As a kid, have you enjoyed playing God with your playmates? As a teenager, have your friends lauded you for your advice on relationships? As an adult, have you taken pleasure in career counselling? Have you mostly felt you had better advice to give than what you got?!

Extrapolate all this into the corporate world. Obviously I couldn’t resist the temptation – I’ve mentored and trained junior credit risk analysts and interns. I’ve adviced clients on cost saving measures while assessing their funding needs. I’ve shared insights from experiences of other industry players to help improvise client’s business. All this, as a banker for six years prior to LBS.

It was during the last year at LBS that I realized consulting, particularly risk consulting is my cup of tea! Reasons are three fold: (a) I have always had a natural flair for it, (b) I feel the need for expanding my horizons while also leveraging on my prior experience as a banker and (c) I also feel the need for constant challenge – to shake myself off a comfort zone – which happens with a consulting career.

McKinsey & Co came on campus last week for a presentation relating to their Risk Practice and also conducted a crack-a-case workshop for students. After interacting with a few representatives from the company it comes as no surprise to me that working at McKinsey is a DREAM to many! I understand they guide and mentor their team for a fast track and successful career. The three managers who did the crack a case session as well as the HR recruiting for the Risk Practice are among the smartest and coolest people I’ve met in the last year – obviosuly synonymous with McKinsey!

Everyone has a compelling story no doubt, this is just an attempt to share mine!!!