Learn More About Your Future Career Path at Explore@4
By Emily Young MA ‘16
I was sitting in the computer lab with nothing pressing until 6:30pm. Yes, I could have done all of my prepared reading for weeks ahead, but we’re at USC—surely something had to be happening on campus. I scanned events online and looked at the clock—3:45; I could make it to Explore@4.
Explore@4 is a series of career panel discussions hosted by the USC Career Center to help students explore different industries. I’ve probably been to five different panel discussions and they were all great! Usually the panels are comprised of USC alumni in well-known and highly respected companies around LA. USC professors moderate the discussions and there is even time to network with the panel after the discussion. I urge you to check it out and even explore a different industry you may not be pursuing, like I did yesterday.
Consulting is a hot job in today’s market. It’s a career worth exploring because even if you don’t plan on being a consultant, you probably will work with one someday. Currently, I am in a research class where we do a consulting project for a real client, so I figured going to the Explore@4 on consulting would be a worthy use of my time and a great place to network.
Three Valuable Things I Learned:
1. There are Different Paths to Become a Consultant:
Before attending this panel discussion I only knew of two paths to become a consultant. 1) You become very knowledgeable about a certain industry by working in it a long time and then consult on projects. 2) You are highly talented with a sparkling GPA and resume and join one of the big 4 firms right out of college.
At the discussion panel I learned that: 3) you can be recruited to a consulting agency like Ashley Cohen, 4) you can do theater in undergrad, get two master’s degrees and a PhD and enter the field as an expert like Brooks Darrah or 5) enter by starting in a Human Resources position. Ultimately, everyone on the panel had slightly different paths, but the nature of their job is solving problems and filling in gaps of information.
2. Skills that you Learn in College that you use Every Day in Consulting:
- Critical thinking, not using a cookie cutter approach
- Innovating
- Data collection and analysis
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Communicating messages effectively: verbal and written
- Organizational behavior
- Psychology
3. Why We Read so Many Case Studies in our Classes (The Consulting Case Interview)
Cases studies are real life problems that companies have experienced outlined as a teaching tool for students to read and identify issues and formulate a solution. In my Operations Management class, it was all we did. Good news, beyond learning class concepts, there is valid reason to do as many case studies as possible. Consultants usually have a case job interview. At Deloitte, interviewees have to do both a written and oral case interview. The entire panel stressed that you do not need to get everything right in your suggested solution to the problem, but you need to be able to verbalize what you think and be able to interact with the interviewer as if you would with a client.
If you are looking for ways to practice, Case & Point was suggested and Professor Mische holds special Saturday workshops open to all students.
Furthermore, USC has its own pro-bono, student-consulting group called LACI. LACI gives students hands on consulting experience for non-profit groups in the Los Angeles community. If you want to join, applications are due September 8th by 3pm at: http://usclaci.org/application/
Be sure to check out the other upcoming Explore@4 panel discussions and other USC Career Center events. See you there!
