So... i bugged the mods for a forum along these lines for quite a while. Reasons were two... well, threefold. First, Cal needs to drive alumni engagement and compared to schools like Stanford, USC, Notre Dame etc its alumni connections have been a bit lacking. Second, it seemed like a way to drive positive traffic given that our actual athletics product can be somewhat... trying.
Oh, and there was a third, self-serving reason - I need to get a better job (so i can donate more to Legends NIL and the school, of course!)
I sort of envision career-specific threads, where you have people looking at jobs (as well as those considering grad schools and/or entering new professions) can discuss trends, opportunities, interview advice etc. One for lawyers, one for engineers, etc.
But that'll take time. In the meantime, I figured it would be a good start to get an idea of what people on BI are donig, what they want to do (if different), and if they are able to help other Cal grads connect to their next steps.
So I'll start:
Currently, I'm a management consultant, having worked at Deloitte and PwC previously, but now in a decidedly unsatisfying role at TCS. I've been in consulting for ~6 years at this point, and while the work can be engaging and challenging, at this point I either need to promote up to the M/SM level or find something else. Before consulting I spent 11 years as an aerospace engineer, doing test / certification for space & defense and later commercial programs, during which i got my mba and eventually consulting. Degree wise I'm a Cal mechanical engineer & a UCLA MBA (they suck at alumni connections too, fwiw).
What I want? I wish i had a clear, concise answer but it just isn't there. If I stay in consulting I want to get back to a big boy firm. TCS is simply too much of a mess, the clients are all extremely cash strapped and the projects boil down to basic IT project management. I was a bit bored as an engineer and being an IT project manager is just as bad, possibly worse.
Given my technical and consulting backgrounds, transitioning into tech seems like an obvious fit but i've had very poor luck even getting tech company interviews. I also have my private pilots license and have considered going commercial, but given that in 2025 its apparently much harder for planes to stay aloft than it traditionally has been, perhaps the timing isn't right.
Oh, and i want to make more money, like literally everyone else.
How I can help others: Consulting wise, i'm extremely well versed in the recruiting processes for more or less every major firm (having interviewed with all of MBB & the Big 4, the big boutiques, along with others). I can probably refer you or arrange for one, and help you do some case interview practice (of which i've done hundreds). I also have contacts in the aerospace industry still and would be more than happy to do what i can to get you a connection.
Anyway, thats me. I expect it'll take some time for this forum to get traction if it does at all, but i look forward to hearing about what everyone else here does. Go Bears!
Oh, and there was a third, self-serving reason - I need to get a better job (so i can donate more to Legends NIL and the school, of course!)
I sort of envision career-specific threads, where you have people looking at jobs (as well as those considering grad schools and/or entering new professions) can discuss trends, opportunities, interview advice etc. One for lawyers, one for engineers, etc.
But that'll take time. In the meantime, I figured it would be a good start to get an idea of what people on BI are donig, what they want to do (if different), and if they are able to help other Cal grads connect to their next steps.
So I'll start:
Currently, I'm a management consultant, having worked at Deloitte and PwC previously, but now in a decidedly unsatisfying role at TCS. I've been in consulting for ~6 years at this point, and while the work can be engaging and challenging, at this point I either need to promote up to the M/SM level or find something else. Before consulting I spent 11 years as an aerospace engineer, doing test / certification for space & defense and later commercial programs, during which i got my mba and eventually consulting. Degree wise I'm a Cal mechanical engineer & a UCLA MBA (they suck at alumni connections too, fwiw).
What I want? I wish i had a clear, concise answer but it just isn't there. If I stay in consulting I want to get back to a big boy firm. TCS is simply too much of a mess, the clients are all extremely cash strapped and the projects boil down to basic IT project management. I was a bit bored as an engineer and being an IT project manager is just as bad, possibly worse.
Given my technical and consulting backgrounds, transitioning into tech seems like an obvious fit but i've had very poor luck even getting tech company interviews. I also have my private pilots license and have considered going commercial, but given that in 2025 its apparently much harder for planes to stay aloft than it traditionally has been, perhaps the timing isn't right.
Oh, and i want to make more money, like literally everyone else.
How I can help others: Consulting wise, i'm extremely well versed in the recruiting processes for more or less every major firm (having interviewed with all of MBB & the Big 4, the big boutiques, along with others). I can probably refer you or arrange for one, and help you do some case interview practice (of which i've done hundreds). I also have contacts in the aerospace industry still and would be more than happy to do what i can to get you a connection.
Anyway, thats me. I expect it'll take some time for this forum to get traction if it does at all, but i look forward to hearing about what everyone else here does. Go Bears!