Welcome to the Capgemini graduate recruitment website
Home - About Us - Our People - Consulting Blog

The variety of opportunities makes consulting a great option for graduates

Posted At : March 5, 2010 5:17 PM | Posted By : David Kunzmann

The blog below was written by James Simpson. James is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini in March 2009.
The opportunity to work across multiple industries and gain experience of different services was one of the main reasons that attracted me to apply for a career as a Management Consultant. For anyone currently going through a similar application process, I can tell you that in my first year at Capgemini Consulting on the CDC programme my expectations have definitely been met in gaining this variety of opportunities.
Since joining, I have had experience of projects in Utilities, Retail, the Education and Health sectors. My assignments have varied from helping to implement operational improvement programmes, designing a new five year strategy for a UK wide health network and supporting the implementation of Government policy through to delivery. In addition, I spent four months on an internal role within the Capgemini Wardour Street offices supporting one of the key Capgemini Account teams supporting their future sales strategies and monthly forecasting budgeting processes.
There is no such thing as a “typical” assignment as a graduate at Capgemini Consulting, but any opportunity you are presented will give you the opportunity for continuous learning and development that will help serve as a fantastic basis for your future career. In my first year I feel I have learnt so much from the people I have worked with and the training I have received. I now also recognise how much more there is still to learn!

Comments (0) | Print | Send | del.icio.us | Digg It! | Linking Blogs

The start of my consulting career…

Posted At : May 27, 2009 8:24 PM | Posted By : David Kunzmann

After returning from my travels earlier this year, it was finally time to kick-off my consulting career with Capgemini. New joiners take part in a two-week induction programme, ran by members of the Consulting Development Community (CDC). You stay away in a variety of pleasant hotels, which gives you a taster of life as a consultant. The schedule included team games, presentations from the leadership team (including Tom Blacksell, CEO), interactive sessions on consulting skills and evening socials, all culminating in a short case study at the end.
 
All of this sounds quite daunting, but it was a fantastic experience. The induction is run solely for the new graduate intake, and as so it has a great social atmosphere. The evenings provide a chance to relax and get to know your new colleagues, and there is plenty of organised fun as well. I had to organise a Monday Night of Fun, which I did on a “monsters of consulting theme” – all-in-all quite random but very enjoyable.
 
The sessions in the day start to build core consulting skills such as storyboarding, effective meeting management, presentation skills and strategic analysis. The sessions are run by experts across the business, and as such you get to meet a lot of people in a short space of time. It was incredibly valuable to meet so many people, as building up a network of contacts is important in a consultant’s career.
 
On the final Friday we were all told where our first project assignments would be. It was time to say some temporary goodbyes as we were all sent to various parts of the country to put the skills that we had learned into practice. After the induction I had made some fantastic friendships and was very excited about getting my career with Capgemini going.
 
 
David Kunzmann is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini in March 2009.

 

Comments (0) | Print | Send | del.icio.us | Digg It! | Linking Blogs

Technology savvy..? No, me neither!

Posted At : February 15, 2009 8:38 PM | Posted By : Jessica Childs

Many people think of Capgemini as a technology company. Although it is highly likely that you will be placed on project roles that are IT related, it is reassuring to know that you don’t need to be technologically gifted to participate fully in project life. All you need is a lot of common sense, great people skills and the capacity to learn quickly.

Since November, I have been on a highly technology based project: the last place I thought I would end up for my first main role.  I was pretty apprehensive at first, however the support has been fantastic and we have had daily training/catch up sessions to ensure none of the team feels out of their depth. 
 
In short: the project I am working on is introducing a brand new IT solution into a large Government Department.  I have personally been the face-off to ten of the clients for the project (which has been great exposure and the kind of responsibility you can expect to encounter very early on in your career at Capgemini). I have had to communicate frequently and in a clear, concise manner, the technology requirements and propositions of the project.  This has been a great learning process as I have been required to quickly understand technology terms, concepts, etc and then relay these messages back to the client side. 
 
My role so far has been to make this seemingly technology based project as humanly friendly as possible so that those on the client side can embrace the change.  This approach seems to encompass a lot of the projects at Capgemini: so, if you had any worries that this company is too technologically focused for you: think again! Capgemini welcomes graduates from all kinds of degree backgrounds with all kinds of different skills and this is what makes it such a great place to work. 

Comments (0) | Print | Send | del.icio.us | Digg It! | Linking Blogs

Saatchi stable. School of Rem Koolhaas. House of Chanel. Capgemini CDC.

Posted At : December 5, 2008 6:40 PM | Posted By : Lysette Cheuk

OK, budding consultants in the Consultant Development Community may not be critically acclaimed artists but being creative is a huge part our working life.

