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As a junior management consultant at Capgemini Invent, I am currently taking part in the Gap Year program: a program that gives you the opportunity to work as a fully-fledged management consultant within Capgemini Invent, in between your Bachelor’s and Master's studies. So what exactly do I do? Keep reading to find out.
How it all began
When I finished my Bachelor’s in Science, Business & Innovation at VU University Amsterdam, I hadn’t yet decided which Master’s program I wanted to pursue. There are so many options and you can only pick one, so you definitely don’t want to make the wrong choice. I therefore decided to take a gap year. I was in no hurry at all, and I wanted to keep developing and getting to know myself better first so that I could eventually make a confident choice. That's how I ended up at Capgemini Invent.
Working as a consultant at Capgemini Invent
There’s actually no such thing as an average day within consultancy. Each day is different, and the world of consultancy moves at lightning speed. That takes some getting used to at first, especially if you’re accustomed to the university pace (and professors’ reaction times). You meet an incredible amount of people within the organization, including your own teammates, colleagues from other teams and colleagues from abroad. Capgemini Invent is extremely internationally oriented. During the first two months, for instance, I spent a lot of time in Berlin and Frankfurt for internal training.
This is what my work looks like
My daily activities include carrying out analysis, attending meetings, coming up with solutions, using my creativity, networking, drinking coffee, sometimes working really hard, focusing on my personal development and constantly learning new things. If I look at it that way, it’s actually not so different from being a student. That’s also what attracts me about the industry: it never gets boring and there’s a huge amount of variety in the work.
Do other activities alongside your studies!
I was always very active during my student days. I sat on multiple committees and was the co-organizer of our “Innovation Study Trip” where we explored the start-up culture in Tel Aviv. I also spent several years as a team leader at Albert Heijn. Now that I’m working as a consultant, I see that these side activities in particular have shaped me into who I am today. That's why I recommend that everyone do these types of things alongside their studies as well– if you have the time, of course!
Maybe the Gap Year program is a good option for you, too
I truly consider this Gap Year program to be a unique opportunity. I’m learning an incredible amount, building a network and discovering whether consultancy is something for me. Partly because of my work here, I now know which Master’s I want to pursue: after the summer I’ll be starting my Master’s in Management of Innovation at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. And after that? Luckily there will be another job waiting for me at Capgemini Invent!
Hope to see you soon at our office!
Hope to see you soon at our office!
