. However, once you enter the industry, there are so many useful soft skills required of us that we’re not taught in Viterbi. Skills such as public speaking and deck design are crucial to any sort of job and are taught in consulting organizations such as AIM.

Recruitment for consulting organizations has become more and more competitive over the years as clientele, companies that consulting clubs provide business recommendations for, has also become increasingly prestigious in nature. At the start of my time at AIM, we started with one “major” client, which was Google, but have increased to multiple major clients per semester now. As someone who has been on both sides of the recruitment process, I can confidently say that it is crucial to do your research on all the different clubs across campus and to apply to as many as you can! 

Each consulting club specializes in various kinds of work; for example, AIM is marketing-strategy focused whereas 180 Degrees and LACI are non-profit focused. Not only that, each club has its own distinct culture and way of operating, and a great way to see if you vibe with the members would be to go and meet them at the informational sessions or to reach out for coffee chats. This demonstrates interest and dedication which will then be reflected in the initial written application in which you’ll be asked why you’re interested in joining that specific organization.

During my recruitment cycle, I applied to four consulting clubs. After doing extensive research on the mission of each club along with the kind of work they were doing, I chose four to focus on. The initial written applications were all due within a few days of each other during the first couple of weeks of school, so planning was crucial, and managing my time was essential. 

I started early on the written applications for each club, carefully tailoring my responses and taking the time to ensure my personality showed through the application. I was then given a first-round interview for three of the four clubs. However, feeling that first sting of rejection was difficult, especially as I watched some of my other friends successfully make it through every club they applied to. 

Nevertheless, I began preparing for behavioral interviews by googling practice questions and watching YouTube videos of experts. I had friends do mock interviews with me, carefully thinking of various ways to showcase my experiences through the questions. This process took me a week before I began first-round interviews where I then made it through to final-round interviews for all three clubs.

After the final round of interviews, I quickly received my acceptance into two consulting clubs (one of them being AIM), and a rejection from another. The rejection came first, and it was difficult to process the information as I sat in class staring at the email. At this point, it was two rejections in a row, and my self-esteem had taken a hit. But the feeling of receiving my acceptance was unbelievable, especially coming from the one club I had desperately wanted the entire time.

So what should you take away from my journey?

Don’t let rejection scare you. I received two rejections in a row before being accepted into the club of my dreams. Additionally, prepare well ahead of time for the recruitment process. It’s much more time-consuming and difficult than I had anticipated, and all incoming freshmen will be busy during the first couple of weeks of school. Plan out your time wisely and take the space to get to know the organization you’re applying to before you apply. Not only will your passion reflect in your application, but you’ll have a better understanding of what you want in an organization.

Best of luck!

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