Consulting Analyst
Capita Consulting
I joined Capita Plc on a graduate scheme from my Master’s in management from the Henley Business School. Before this, I studied History as an undergraduate at Cardiff University. Like most final-year students the idea of “what comes next” was daunting and the vast number of options overwhelming. I wanted to develop my skills and enrolled in an MSc Management programme which is where I recognised the variety of management consultancy opportunities. With Capita I can continue to develop my existing business knowledge and humanities skills but learn and grow further as my career develops.
Working in consulting has provided me with the ability to work on a wide range of projects. Whilst I am currently in my first role, this career will allow me to work on multiple different projects in the future and enable me to discover where my specialism lies. I am currently working as part of the PMO team (Project management office) on a government Infrastructure project. Working in this role gives me an overview of each of the different aspects of the project, whether that be from a finance perspective or working on the sustainability procedures being brought in. This ensures I am always learning but also ensures every week has its challenges to overcome.
Consultants always say, “No two days are the same”, but what surprised me is how true that statement is. If you’re someone like me who wants to keep their brain active and avoid repetition, look no further; there is such a vast range of opportunities with their own unique problems which each require equally out-of-the-box thinking to solve.
My current project tends to be heavily remote which makes it extremely flexible but also presents challenges. Working in this environment can often make you feel as though you’re staring at screens all week. For this reason, I like to head into the London offices when I can; not only is it good to have healthy interaction but it can also often lead to effective knowledge sharing with your peers.#
Additionally, I tend to head to the client site once a week for a day of meetings, brainstorming and close client collaboration. Whilst remote working is great it is good to have face to face interactions which can often be the best approach for key decisions. Additionally, the networking opportunities from meeting face to face are unmatched along with relationship building ). Overall, while hybrid working is great and beneficial, it should be a priority to balance time in the office and out to avoid working from home too much.
Working in my sphere (public sector) adds a level of responsibility combined with a sense of achievement when a project reaches completion. I’m at the start of my consulting career so I don’t have all the answers. However, what I can say is that if you’re after a role which will constantly keep you learning, growing and encourage diversity of thought and people then look no further.
Don’t just take my word for it here are some quotes from some of my colleagues with a bit more experience than myself.
Sarah – (Project manager, Atkins Realis) – “I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to follow – I kind of ended up in consulting by accident, if I had realised the variety of work, clients and opportunities that it provides I would have considered it sooner. No two days are the same, I have been able to utilise some of my strong skills (stakeholder engagement and project management) and work on a fascinating and diverse range of client challenges.”
John T (Partner, Defence & Security Consulting, Capita plc)- “I started out in consultancy over 25 years ago as a way of enhancing my existing business skills for a few years before “returning to business management”. After a couple of years, I was getting a real buzz out of the variety of opportunities to use my experience in helping organisations move on, more intelligently, more effectively and with faster pace. I was also hooked on the adrenaline from knowing even experienced consultants don’t know the answer as they land, but can bring together styles, tools, techniques with real collaborative engagement to chart a path ahead and take clients on a journey to “better”.”