Employer Perspectives: OC&C Strategy Consultants

Interested in a career in consulting? I spoke with two decision makers at OC&C Strategy Consultants, Director of HR and Recruiting Danielle McColgan and Consultant Jason Majane E08, who gave me a inside look into the recruiting and hiring process at one of Boston’s top management consulting firms.

1.Why did you decide to recruit at Tufts?

Danielle: This was our first year partnering with Tufts. We had wanted to expand our undergraduate recruiting program. Jason [Majane E08] is one of our consultants, and he came from Tufts and is familiar with the program and we have always held it in high regard.

Jason: I have been at OC&C for two and a half years. I graduated in 2008. We have historically recruited from a few other schools in the Boston area. It’s easier to focus on a couple of places, and there are a lot of really smart people in this area. Now that the office is at an even greater size, we thought it was time to break in more. Consulting is not as well known a career at Tufts yet. We thought it was a good idea to break in and be a first mover in the Tufts consultant movement.

2. Would you briefly describe your experience working with and recruiting at Tufts?

Danielle: I found it to be a really great and successful year. It was wonderful working with the staff at Tufts Career Services, all of who were very welcoming and accommodating. We were able to get early exposure to students through the Tufts Career Fair and the Careers in Consulting event. The Careers in Consulting event was an especially great experience for me because it was a more concentrated program. I met with some really strong students really early on, and I was able to closely work with them throughout the introductory practice phases. I interviewed and met with a large number of talented students, which translated into some hires for us.

3. What advice can you give undergraduates?

Danielle: I advise them to be conscientious and targeted in the companies they talk to. At the Career Fair, I met with a few students who I had met with earlier on. Throughout the entire progress, we had a chance to see students continuously show up to events. For us as an employer, this shows a level of dedication and interest on the student’s behalf.

Additionally, I found the students we met with at the consulting night to be much more targeted in their search. They typically had very targeted questions and knew we did strategy work, so they already had the flavor of OC&C. This allowed for more meaningful dialogue, rather than a 30 second elevator pitch.

Jason: As a student, I always went to the Career Fair. It was great to have such a large number of employers there. I also enjoyed the Consulting Networking night, mainly because it’s a little more informal than other networking events. Students came and asked really good questions, and I liked the setup of it. There was a group of students asking someone questions, as opposed to students waiting in line and talking one-by-one. The event stimulated group discussion, which allowed people to hear each other’s questions and see what other students were looking for.

5. What are some strengths you see in Tufts students?

Danielle: Tufts students were incredibly engaging and quite a good fit for us personality-wise. We have a very open, collaborative, sort of young culture here, and I feel that a lot of Tufts students definitely had the right energy level and will really thrive in our environment. When I spoke with them, I could easily see them working here tomorrow. There is obviously a strong emphasis on being able to do the work and having the right analytical background. Once we have that, we really do care about fit. Tufts is a great match in that regard.

Jason: In general, students at Tufts are very good at having an open dialogue. I think this is in large part because discussion in the classroom is a very important part of the curriculum. I think this translates well into people being naturally curious and open with their questions.

6. How important are information sessions to your hiring process?

Danielle: As an employer, I feel that information sessions really help students become more prepared and targeted in their search. They help them figure out exactly what they’re looking for upon graduation, which I think goes a long way. It is absolutely okay to be looking at different industries, but it is also important to be targeted and know about the firm you’re talking to.

7. What about the case interview?

Danielle: [The case interview] is the crux of the interview at a consulting firm, and I think it would benefit students to have more preparation there. We offer students the opportunity to come into the office and practice, regardless of whether they have interviewed with us.

8. What is your recruiting schedule for next year?

Danielle: In terms of undergraduate programs, we recruit at Tufts, Williams, Harvard, MIT, and Dartmouth College. We certainly have students from other programs and do hire out of these schools, but this is where we focus our interests. Next year, we plan to continue this same trend. We plan to have the same hiring timeline and recruit from these same schools. It’s been very successful for us. We had a very successful campaign at Tufts and we are looking forward to partnering with Tufts again next year.

Jumbo Spotlight: Introducing Tufts Alum and Financier: Lorie Lin

Meet Tufts alum and healthcare financier Lorie Lin (A'11), a entry level banking analyst at Brown Brothers Harriman, an elite financial services company in Boston. Featuring insight into the finance industry, networking, and real-world job-life, Lorie's career-success story is certainly worth a read.

