Consulting company presentations as witnessed by a clueless sophomore
Whether you've noticed it or not, something strange has been happening on Brown University's campus. You may have seen the occasional person in a suit strolling through the Main Green. Perhaps you glimpsed someone running to Jo’s in heels. You might have questioned whether these individuals were just extremely fashionable, or, if you're me, wondered what kind of fancy event would require such fine style.The answer strikes fear into many college students' hearts:Consulting company presentations.
*cue dramatic horror movie music*
Now is the time when juniors and seniors who hope to join the consulting world dress to impress (despite the fact that they were at CVS in their pajamas yesterday) and network their souls away.If you too are an undecided human being with a minor curiosity as to what consulting entails but no time to actually go to a presentation, I'm here to help. As a clueless sophomore who attended at my own risk, I can tell you exactly what happens.Here's how it goes down:Walking in is already an overwhelming experience. The crowds of suits and blazers engulf you, and you struggle forward towards the name tags. There you face a decision: do you write your graduation year and reveal your status as an overeager (or alternatively, naïve) sophomore? Or do you revel in the anonymity of a class-less existence?Then comes the actual presentation. A somewhat absurd (yet encouraging) number of Brown alums try to convince you of the benefits of working at a consulting company—many of which aren’t exactly related to the job itself, but rather to the social aspects of it (suspicious!). At some point, you will feel very motivated to apply for the company's summer program. After that hot second, you’ll remember how severely unqualified you are compared to all the amazing overachieving Brown students around you. You will regress to gaping in awe at the people before you who claim that they only started working towards employment in their junior year. How do they do it?After a brief panic, you remember you are but a measly sophomore. Who knows, maybe this is the year when you discover your underlying entrepreneurial spirit!The networking following the presentation/your small identity crisis is a whole different experience. After sticking around for ten minutes, you'll realize that everyone in the company is truly in love with it, and then you'll get inspired/terrified of what the future holds before finally returning to your monotonous dorm existence.Thus ends my experience of attending a consulting company presentation. Congrats on making it through (if only vicariously)! Now that you're equipped with this new knowledge, venture forth into the world of consulting! You'll either regret it immediately or find your true calling amongst PowerPoints and business cards. Who knows? Everything is possible with consulting—at least that's what the presentation said. Images via, via.
