What real client work taught me about consulting

Matthew Wise

What real client work taught me about consulting

I first heard about Credera as a freshman, through a senior who had interned there the previous summer. He had great things to say about working there, and when recruiting season arrived during my junior year, Credera became one of my top targets because of that early impression.

I've always enjoyed trying new things, meeting new people, and putting myself in unfamiliar environments. I travel often, get involved in different activities, and look for chances to learn something new. Knowing this about myself, consulting felt like a natural fit. I was also fascinated by the intersection between finance and technology, and consulting would be an opportunity to work at that intersection.

The chance to work across different industries, collaborate with a wide range of people, solve new problems every day, and serve as a bridge between business and technology appealed directly to the kind of variety and continuous learning I really appreciate.

When I started recruiting in the fall of my junior year, my biggest goal was simple: learn as much as possible while making a real impact.

The first impression

What stood out most through the recruiting process was the focus on mutual fit. I felt like I was having a genuine conversation about whether Credera and I belonged together, rather than it feeling like a one-sided evaluation.

The recruiters sent thoughtful, personalized messages that made me feel valued as a candidate, and I had several opportunities to connect with partners through coffee chats, where I could ask questions and learn what the work would actually look like.

I also appreciated the transparency. Everyone I spoke with was honest about the work, the culture, and what to expect. Through those conversations, I also learned more about Credera's focus on technology transformation, which aligned directly with my interest in the intersection of finance and technology. That told me Credera genuinely cares about their people, and my experience since joining has only reinforced that.

Part of the team

Walking in on day one felt like starting a full-time role rather than an internship. Credera flew me to Dallas for onboarding, training, and even a speaker session with the company's North America CEO. Once I joined my client team, my calendar quickly filled with meetings to prepare for quarterly planning.

Despite the overload of new information, I never felt unsupported. I had a project mentor, a career coach, and an entire team ready to answer any question and help me learn. From my very first meeting, they included me in conversations, group chats, and team activities. It was easily the best team culture I've experienced.

But what struck me most was how quickly I was trusted with meaningful work. Within a week of starting on my client team, I was conducting data analysis that would be presented at quarterly planning. Not long after, I witnessed the entire process behind a customer experience implementation, one that now lives on the client's website.

My favorite project by far was building an AI agent to automate our team's status slides. I had never built an agent before, but my team gave me full ownership and the support I needed to drive the project. When I finished, the tool saved my team hours of work each week, and other teams reached out about implementing it for themselves.

That project made me feel like a genuine member of the team rather than just an intern passing through.

What I’ve learned

Going into my senior year at the University of Georgia (majoring in Finance and Management Information Systems), this internship has taught me a few important things about myself, namely that I thrive on:

Solving complex problems

Learning new things quickly

Working alongside talented people who challenge me to grow

It showed me how much development comes from being trusted with meaningful work and surrounded by leaders who genuinely invest in your success.

For any student considering Credera, my advice is straightforward: If you're looking for a place where people genuinely care about your growth and where interns receive real, impactful work rather than busywork and you can gain exposure to lots of different industries, Credera is where you should be.

The trust they extend early on creates the kind of momentum that can shape not just your internship, but also the direction of your career.