1. When did you first become interested in the finance industry? What aspects of the business world particularly resonate with you?
I’ve always been interested in business. I’m drawn to business not because I’m interested in crunching numbers all day, but because I’m interested in learning where a company’s value comes from. I just think about iPhone and Apple, for instance; there is an insane, ridiculous Apple cult following, with investors playing 400 dollars for a single company stock. The qualitative and social aspects of business are what I find most interesting.

2. How did your experiences at Tufts help shape your career path?
At Tufts, I was Quantitative Economics major and an Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies Minor (ELS). Hands-down, I learned so much more from my ELS minor than all of my economics classes combined. It’s what made me really consider banking finance and business. Through my classes, I created business plans for hypothetical start-up companies, through which I’d project a company’s financial growth and comprise marketing plans. Much of what I learned was applicable to my internships and current job.

3. Did you have any internships and/or prior work experiences within finance?
I was part of Tufts Financial Group my junior year. The summer after my sophomore year, I interned for a mutual fund company in Shenzhen, China. After my junior year, I interned at Brown Brothers Harriman, and I’m currently working in this same group today.

4. How did you land your job at Brown Brothers Harriman?
One of my ELS professors announced to our class that there was an internship opportunity for an internship at BBH (Brown Brothers Harriman). I applied and was offered the internship, which I did right after my junior year. It was a great learning experience and from there, I kept in touch with co-workers and human resources. Then, I applied for an opening in my group during spring of my senior year.

5. What are your day-to-day responsibilities at the company?
I work in the healthcare corporate banking group. We make loans out to middle-market healthcare companies, which include medical technologies, healthcare services, etc. My job is to analyze these different companies. I write credit analysis reports---almost similar to what I did for my ELS business plans---which contain an overview of the company, an analysis of the competition and the market, financial modeling, and forecasting. As an entry-level analyst, I basically support whoever else needs my help.

6. What is the work climate at BBH like?
The specific team that I work on contains 10 people. It’s a very collegiate atmosphere. You’re working on your own-time---you don’t clock in or clock out---and you take on your own responsibilities. It’s a very professional atmosphere, very business-y. But at the same time, it doesn’t give off a snooty banker vibe. Everyone is so nice and all willing to help; they know I’m the “new girl” on the floor. It took just a couple of weeks to get over the initial intimidation.

7. What are your favorite aspects of the job?
I am really lucky to have been placed in the healthcare group. I find it really exciting to be in healthcare, and I feel like it just adds more value to the work I’m doing. I’m investing in companies that are saving people’s lives every day. There is so much happening with new healthcare initiatives; there are enormous opportunities for healthcare IT and service providers because of the economic climate and new healthcare policies, and it’s been so interesting to monitor what’s going on in the current market. It is rewarding to provide money for companies that are physically helping other people.

8. What skills do you feel are important to succeed at a job in finance?
You should be a math person and just generally comfortable with numbers. You should also be very analytical and open-minded, and be able to find different ways of looking at situations. As an analyst, you are constantly evaluating various companies and situations. I think it’s important to be confident in the work you do, to have conviction and stand behind your points.

I also think it’s important to have good communication and inter-personal skills. Senior level bankers interact with clients everyday; in a business role, it’s all about networking. You could be biggest math and excel whiz, but if you can’t interact and connect with other people, you won’t get that far.

9. Where do you envision yourself in 5-10 years?
I definitely want to go to business school and get my MBA within the next 3-4 years. I am studying for the GMAT right now. I want to stay within business, but I’d also be open to seeing what comes out after business school. For now, I am planning to stay with BBH; I’ve already learned so much in the past few years, and I’d love to keep growing within the company. I am very excited by healthcare, and I could definitely see myself staying there if I have the option. I also like the weird, geeky gadget sectors related to technology. It would be awesome to be able to work in a variety of different sectors.

10. What advice do you have for undergraduates on the job-search?
Put yourself out there and network. When I was a senior, it was the only advice anyone gave us. I was skeptical about it at first, but it really is the most helpful thing you could do as a student. I never realized this until I graduated, but I’ve found that people are so much more willing to help you out if you say you’re a student. If you go to a random networking event and walk up to someone and say that you want to learn more about his/her professional life, they will generally want to help you. My professor was a huge help is how I got my job today, for instance; that’s networking. You just put yourself out there and ask to hear more information. Welcome any and all advice, as you never know when it’ll come in handy. And stay in touch with everyone that you know; you never know when they’ll link you to an opportunity