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The variety of opportunities makes consulting a great option for graduates

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Recruitment fairs

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We’re in a grand old hall, packed out with firms. I’m here, as a member of the CDC, to give a perspective on life in Capgemini’s management consulting graduate scheme. I find Capgemini’s area and being the first there try my creative hand with our stand. There’s a good atmosphere around and people seem excited about the day. Not long since I was here as a student, I think about my time in the company so far and what grand wisdom I can impart…

 

Since March I’ve built up a much clearer picture of our clients and the different kinds of work we do in management consulting. This has come through a variety of client and internal work, presentations and training, as well as catching up with colleagues in the office more informally – people are very approachable. I’m also with colleagues from our technology and outsourcing areas of the business who can talk about their experiences in their respective graduate schemes.

 

The fair opens and it gets busy really quickly.  Lots of people are venturing towards our stand, clearly drawn in by the attractive display – which I notice our recruitment manager has totally changed round.

 

Some people know a little, curious about what consulting is – as a profession it is often not as well understood as, say law and accountancy. I talk about how we with work with clients on a wide range of business problems from understanding their market and what products to make, to how to make them efficiently, and how sell them, along with functions that support the business like HR. 

 

Others know more and are interested in how Capgemini stands out, plus whether we do more than IT…  On the former I talk, for instance, about the Accelerated Solutions Environment (ASE), on the later – we’re often known as a technology consulting business though there’s a lot more to us than that (see Matthew Ford’s blog entry). Our CDC manager, Deborah Hough, is also at the fair and is able to give a perspective of someone with lots of experience in consulting.

 

I talk to a lot of different people over the day and it’s interesting to see the variety in backgrounds and why they’re interested in consulting.  From history and biochemical engineering students, literature and languages to economics and business, through undergraduate level, masters to PhD. There’s a surgeon interested in our health sector team, a theatre director wanting a change in direction, plus MBA students who’ve done a huge range of things.  This kind of variety is reflected within Capgemini – on my current project I’m working with some whose previous field was computer modelling of the brain!

 

The fair comes a close and time’s flown by. It’s been a good day, though I do note with anguish the unused tea and cake vouchers – clearly plenty still to learn – and I head to a café before jumping on the train back to London. 

 

Nick Seeley is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini in March 2009.

 

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“10 ways to tell you are becoming a management consultant”

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Even though I have been with Capgemini for only 6 months, I am beginning to see my own transformation from a student into a fledgling consultant. The following are the signs to look out for:

 

1. PowerPoint becomes your baby – You will quickly learn that a consultant’s number one weapon has been laying low on your laptop for years. Your expertise will rocket as you begin to create presentations, displays and reports.
2. Upgrading your suitcase – Working away from home is a key part of the consultant’s lifestyle. I have spent 2 out of 6 months travelling across the UK, usually from Monday to Thursday. The upside is that you get a chance to socialise with your team and see new places.
3. Brown paper will be a mystery no more! – As a graduate, you will be involved in preparing and running workshops. You will quickly learn how to create presentations using large rolls of brown paper, used as a tangible means of working through client problems.
4. You become more insightful into Global business – As you work on roles across private and public sector clients, your knowledge of business and current market issues will broaden. For me, working for a large retail client at the height of the downturn gave me an insight into how our economy is making an impact.
5. You can remember the train timetable – You will spend more time on trains and tubes than ever before. Try and think of something to pass the time – I like to either watch a video on my laptop or have a browse of the Metro.
6. More points please! - Seeing as you stay in hotels, it’s always a good idea to get the points and air miles too. I chose to build up my air miles and within 6 months have enough for a return flight to Spain, Ole!
7. Aiming high – You will be working with like minded individuals who are constantly searching for the next adventure. Whether this involves trekking across South America to running mini entrepreneurial projects, you will feel inspired to get more out of life.
8. Out of the box business – At Capgemini, we pride ourselves on our charity work. We currently have teams involved with the Prince’s Trust getting ready to traverse Borneo. Someone even set up a charity, the Naandi Foundation which supports Indian girls education.
9. Get a new watch – When at university, wearing a watch was never the top priority. As a consultant you will learn and master time management, being on the ball and meeting deadlines on a daily basis.
10. A second tongue – Consultants are renowned for using business jargon like ‘blue sky thinking’ and ‘Al Desco’ (lunch at your desk). However, over time you will pick up a fluency in the more common everyday vocabulary used across businesses.

