Navigating your future career: Insights from current Credera consultants

Figuring out your future career can feel daunting. To help those who are considering consulting, we’ve gathered insights from nine consultants from across Credera’s U.S. offices who are all in the early stages of their consulting careers at Credera. Their insights provide tips and direction for students about to enter the job market and can be summed up in guiding principles.

An overarching theme we found is that there isn’t one perfect path to consulting, so we encourage everyone to approach their journey with authenticity and remain open-minded.

We’ll walk through the following five key guiding principles to consider as you navigate your future career:

1. Start with your skillset and interests

2. Get outside of your comfort zone

3. Gain real life experience

4. Strengthen your skills

5. Identify mentorship opportunities

1. Start with your skillset and interests

Understanding your skills and interests is the first step in shaping your career. Many consultants at Credera began their journey by reflecting on their strengths and what they enjoyed.

Take some time to reflect on what you excel at and what activities you find most engaging. This self-awareness can help you discover a career path that aligns with both your skills and passions.

• Identify your strengths: What you are naturally good at? This could be a technical skill, problem-solving ability, or interpersonal skill.

  • What do you often receive praise for?

  • Are there classes, topics, or skills you feel come easier to you?

• Consider what you enjoy most: Think about the activities or subjects you are passionate about.

  • What do you find most engaging and fulfilling?

  • What classes do you enjoy most and what do you like about them?

  • Where do you spend most of your time and why?

• Listen to trusted people: Ask parents, professors, college advisors, and trusted friends what strengths and natural skillsets they see in you.

  • Where are some areas they see you excel?

  • What are some of your strongest qualities in their opinion?

2. Get outside of your comfort zone

Stepping outside of your comfort zone is essential for a deeper understanding of your skills and interests. Many consultants at Credera found that by challenging themselves and exploring new activities, they gained valuable insights into their strengths and passions and navigated their career aspirations with newfound clarity.

Where do I begin?

• Join new organizations: Look for clubs, societies, or groups that interest you but where you don’t already have friends. This will push you to meet new people, expand your network, and gain a broader perspective on what you might enjoy.

• Try different activities to discover what you do and don’t like: Don’t be afraid to participate in different types of activities, from sports to extracurricular clubs to community service. Each experience adds a unique perspective and helps to refine your interests to identify a potential career path.

• Seek leadership roles to develop valuable skills: Taking on leadership positions can help you develop valuable skills and gain insights into different fields.

3. Gain real life experience

Real-life experiences are invaluable in shaping your career path. While classroom learning provides foundational knowledge, it’s the hands-on experiences that truly prepare you for the professional world. Internships, part-time jobs, and project work can provide practical insights and skills essential for skill development.

How to gain real-life experience:

• Pursue internships: Internships are a great way to gain hands-on experience in your field of interest. They provide opportunities to work on real projects, interact with professionals, and understand the industry dynamics.

  • At Credera, our interns are treated as full-time consultants and staffed on real Credera projects where they make a meaningful, tangible impact.

• Join student organizations: Participating in student-led groups or consulting clubs can provide practical experience to solidify your understanding of your course work and make concepts more tangible.

• Create your own opportunities: Don’t be afraid to start your own initiatives, projects, or clubs. This entrepreneurial approach demonstrates your ability to take the initiative and solve problems. It also provides unique experiences that can set you apart from others.

4. Strengthen your skills

Once you have identified your skills and interests and gained real-life experience to help you better understand them, it’s important to seek opportunities to strengthen those skills. Continually developing both your hard and soft skills while maintaining an ambitious attitude is crucial for career growth and by doing so, you will position yourself for long-term success and growth in any career path you pursue.

There are many ways to strengthen your hard skills, the specific and measurable abilities such as proficiency in software. Soft skills, however, such as communication, teamwork, and leadership, are more challenging to quantify but equally as important.

How to strengthen your skills:

• Pursue additional courses or minors: Compliment your primary field of study with additional courses or minors to develop a well-rounded skill set.

• Participate in workshops or clubs: Join workshops and clubs that offer practical experience and skill development in areas of interest.

• Engage in professional development: Take advantage of professional development opportunities, like attending conferences or taking online learning courses offered by your university or other institutions.

5. Identify mentorship opportunities

Seeking out and utilizing mentorship relationships can help you gain wisdom, guidance, and support from those more experienced than you, ultimately aiding in your career direction while in college and your career progression after college. By learning from the experiences of others, you can make informed decisions, avoid common mistakes, and achieve your career goals.

How to make the most of mentorship opportunities:

• Seek out mentors: Look for mentors within your university, major, extracurricular organizations, or other professional networks. Identify individuals whose experiences and career paths align with your interests and goals.

• Be proactive: Take the initiative to reach out to potential mentors. Schedule coffee chats, attend networking events, and participate in professional organizations to connect with experienced professionals.

• Be open to feedback: Approach mentorship with an open mind and be willing to receive constructive feedback. Use this feedback to grow and improve in your career.

• Build relationships: Cultivate strong relationships with your mentors by being respectful, appreciative, and engaged. Show genuine interest in their experiences and insights.

• Give back: As you progress in your extracurricular involvement throughout your time at university, consider becoming a mentor yourself. Sharing your knowledge and experiences can be incredibly rewarding and help others navigate their career paths.

Planning for your future

Navigating your future career can be challenging, but by starting with your skillset and interests, stepping out of your comfort zone, gaining real-life experience, continually strengthening your skills, and seeking mentorship opportunities, you can set yourself on a path to success. These guiding principles, backed by insights from Credera consultants, will help you make informed decisions and build a fulfilling career. Embrace these opportunities to learn, grow, and shape your future.

Want to learn more about internships at Credera? Email us at campus_recruiting@credera.com.

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