Consulting Employer Expo Connects Students with Recruiters and Alumni

The office of Career Exploration and Development (CXD) organized the afternoon expo to give students interested in consulting jobs a jump-start on what can be a lengthy process, as well as to broaden students' awareness of the diversity in the sector.

"It's way more than management consulting, which is what most people think of when they think of consulting," said Kimberly Buonaiuto, CXD’s assistant director of employer engagement. "I would venture to say that for any industry a student wants to get into, someone is doing consulting for that industry. If they're interested in energy, the environment, nonprofits, or education, there is a consulting job for that."

Sixteen employers attended the expo, including ones offering services in business, government, nonprofit, life sciences, finance, the environment, technology, and marketing. "We tried to cast a wide net to meet student interest," said Buonaiuto.

Additionally, the timeline for hiring entry-level analysts has accelerated, said CXD Director of Employer Engagement Dawn Gerding. Consulting companies are racing against one another and large banks for top talent.

Of the sixteen companies at the expo, ten or more are expected to be actively recruiting for interns and new employees by early fall, Gerding said. "By holding a consulting expo in the spring, it helps students to get ahead of the accelerated consulting recruiting cycle," she added.

Recognizing the importance of preparation, CXD also partnered with Bain & Co earlier in the week on a workshop on how to interview for consultancy jobs. This session was led by Matt Egan ’12, a senior manager for the company. 

CXD also held drop-in hours the Friday before the expo for students to discuss how to approach conversations with alumni and recruiters at the expo.

Some employers, including Bain & Co and Berkeley Research Group, also stayed on campus the day after the expo to connect with students in a series of one-on-one chats.

Almost twenty alumni returned to campus to represent their employers, which was an added draw for students. Kristin Brennan, CXD executive director, said her team appreciates the alumni who are willing to come back to help students better understand their choices.

“For instance, I loved catching up with Thea Aslanian ’23 about energy consulting. I also learned so much from Trevor Peterson ’02—students were drawn in by his display of how Stantec uses technology to determine where to place wind turbines in a way that minimizes the adverse impacts on bats,” she said.

Three sophomore friends—Sophia Naumov ’28, Maria Muse ’28, and Daisy Botkin ’28—stopped by the expo to learn more about consulting and to ask alumni about their paths to this work. "I'm here to explore the different opportunities in consulting and to hear from people how they got from Bowdoin to where they are today," said Muse.

Botkin added that she was interested in the field because it "is a conducive career path for the liberal arts."

Walt Shepard ’10 also spoke about the suitability of a liberal arts background for his line of work. He came to the expo to represent BCE Consulting, where he's a partner and deputy of the firm's health care and consumer division. 

"We happen to be in a position to be hiring, and liberal arts students make sense for us," he said. "We have a great track record with Bowdoin students." In the last decade, they've hired more than ten, he added.

McKinsey & Co. sent Olivia Kjeldgaard, a manager of recruiting, to Bowdoin to talk to students about the jobs they’re filling now that start next year. "We value the diversity of thought that comes with a liberal arts education," she said. "Bowdoin is also a highly rigorous institution that pairs nicely with McKinsey."

Jackson Bleecker ’28 entered Morrell Lounge soon after the expo opened. He said he's interested in consulting as a career, and at this stage is trying to meet as many people in the sector as possible. Why consulting? "I like collaborating in my work, solving problems, and learning about different industries," he explained.