The GMCA - UA Podcast: Pathways in Consulting: Recent Episodes
GMCA University of Alberta Chapter
We are the University of Alberta chapter of the Graduate Management Consulting Association.
If you are interested in Management Consulting we are here to help you get the most of it! Whether you just want to explore the topic or advance your career, take advantage of our network and be part of it!
This is a 6 episode series that will be released bi-weekly starting June 30th.
Vinicius interviews David Muddle and Kevin Macdonald to learn more about how to develop your consulting business. David shares his experiences in building his consulting firm while Kevin talks about being an independent consultant. Their contrasting backgrounds provide great insights into possible development processes and they bring together all that has been mentioned in previous episodes.
HOW DID THEY GOT INTO CONSULTING?
2:13 David's response?
4:38 Kevin's response?
WHY DAVID OPENED HIS OWN COMPANY? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?
7:14 Reasons and challenges.
10:15 Leveraging his experiences to become a consultant.
11:54 Summary from David's talk.
WHY DAVID BECAME A INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?
12:55 How did Kevin transition into consulting?
15:47 Most challenging aspects for Kevin.
17:05 Summary from Kevin's response.
HOW DO YOU GET CLIENTS
18:00 How David sells his services and get clients?
SHOULD I GET CERTIFIED? WHY?
23:20 Why David decided to pursue his CMC certification?
26:56 Why Kevin decided to get his Lean 6 Sigma certification?
29:42 Summary from Kavin and David's answer.
30:18 Micro certifications.
WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL TO DEVELOP YOUR BUSINESS
33:36 Kevin's response?
36:17 David's response?
FINAL THOUGHTS
40:29 What is the one advice would give to someone starting their career?
Prerit talks to Nirwair Singh Bajwa, Tanya Doran, and Jennifer Kwan about various aspects of Networking, Relationship Building, and Collaboration. The episode highlights important tips for graduate students to network effectively and efficiently. The timeline and platforms to network with professionals are also discussed. Important insights are presented from the mentor-mentee relationship of Tanya Doran and Nirwair Singh Bajwa respectively. Jennifer throws some light on the importance of building relationships when taking the entrepreneurial route. Prerit also talks about the growing need for collaboration at the academic and professional levels.
Listen to the episode if you are thinking of developing robust networking skills, trying to figure out how to maintain professional relationships, or build necessary collaborative skills.
Episode 4 of GMCA Podcast invites 2 professional consultants, Jay Kiew and Maxine Clarke, to share their stories and insights into the recruitment process in consulting firms. They share tips to students who are interested in pursuing their careers in the field of consulting on how to look for the consultant jobs, how the recruitment process is, what qualities of the applicants are the employers look for, and how to prepare for interviews. They also share their views on how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the consulting firms, their modes of work and careers.
Lily talks with two consultants about knowledge, skills, and attitudes implemented in consulting and how these are being impacted by COVID-19. Justin Deonarine specializes in the application of personality, emotional intelligence, and data-driven decision-making to areas such as leadership, corporate culture, and selection. He has worked with organizations varying in size from local to multi-national and has published articles about leadership, corporate culture, innovation, entrepreneurship, and emotional intelligence for sources such as Inc.com, Canadian HR Director, and HR.com. Najib Jutt is a political strategist and commentator. He focuses on areas of concern for people of color and the for-benefit sector, organizations that strive for the greater good. They each provide their own experiences and perspectives on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to be a successful consultant, and where they see their fields going in the future.
Justin Deonarine - 1:02 - 16:17
Najib Jutt - 16:31 - 39:31
Preview for next episode - 39:35 - 39:45
Trevor talks with three consultants about different sizes of management consulting firms, and how things differ between firms with different numbers of employees. First guest, Gerry Purcell currently works in multiple mid-sized firms and innovation groups. He has worked with a variety of firms and has over 20 years of consulting experience. Second guest, Wayne Viegas is an independent consultant with previous experience with Deloitte. Final guest, Knut Ulsrud currently works with international firm KPMG. They each provide their own opinions on how things differ between firms of different sizes, or if the size of the firm matters at all.
OUTLINE
Gerry Purcell - 0:12-15:00
Wayne Viegas - 15:12-27:15
Knut Ulsrud - 27:20-42:23
Preview for next episode - 42:25
Our VP Communications Harsha interviews three consultants that share their perspective on the very basic of consulting.
Musics by:
https://www.bensound.com
Hey there, I am glad you are here!
Because we were very interested in developing a career in management consulting we create this group called the Graduate Management Consulting Association or GMCA.
We believe that the path to success involves connecting with people that have been there, done that. So, over time, we have connected with several great consultants to learn about the important aspects of developing a career in management consulting. Now, we want to share that with you!
We have interviewed consultants to solve all the common questions regarding the carreer.
Check it out and let us know what you think!
GMCA