 

Michael is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini Consulting in September 2008. He is currently working in the Department for children, schools and families.

 

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But I didn't do business at uni...

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…nor did the other four graduates at my assessment day. Most of my intake didn’t either. So what is it that makes us Capgemini material? To me, it isn’t the grades and qualifications that set us apart, but the fact that my colleagues’ pasts range from caring for cheetahs in Africa to performing at the Royal Albert Hall.

Don’t get me wrong, rearing wild animals does not quite bear resemblance to my day to day life in the CDC. What I mean is that the people I have met here share the ability to embrace a challenge. Be it flying around the world hosting workshops for a month to racing through London dressed as Superman as part of the CDC Induction, everyone here can step out of their comfort zone and welcome new experiences.

And you won’t have to play the trumpet in front of a thousand strangers either; it just helps to be passionate about what you do and what you can achieve. One colleague created her own role within Capgemini’s Corporate Social Responsibility stream, introducing a new charity into the company to help educate young girls in India.  

 

So what does make you Capgemini material? The answer is as simple as there is no stereotypically perfect consultant here; Capgemini material is having the personality to make your mark within the company.

 

Megan is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini Consulting in September 2008.  She is currently undertaking a Transformation role for an intranet project in London.

 

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Plenty of events + regular catch ups = happy consultants

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It's a very simple idea and Capgemini Consulting does it very well; by having regular events and lots if interaction the CDC maintains its sense of community, enables great friendships to form and makes Capgemini a more enjoyable place to work. As event stream lead I have been responsible for organising the events during the last four months ensuring that the CDC continues to achieve the above mentioned objectives. There is steering from management, but the fact that we organise the events for ourselves means that we create events that we would want to attend and ensures they are successful. There are three types of events and they can take on different forms as appropriate.
           
 
1. The highlight of our events calendar are the quarterly CDC meetings which are arranged to coincide with the induction of the new intake, giving everyone the opportunity to get to know each other right from the beginning and get networking. As well as the fun part at each meeting we get updated on how well Capgemini is doing in the market, how we as the CDC are contributing to this and also receive skills updates to help us develop. Previous meetings have included a massive treasure hunt across London (a big family competition which was competitively fought) and at venues including Imperial War Museum and HMS Hispaniola on the Thames.
           
 
2. Each month we organise a "Thursday Night of Fun (TNF)"; these are designed to be really informal and are scheduled to make sure that those on client site out of London can get back and catch up with everyone (including management).
 
 
3. As well as this we set up "Dial Deborah" teleconference calls during which CDCers can ask Deborah, the CDC Manager, any questions and raise concerns. CDCers raise questions anonymously (through the events stream) which avoids the possibility of having any "unaskable" questions and lets queries get solved giving everyone peace of mind.
 
Because we have so many chances to catch up it means we get to know our work colleagues really well, have lots of fun together and become friends. This not only creates a much more enjoyable place to work, but also ensures that there are plenty of people we feel comfortable in turning to for support or advice should it be needed. This makes us happy consultants.

Sian is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini Consulting in March 2009. She is currently undertaking a transformation role for an education based public body. 

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Friday - 'I Heart Soho'

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I get into the Wardour Street office by 8.30 and to keep things fresh I decide not to work on the requirements analysis today.  Instead, I continue a volumetrics model that I’ve previously been creating for an upcoming workshop.  This model details the amount of data flowing through the infrastructure components and will eventually be used to inform component sizing.

At mid-day I sit in on an internal lunchtime presentation provided by a member of the Marketing capability unit.  The presentation is on the benefits of a market research tool and is a nice break before lunch where some friends and I grab a bite to eat from one of the many nearby takeaways – a benefit of having an office in the heart of Soho.

I spend the afternoon building the volumetrics model and at 16.00 I attend a MySkills session on Excel hints and tips.  This is the session I’ve been organising in my stream work and I am delighted to see such a large turnout from the CDC – 24 in total!  This is also a great time to network with my intake as I don’t get to see them during the week.

The session finishes at 17.15 and having learnt some useful Excel tricks I pack up and go down to the Slug and Lettuce (which is under the office) with many other CDCers – the working week is over!

