 |
|
Why APT?
I had worked at APT as an intern ("summer business consultant") after my junior year, and really enjoyed the experience. The people were great, and the work was interesting and challenging. Even as an intern I got to join in at a high level on a number of APT's engagements. Plus, it was exciting to be a part of a rapidly growing company (that had the security of a large Fortune 500 customer base).
At the end of my internship, I was offered a post-grad job. I had a feeling that I would be coming back to APT, but as school started I still went through the whole on-campus recruiting process just to make sure that I made the right decision (I think it's a good idea to always explore your options - in high school I still applied to 5 other schools after being accepted early to Harvard). Plus, given APT's standing offer, I could pick and choose only those companies in which I was most interested. My interview process was successful, and in the end, I narrowed my decision down to APT and a large, well-known consulting firm. Obviously, I chose to return to APT, and I am extremely happy with my decision.
APT works with many of the largest companies in the US (and Canada, and is expanding into Europe), and establishes a close and longstanding relationship with these clients, so I get to learn first-hand how and why these companies are successful, and how and where they can improve. Because of the collaborative work environment, I have had the opportunity (and here it is very common) to work closely with APT's most senior and experienced members. And because APT is very analytical in nature, I find the work both challenging and exciting, and I am constantly learning not only from a business side, but also from a statistics side. Most importantly, APT has a very fun atmosphere, and I have become good friends with many of my peers in the office.
Daily responsibilities:
As a consultant, I work very closely with our clients (we often work with multiple clients at once) to help them analyze their business and basically find opportunities for them to make/save more money. This is done with the help of high-level statistics software that the software side of the company develops with our inputs. It's like running analyses at a more traditional consulting firm except instead of excel, you have excel on steroids, HGH, and speed, which eliminates many of the frustrations that one encounters with the limitations of excel (and also allows much more powerful analyses of, e.g., a company's pricing strategies).
Outside of work:
I have really enjoyed being in and around DC. The city has a lot to offer: a great bar/social scene, lots of attractions, and a transportation system that makes it really easy to get to all of these things. I am beginning to go through withdrawal from Harvard athletics, especially hockey and football, but I have found other options as the Washington Capitals training facility two blocks away from work (perhaps an "Ovechkin is my homeboy" shirt is in the cards for the future). Of course, I still follow the Crimson, as well as the Pats and Sox, but fortunately there are many Boston bars here - and good ones at that - to satiate most of my chowdahhead needs. Plus, in my humble opinion, Chipotle beats Felipe's anyday (although there is no substitute for Noch's).