James Meyo is a former President of the GBCC and graduated from UNC in 2020 with a Ph.D. He was interviewed by Eden Y. Zewdie in August 2022 when he was an Associate Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
What are your main responsibilities as a consultant and what does a typical day look like for you?
I think about my job as being the facilitator or driver of what is happening in specific portions of a project (typically a theme or question by the client). We first identify the client’s problem and define a work plan to answer the question the best way we can. We then figure out how to break down the question and get information and data to help us think through the problem.
We usually segment a project into packets and different people work on each packet. These packets then come together. BCG is a highly collaborative environment, so one or two people could work on each segment while collaborating with teammates, and will have access to resources such as experts on different topics to better solve the problem.
During a typical day, I am working in teams. Even on segments of your own topic expertise, you still work with others to make sure you’re utilizing information from collaborators. In terms of work-life balance, this field is fast-paced and requires you to have the flexibility to be agile since plans can change as additional information becomes available to the team as the project progresses.
What excites you about your work and what would be something you would want to change?
What excites me most is the idea of being exposed to knowledge. There’s a wealth of information and you can use this to build yourself since you are always learning. Something that would be nice to change would be having unlimited access to clients, which isn’t always the case as they’re also working on other deliverables. Planning well and being proactive are key to making sure you get the engagement you need from the client.
What did your career path look like and what was the role GBCC played in this for you?
My initial plan was to work in industry and so it was important for me to understand how different business decisions are made in science companies. With that being said, I joined the UNC certificate program to obtain my Graduate Certificate in Business Fundamentals where I met like-minded people. This exposure helped narrow down my career goals. Consulting stood out as one way to expose myself to many facets of businesses in an industry I am passionate about. I was a previous GBCC member and president and so I learned a lot from colleagues in GBCC, specifically how they work and plan. I worked with people in professional roles that helped other graduate students achieve their goals.
I also participated in monthly professional networking events with entrepreneurs, which helped me learn more about the business side of science. I used a lot of resources offered through GBCC such as the Cases&Cases workshop to better prepare me for my interviews. I also participated in many summer programs, such as Bridge to BCG, which gave me a short glimpse into what consulting is and what working at BCG is like.
In your opinion, what are the most effective strategies for seeking a position in this field and what skills do you think are essential?
Investing time to learn about your target companies is key. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people to motivate yourself to work on cases is also very helpful. Everyone works differently so be true to yourself. Know what works for you and work on improving on areas you’re lacking. Getting a PhD will teach you the essential skills of working through problems. The real question is how adaptable you are in using these skills to be able to perform on a consulting case.
What advice would you give for someone seeking a position in this field?
Make sure you practice a decent amount by the time you’re applying so that you’re ready if you’re called for an interview within a week. Gaining exposure and meeting people from different areas is essential as these people could be potential mentors, collaborators or clients. In addition, having a strong cohort with similar career interests is also important as consulting is very team oriented. Helping each other through case practices and sharing opinions is important as well.
Thanks to James for spending time with us to learn more about his experiences! If you’re interested in following his footsteps, you can visit the website of the GBCC.