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Thursday - 'Average Joe'

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I check-out of the hotel as I’m going to work in Capgemini’s Wardour Street office tomorrow.  There are a few internal sessions that I would like to attend and it’s a good time to catch-up with friends and build the internal network.

This is the fourth day on the requirements analysis and it’s beginning to take shape, however I’m finding it particularly challenging getting information from the various project managers.  I check my emails to find I have no replies to the requirements questions I sent yesterday.  I decide to push on and start the more analytical process of identifying requirement misalignments across the programme.  I highlight a number of potential issues that may affect aspects such as infrastructure, cost, and resources and meet with my client business manager to discuss them further.  We identify the most severe issues from the set and create a plan to tackle them.  Some of these issues require consulting project managers to question their requirements choice.  Others need to be raised with system architects and senior business heads.

The afternoon is spent arranging meetings with the appropriate people to discuss the problems.  My client is pleased with the approach to this analysis and has suggested I do a similar piece of work to identify differences between this programme and another programme.

Today hasn’t been particularly exciting and the lack of email responses can be a let-down.  I leave the office at 17.20 to catch the train back to London.  My manager understands the importance of a work/life balance and is happy for me to work closer to home on Fridays.  I’m looking forward to some home comforts, however I have to cook my own food tonight!

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Wednesday - 'Build that Network'

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Following on from Tuesday's work, I have spotted a number of missing requirements and the entire morning is spent composing emails to Project Managers requesting them.  It can be easy to tread on toes at this stage so it’s key to explain exactly ‘why’ I need these additional requirements and ‘what’ I’m going to do with them.

At mid-day I attend a fortnightly Business Analyst Forum where we discuss any issues which could potentially affect other projects.  With Project Managers and Business Analysts constantly in and out of meetings, it is imperative that everyone is informed of important news and decisions.  This was a fairly quick affair with little news and I’m on time for a teleconference I have set-up with a colleague.  He is part of the Business and Information Strategy (BIS) unit and has agreed to help me become more visible in this area.  As I’m a content focussed CDCer towards the BIS capability unit, I need to begin building my BIS network – this will put me in a good position for future roles and opportunities.

In the afternoon I continue filling in the requirements matrix and spend the evening with a little more stream work before relaxing with a movie.

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Tuesday - 'Hello from Sunny Southend'

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It only takes five minutes to get to the office today so I can afford to snooze the alarm clock a few times.  I get a decent breakfast and take a taxi from the hotel to the office.

I spend the first 20 to 30 minutes of each day sorting out emails from the day before.  This routine ensures that I follow up on any promises and helps organise the dozens of emails I receive each day.

I spend most of the day working independently; extrapolating information from the various requirements documents and feeding them into my matrix.  Although I’m not directly looking for misalignments yet, it is important that I identify if the information is available in the first place.  I work until about 18.30 before taking a taxi back to the hotel.

After dinner I do a few hours ‘stream work’ in the hotel.  Stream work is internal CDC work and my responsibilities are in the Learning and Development (L&D) area.  Currently, I’m organising a series of ‘MySkills’ sessions for the CDC.  These are informal learning sessions that will provide CDCers with valuable skills based on three main themes: key consulting skills, capability units, and sectors.

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Monday - 'Bon Voyage London'

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I get up at 6.30 and get ready to travel to Southend-on-Sea for the week.  This is where my client is based and I’m generally there three to four days a week.  I grab my suitcase and get the tube to Liverpool St.  After fighting the morning rush I board my train to Southend and spend the best part of an hour reading the newspaper.

I arrive at 9.30 and catch-up with my team – which is solely a client team.  My team work on a single project and this, together with another 6 projects, makes up a larger transformation programme.  Today I’m going to start a new piece of requirements analysis work that my business manager set me.  Since the majority of the projects within the programme are in a ‘define’ stage, it is imperative to ensure all their requirements are aligned.  The work that I will be commencing will help align non-functional requirements across the programme.  I discovered that the simplest technique to capture any requirement gaps or misalignments is to create a requirements matrix.  This will be used as a template when collecting the various requirements from each project.  Most of today is spent talking or emailing the project mangers to locate the relevant requirements documentation.  Although I haven’t got much to show for today’s work, I have built the foundations and it has set me on track for the next few days.

At 18.00 I get a taxi to the hotel that I’ve booked into and settle down for a beer and some dinner.

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