That Thing I Did For A Year

5: Andrew Kidd - The Product is the People (Consulting)

Episode Summary

This week Andrew Kidd (EngSci Physics 1T8 + PEY) takes us through his time working at two different consulting companies, ZS associates and McKinsey & Company. Notes: 0:00 - First summer jobs, politics and government work, volunteering on campus 4:00 - What a consultant does 5:07 - Sales and Marketing consulting at ZS, working with pharmaceutical companies 8:45 - Project lifecycles, what makes a good one 14:26 - "The product is the people" 15:55 - Andrew's technical skillset, how his physics background has been helpful 18:34 - Selling yourself as an engineer, having to prove you're not antisocial 22:00 - Getting the job, how the interview process looks, case interviews 27:10 - Comparing the experiences at McKinsey and ZS 30:35 - SCHMOOZING 33:28 - Coming back as a more effective person, potentially going back to work in consulting 35:38 - How the value consulting companies provide has changed; expert networks 43:15 - Closing thoughts, getting involved non-academically Music by Shawn Lee

Episode Notes

This week Andrew Kidd (EngSci Physics 1T8 + PEY) takes us through his time working at two different consulting companies, ZS associates and McKinsey & Company.

Notes

0:00 - First summer jobs, politics and government work, volunteering on campus

4:00 - What a consultant does

5:07 - Sales and Marketing consulting at ZS, working with pharmaceutical companies

8:45 - Project lifecycles, what makes a good one

14:26 - "The product is the people"

15:55 - Andrew's technical skillset, how his physics background has been helpful

18:34 - Selling yourself as an engineer, having to prove you're not antisocial

22:00 - Getting the job, how the interview process looks, case interviews

27:10 - Comparing the experiences at Mckinsey and ZS

30:35 - SCHMOOZING

33:28 - Coming back as a more effective person, potentially going back to work in consulting

35:38 - How the value consulting companies provide has changed; expert networks

43:15 - Closing thoughts, getting involved non-academically

Links

Music by Shawn Lee