Ever since my undergraduate degree, consultancy stood out to me as an ideal career choice however I lacked insight regarding their attributes and the way they operate. Upon encountering the SBM QConsult programme, I was presented with the opportunity to not only engage directly with a real business case, but to enhance my understanding and develop my employability in consultancy. Subsequently, I applied to the programme without a single doubt in mind where shortly after, I was invited to the assessment centre.
Soon after, I attended the assessment centre, where I and five other applicants provided creative solutions to challenging scenarios, applying core skills such as problem-solving, time-management and communication. A week later, I received an email notifying me that I had not only secured a place on the programme, but I had been chosen as Project Co-ordinator! Despite my excitement to meet my team and client, I was eager to both fulfil my potential in project management and develop my employability as a consultant.
At the training session, I was given the project brief and acquainted with my teammates; each boasting a diverse academic background and skillset. We were informed that QMUL are designing a new building and our task was to investigate potential commercial opportunities that it may withhold. Given the fast-paced nature of the programme, we devised a series of questions for our client meeting taking place the following week.
Meeting the client was a rewarding experience; she provided us with a network of contacts regarding the fundamental aspects of the new building and advised us on how to develop a comprehensive report. As my group are exceptionally productive and conductive to work with, consolidating our findings was a straightforward process. Subsequently, individual research tasks were assigned to each team-member based on their attributes, thus making the project as efficient yet enjoyable as possible.
The programme has surpassed my expectations so far: gaining exposure to professionals who are passionate in their field as well as being given the opportunity to leverage my interpersonal, analytical and time-management skills to achieve fruitful results.
Arash Tayoub, MSc Management
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