A career in Consulting is more than I could have imagined
Graduate Associate Egbert joined PwC in Strategy& Consulting in 2022 and works from our London office.
Having studied for a masters in Management and Mechanical Engineering, Egbert had many preconceptions about what a career in the consulting industry looked like; long hours, no time to make friends, and possibly a cold corporate environment. Fast forward a year and he openly admits those preconceptions couldn’t be further from the truth.
‘At university, I was unsure about the career I wanted to pursue but felt that my master's degree would provide me with many options. Although a career in consulting appealed, I feared it would leave me very little time for my hobbies which include daily meditation.’
‘This is what has surprised me the most about working at PwC, I’m not working late every night and I still have time for the things I enjoy. Of course, there are times when the workload requires late hours, but that’s when we pull together as a team and you never feel like you're on your own.’
From the start, Egbert has been empowered to take the lead on projects with little input from his manager. His role requires him to expand his knowledge and actively engage with digital disruptors to ensure that he’s providing his team and clients with the latest trends in technology.
‘Consulting is a fast-paced landscape where you need to be up to speed with the latest trends; being agile and working flexibly is really important. You never know what curveballs you may get while on a project, so understanding and knowledge of different technology that can help you is key.’
Egbert shares how it’s the culture and the teamwork ethic that makes PwC stand out as a great place to work. The training opportunities for personal development are not only encouraged, but fully supported. His career coach regularly points him in the direction of people to talk to in his industry and areas of interest.
‘It may be a cliché, but what I enjoy most about working at PwC are the people, particularly my Strategy& team. I feel I can go to them with any query and ask for help and the encouragement to go to networking events has even led to me landing new projects.’
Egbert has found that what he enjoys most about his role is the opportunity he has to be creative. As an associate, he’s often required to carry out research, draw out insights and create slides for presentations. He’s motivated to come up with recommendations and it’s here where he feels he’s truly having an impact and putting his own mark on things.
Egbert puts value in his relationships both inside and outside the office and at weekends takes the opportunity to meet up with his friends which is really important to him. His friends describe him as caring, funny and light-hearted, traits that are also valued within work. He enjoys regular visits to the gym, basketball and a new found hobby in Afro-dance lessons. Travel is also a passion, particularly enjoying mountain treks that offer breathtaking views, and tranquility - but you need a head for heights. Beyond that he loves taking the time out to spend time with his family.
‘I’ve always been into team sports and I see the importance of teamwork and collaboration which is a PwC value that resonates the most with me. PwC is a place of mutual trust and respect and the flexible working policy is a great example of this.’
If you’re inspired by Egbert’s story and want to find out more about a career in Strategy&, click here.