Coming from a background in advertising I was prepared to keep my creative juices in their box when I joined. However as the weeks flew by it was increasingly obvious that creativity is an important component of what we do and deliver.

One of our main aims is to work collaboratively with our clients so we must think carefully about how we make the most effective use of their time. Distilling large amounts of information into key messages and digestible diagrams, armed with brown paper, post-it notes, blu-tack and scissors, is an art in itself. These invite clients to fully interact and engage with the material resulting in co-created solutions to add value to their organisation.

Not only do we create tools like this but we also consider how to maximise the space we have by creating environments to obtain the best results from client time. Some sessions also begin with icebreakers which we can be creative with to encourage interaction and help attendees feel at ease.  

These skills are taught and tried at CSW (see Fran’s post) and can also be found in our internal work. Finally, it bubbles over into the CDC socials, for instance, I have to think of a secret santa present for my intake with a budget of £0. Ideas are most welcome!

Lysette is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini Consulting in September 2008.  She is currently working on a Marketing, Sales & Service Service project for a major Governmental department.

Comments (0) | Print | Send | del.icio.us | Digg It! | Linking Blogs

CSW – what’s it all about?

Posted At : December 2, 2008 4:49 PM | Posted By : Fran Wilkinson

When you first join the CDC, you will undergo three weeks of training; two weeks in Woking/London and a third week at Consulting Skills Workshop (CSW) in France. CSW gives you an invaluable insight into the Capgemini way of working and equips you with the key consulting skills you need for a client-facing role.

The timetable at CSW is pretty intensive (be prepared for 8am starts!) however, the skills you gain from the course will prove invaluable throughout your consulting career. Here, you will discover the magical world of Brown Papers, RACI Charts, Bi-directional Transformation maps and many other tools we use when working with clients.

CSW is not just about hard work – the week includes a range of team-building exercises and social events. As well as expanding your mind at CSW, also be prepared to expand your waistline – meals are a gastronomic extravaganza and the bar is a great place to let off some steam. For the fitness fanatics out there, Les Fontaines also plays host to a pool, gym and tennis courts.

Personally, one of the best parts of CSW (apart from the four course dinners!) was the chance to get to know colleagues from across Europe. Despite differing business styles and the occasional language barrier, I found there to be a genuine sense of team spirit and willingness to share knowledge and ideas.

CSW is compulsory for all those new to Capgemini Consulting, so if you are accepted onto the CDC, look forward to one of the most rewarding weeks of your life!

Comments (0) | Print | Send | del.icio.us | Digg It! | Linking Blogs

Navigate

Recent posts

March 2010

The variety of opportunities makes consulting a great option for graduates

Comments (0)

February 2010

A different way of working

Comments (0)

Broad or narrow – follow your own path

Comments (0)

Raising money…it’s just the way we roll

Comments (0)

January 2010

Top tips for living out of a suitcase

Comments (0)

Recruitment fairs

Comments (0)

June 2009

Collaborative Group Working

Comments (0)

We are in the people business

Comments (0)

May 2009

The start of my consulting career…

Comments (0)

March 2009

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

Comments (0)

February 2009

“Don’t you just do IT consulting?”

Comments (0)

Technology savvy..? No, me neither!

Comments (0)

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

Comments (0)

The ASE & Me

Comments (0)

January 2009

Induction

Comments (0)

Plenty of events + regular catch ups = happy consultants

Comments (1)

Friday - 'I Heart Soho'

Comments (0)

Thursday - 'Average Joe'

Comments (0)

Wednesday - 'Build that Network'

Comments (0)

Tuesday - 'Hello from Sunny Southend'

Comments (0)

Monday - 'Bon Voyage London'

Comments (0)

A Week in the Life of...

Comments (0)

My 3 Favourite Things About the CDC Programme

Comments (0)

December 2008

Saatchi stable. School of Rem Koolhaas. House of Chanel. Capgemini CDC.

Comments (0)

Internal Work - Learning & Development

Comments (0)

CSW – what’s it all about?

Comments (0)

How do we select the right candidates to join the CDC?

Comments (0)

October 2008

Starting a New Project.......

Comments (0)

So you think you want to be a management consultant? Free advice – don’t miss it!

Comments (1)

The Pareto Principle and the CDC

Comments (0)

September 2008

You Can't Manage Time, It Just Is

Comments (0)

How to Market a New CDC Intake

Comments (0)

Planned Reaction

Comments (0)

July 2008

Life on the Road

Comments (0)

Tight for Time?

Comments (0)

Who Do You Think You Are?

Comments (0)

June 2008

Welcome to the Jungle...

Comments (0)

Getting Through The Process....

Comments (0)

We Have Lift Off!!!

Comments (0)


See all previous posts »

Consulting blogTechnology blogGraduate brochureApplyApplication and intetview advice