Consultant
Credera
I chose to study international relations & public policy at university with the aim of becoming a civil servant but ended up doing a placement year at a tech consultancy firm. At the time, I had no idea what consulting was and I was just looking for a company to work for, but stumbling into consulting changed my future career aspirations.
With this experience, I knew I wanted to work for a consulting firm that would give me the flexibility to work across a wide variety of industries and projects. Since joining Credera, I have been encouraged to learn about different roles within the organisation and gained qualifications to further my knowledge and make a decision about where I’d like to specialise.
In my current role, a typical working day will start around 8:30. I usually start by browsing my emails to check for any that I may have missed from the day before. I also use this early start to prepare for my 9:30 stand up and give progress updates on my assigned tasks.
I then use the rest of my morning to chase various stakeholders for dependent activities that may cause delays to my tasks, and follow up on other open assigned actions. No two days are alike, but I always make sure to block some time out on my calendar to have lunch and focus on my work around meetings.
At the moment, I am supporting two accounts and working on some internal pieces.
One of the accounts I am supporting is a multinational FMCG, where I support the account team with invoicing, month-end, and weekly status reporting. Alongside these activities, I take the time to highlight and manage any risks, complications, and achievements for the week.
Another account I am supporting is a government agency, and we are currently in the early stages of a project. I am supporting the team with describing the scope of the work, creating the project plan, and setting up relevant stakeholder meetings.
At Credera, I particularly enjoy the community feel and the sense of inclusion that I find here. There are a number of different social activities and clubs on offer and people are really encouraged to get involved. I also have the opportunity to work on a range of projects across various industries which helps me to learn how projects are run in different sectors.
My advice to those who are considering a career in consulting would be to try it out. Working in consulting teaches you the fundamentals about teamwork and flexibility, as you will be working with different clients and teams on the various projects you have been assigned to. If you are keen to learn more about how projects work and want to explore the possible roles that are open to you, consulting is the best way to do it.