By: Guest Blogger Angela
Sun, A’13
Hi again Jumbos!
My name is Angela Sun.
I’m a 2013 Tufts graduate currently based in Washington, DC as an Associate
Consultant with Kaiser Associates. Having blogged for the Career Center as a Student
Ambassador in 2012-2013, it is a real treat to be able contribute to the Career
Center blog as a guest blogger!
Since moving to
Washington, DC, I have always been amazed by the caliber of alums I meet in the
city. Today, I bring to you an enlightening interview with an accomplished
Jumbo and one of my personal role models, Ms. Sarah Hagerman, Vice President of
the Organizational Development practice at Kaiser Associates. Ms. Hagerman was
an International Relations/Spanish double major at Tufts and also received her
MBA from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University. If you had
the fortune of attending the Tufts Consulting Night, then you may have been
graced by her wisdom and elegance in person. If not, don’t worry—the Career
Center blog brings you all the highlights:
 |
| Sarah Hagerman, VP at Kaiser Associates |
Who
is Kaiser Associates and what does the Organizational Practice entail?
Kaiser
Associates is an international strategy consulting firm that serves as a key
advisor to Fortune 500 and aspiring
companies across industries to help develop and execute business strategy. Within Kaiser, I help lead the
Organization Development practice, in which we help organizations and their
people-related processes operate more effectively, whether that’s through the
design or re-engineering of processes, systems or programs.
How
has Tufts prepared you for your career?
The
interdisciplinary nature of Tufts’ education and my International Relations
major enables me to approach consulting projects from many different
perspectives. In solving any business case, I sought to understand factors like
history, culture, market dynamics and trends, which provided a more holistic
and realistic appreciation of the problem. I also participated in a Tufts Study
Abroad program in Spain, which pushed me outside of my comfort zone and
prepared me for the uncertainty and pace of change in consulting. I benefited
from extracurricular activities at Tufts as well, serving as the president of
the Chi Omega sorority, which honed my leadership and teamwork skills.
How
did you decide to pursue Management Consulting and Kaiser Associates?
In
my senior year, I was debating between a couple of different paths, from law to
consulting. I had interned at the law firm WilmerHale in their Labor and
Employment Group the summer before graduation. I recognized that I was
interested in work related to people and human capital, but wasn’t sure if law
school was necessary. When I was a Peer Advisor in the Career Center senior
year, I stumbled across Kaiser Associates when a student had brought in a cover
letter and job description for an Associate Consultant opportunity with the
firm. Multiple items on the job description appealed to me: the collaborative
work environment, the opportunity to problem solve and be part of a global
firm that was still boutique in size. I applied to the resume drop and
have been with Kaiser ever since!
What
has made you decide to stay with Kaiser thus far in your career?
Kaiser
is a unique place where there are so many development opportunities. Every
couple of years, I pause to take a look at where I am. Am I still learning
and on path to my long-term career goals? The answer has continued to be yes.
Second, when I had reached a point in my career where I wanted to have more of
a graduate-level academic foundation and experience, Kaiser sponsored and
supported me in getting my MBA. The firm’s continuous dedication to
investing in its employees has fueled my development and growth.
What
is your perspective on pursuing an MBA?
Given
that I came from a liberal arts background and Tufts didn’t offer too many
foundational courses in business at the time, I wanted to supplement my
professional experience with some more structured classroom perspective. I
wanted to take classes in Operations, Finance, Organizational Behavior and
more, in order to have a set of tools to ground my recommendations. From
Kellogg, I ended up receiving the academic grounding I sought, the opportunity
to build a network of contacts, and even met my husband, Peter.
In
my case, I went back to school after having worked for four years. It felt
like the right amount of time. Having at least a few years of work experience
is invaluable. My MBA classmates with significantly less experience weren’t
able to contribute as much to cases or had limited clarity regarding what they
wanted to do down the road with their MBA. My advice is to go to business
school only when you have a clear vision of what to get out of it, and plan
ahead! The application can be time-consuming, so taking the GMAT, researching
schools, and preparing essays in advance will help avoid crunch time later down
the line.
Beyond
the MBA, what advice do you have for actively managing one’s career?
I
attribute a lot of my success in my career at Kaiser to building strong
relationships with my colleagues and seeking out project work and experiences
that align with my interests and strengths. I took an Industrial Organizational
Psychology class at Tufts during my senior year and loved it, so when the
opportunity presented itself for me to work on Organization Development
consulting projects at Kaiser, I jumped at it. In terms of actively managing
one's career, my advice is to take some time to reflect every 6 months or so on
whether you are still learning, growing, and developing in your current role—and
if the answer isn't yes, then identify a couple of ways to supplement your
professional growth and development (e.g., via formal or informal mentoring
relationships, attending training / conferences, etc.)
As
an accomplished woman in business, do you have any advice in particular for
young women aspiring to work in consulting?
My
advice for women aspiring to be consultants is to be confident in yourself and
the perspective that you can bring to the table. Early in my career,
particularly when I was consulting with clients in the Aerospace & Defense
and Telecom industries, it wasn't unusual to find myself as the only woman
in a conference room full of male colleagues and clients with many
more years of experience. Having confidence in my knowledge base
and capabilities, as well as recognizing the value that I
could contribute to the discussion, helped me in asserting my point
of view and garnering the respect of everyone in the room. I would
also recommend seeking out informal mentors and formal sponsors, both internal
and external to your organization, who can advise you and advocate
for you as you navigate through your career.
With
the impending Summer Associates application season, could you share a little
bit about the program or give suggestions on applying?
Kaiser's
Summer Associate program is a great way for rising seniors to experience what
it is like to be a consultant at Kaiser. We give our Summer Associates the same
level of responsibility as we do our full-time Analysts / Associate Consultants
and try to give them exposure to at least a couple different types of typical
Kaiser consulting projects during their summer with us.
This
is a really exciting time for Kaiser. We have a great base of clients, and firm
resources, processes, and methodologies codified around the years targeted for the
type of clients we work with. Kaiser’s recently revealed 2020 Strategy features
a more global focus, with the integration of our London and DC office as an
example. As our firm continues to grow, our work is becoming increasingly
diversified, perfect for candidates who want to explore consulting, try
different projects and develop a portfolio of skills. Compared to similar
firms, Kaiser is highly competitive in the types of opportunities and
responsibilities it reserves for its Analysts/ Consultants. Although campus
recruiting season for full-time Analysts has concluded this application period,
rising seniors interested in a Summer Associate opportunity are welcome to
apply by sending their resume to recruiting@kaiserassociates.com after January 2, 2014.
Thanks for reading
Jumbos and hope you enjoyed the profile!
Please note Ms. Hagerman
welcomes requests for informational interviews at shagerman@kaiserassociates.com. Likewise, I can
be reached at asun@kaiserassociates.com.
