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Why APT?
I looked at strategy consulting for analytical experience across a range of real-world problems as well as for skill managing relationships with leaders in business and beyond. The more I looked, the more I decided that I needed a combination of ownership and growth opportunity. I was afraid that I could be smothered in a large company in which a new consultant was easily replaceable. At APT, consultants have an opportunity to make a real contribution to the direction of the company, and this opportunity is hard to come by in an industry of giants. Because the company is growing so fast, there is enough work to go around. I knew that this environment would allow a recent college graduate to defy conventional the types of responsibilities a new consultant can shoulder. This type of opportunity was a rare find with rare rewards; positions at other strategy companies were not going anywhere.
I also chose APT for the work experience. I have always had a romanticized notion of travel, but when a consultant at another leading company told me his family bought their home primarily because it was close to an airport, I was floored. Consultants with APT travel often for client meetings, but are not constantly on the road. During recruiting season, I came to appreciate the sense of community that resonated from APT employees. They knew each other's professional strengths and weaknesses, but also their hobbies and their background.
Daily Responsibilities:
As a business consultant, I work on three client teams across a host of industries. Each client is at a different stage in their relationship with our company, so my day-to-day responsibilities vary accordingly. With the newer client, I work hard to tackle problems that the client has struggled to resolve on its own, sifting through the data with APT software and coming to solutions that generate a ton of value - this is more like a traditional consulting project. With more established clients, I find myself helping them apply rigorous analytics as a best practice on their own. This focus on a longer-term relationship means that even a new consultant gets to know the client side, from executives to analysts, on a more personal level.
I wondered whether I would get to tackle the types of problems I heard about in the information sessions, and between the breadth of each client's needs and small size of the teams, I have found myself in the thick of our analyses. Small teams mean increased responsibility, but also increased exposure - there's a Managing Director or Senior Vice President on each four-person team, so I get to interact with seasoned leaders along the way.
Outside of work:
My major hobbies are reading, playing soccer, and biking around Arlington. I can also be found performing bhangra, a traditional dance from North India, at weddings, cultural shows, and sometimes competitions. In terms of food and entertainment, Washington, DC and the surrounding areas offer an awesome selection to keep me busy. Friday Jazz on the National Mall is one of those uniquely DC events, but there's so much to do, even dinner and drinks on the Mall faces stiff competition.