Earlier this month, Centric Chicago was honored to host seven engineering students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for an ECS Job Shadow Training day.
The students broke into three groups, each spending the day with Centric consultants and clients learning about the consulting industry, consulting career options and Centric as a whole.
A Glimpse Into the Business of Consulting
Three of the students, Suman, Arnan, and Irina, spent the day with the entire Centric Chicago team, attending an annual team offsite meeting at the University Center Conference Center in downtown Chicago.
Along with meeting the Chicago team, the three learned more about:
- Highlights and accomplishments of 2015
- Key imperatives for 2016
- Exploration of Centric’s service offerings and industry verticals
The offsite meeting is a chance for the entire team to regroup and look back on the highlights of the past year and plan for a successful future. Through presentations, role-playing and working sessions, Suman, Arnan and Irina were able to see first-hand what it takes to run a business unit and prepare for years ahead.
Consulting In Action
Two other students, Andrew and Darren, spent a day with Centric consultants at a client office and learned the terminology and basics of insurance and consulting.
A team of Centric consultants, including Amy McJoynt, Scott FitzGibbons, Erica Camiliere and Renee Giacalone, spent time with Andrew and Darren and educated them on quality assurance and change management. Andrew and Darren sat in on meetings and phone calls held that day and took notes.
What the students had to say:
“It was more than just shadowing. We learned a lot more than expected, as the morning was about the industry and basics. Then, in the afternoon, we saw it in action – with Erica and Renee running and managing the calls.”
“It was a great experience. It changed my perspective on consulting and was much more diverse in activities. I would definitely consider a career in consulting.”
Real-World Engineering
And finally, students David and Lauren were also at a client office, working with Centric consultants Eddie Francl, Eric Gfesser, Jeremy Gruenwald, Joe Van Bolderen and Bill Chamberlain.
The students spent time with the team as they worked on computer solutions and applications, showing them first-hand how their degrees are applied in real-world situations.
What the students had to say:
“I really enjoyed talking with everyone from Centric Consulting. Everyone was so welcoming and kind. I enjoyed seeing what everyone did on a day-to-day basis and their individual roles in the project. In class, it is hard to see where my computer science degree can take me, but I saw different opportunities in consulting and technology that I could do post-college. Overall, it was a very beneficial and educational experience.”
“I’ve heard of consulting before, but I never knew what it really does. Now, I know that consulting is a really challenging and interesting job that provides IT solutions for various clients. The fast-paced and challenging working environment quite attracts me and I am considering consulting as a potential job choice for me.”
It was a great opportunity for both the students and the Centric Chicago team. We look forward to hosting our next group of students and learning from each other!