Management Consultant
AtkinsRéalis
I joined AtkinsRéalis on the Placement Consulting Development Programme (PCDP) within the Aerospace, Defence, Security & Technology (ADS&T) business in August 2023. Having completed two years of my geography degree at the University of Manchester, I was keen to gain experience in a corporate environment. I decided to extend my university course to four years and undertake an industrial placement. Whilst researching the professional services field, I realised I could apply the skills I had gained from studying geography (problem solving, report writing, and data analysis) to a career in consulting. This is when I became set on doing an industrial placement within the consulting industry.
Since starting my placement, I have spent the majority of each week in the office as I benefit from working alongside my colleagues and being able to seek advice from those around me. I would particularly recommend coming into the Manchester office to receive ‘Tuesday Treats’ – a selection of snacks which everyone looks forward to each week. We have the opportunity to travel to different offices to collaborate with team members and meet other early career professionals. I thoroughly enjoy being able to meet the people I work with on a regular basis face-to-face. I have also found the hybrid working policy at AtkinsRéalis particularly advantageous whilst training for a half-marathon. When working from home, I can cut out the time I would spend commuting to go on a run earlier in the evening before it gets dark.
I am currently undertaking an Account Driver role within our submarines market in defence. One of my main responsibilities is to track the status of opportunities within the account. This includes checking for the release of Invitations to Tender (ITTs), measuring the progress of bids, reporting on live projects, and collecting lessons learnt from completed projects. I really enjoy the oversight this role gives me, having been able to learn about the win-work process, alongside shadowing project managers as they set up and manage projects. Coming into the consulting industry I was keen to learn about the logistics of the business and how growth in revenue is achieved, something I have been able to do in my role within the account team.
Alongside my client role I undertake several internal roles, such as being the Communications Lead for the Core Consulting Skills Framework (CCSF). The CCSF is an internal initiative, that provides a platform for colleagues to learn and develop the skills required to be a successful consultant. Working as part of an early careers’ team comprising of placement students, apprentices, and graduates, has provided me with an opportunity to learn from the diverse skills and experiences of my peers.
I would highly recommend a career in consulting to anyone who is considering it! The variety of opportunities on offer allow you to mould your career to align with your interests and aspirations for the future. If you enjoy working within a team to solve complex problems that will have a tangible impact on the client, consider working in the consulting industry.