• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • The Wellesley (COVID) 100
      The Wellesley (COVID) 100
    • In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
      In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
    • Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
      Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
      The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
    • Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
      Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
    • No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
      No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
      Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
    • No image
      Birds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See
    • No image
      Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Health and Wellness
    • February Student Athlete of the Month
      February Student Athlete of the Month
    • Athletics Update
      Athletics Update
    • Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
      Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
      Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
    • Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
      Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
    • Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
      Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Zarina Patwa Features, News and FeaturesFebruary 26, 2015

Wellesley students and alumnae build network in consulting

Students interested in entering the consulting field begin the recruiting process during the fall of their senior year. To help with preparation for this exciting but stressful endeavor, two event planners from the Wellesley College Consulting Club, Emily Rothkin ’15 and Nidhi Saxena ’15, have reached out to Wellesley’s alumnae network to mentor current students who plan to go down this career path.

Consulting is a broad industry, which is why it can be hard to understand. The field is split into major areas such as management, economics, recruitment and information technology. Consultants from firms are sent to companies requiring outside input and specific expertise for resolving situations requiring in-depth research and critical thinking.  It is a misconception that it is enough to simply be an expert in a field; however, consulting involves strategy, teamwork and communication as well.

Aspiring consultant Sarah Lee ’16 explains how consultants may apply specific skills and interests to find their niche in the industry.

“As a chemistry major, I hope to combine the analytical skills that I acquired from my science classes with interpersonal skills to possibly go into healthcare consulting,” Lee said.

In order to help students who would like to enter this complex field, Rothkin and Saxena decided to create a program with the help of alumnae who are familiar with the industry and recruitment process and can provide guidance and support.

“Both Nidhi and I were recruiting for consulting last semester and something that we felt was that there really wasn’t a formal support system in place,” Rothkin explained.

The two students collaborated with the Center for Work and Service’s (CWS) head of recruiting Irma Tryon and assistant head of recruiting Kristy Liu to create this support system. The students also reached out to Anisha Vachani ’12 who is currently working with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the big four management consulting firms. Vachani has previously worked with the CWS and is involved in the recruiting process, so she will serve as an alumna liaison.

“As second-semester seniors, [Rothkin and Saxena] will not be able to benefit directly from this mentorship advice; yet, they’ve dedicated so much time, effort, and attention to creating this program from scratch. I really enjoy brainstorming with them and am happy that I’ve been able to help shape this program,” Vachani said.

The consulting mentorship program consists of multiple events. The first meeting — the only event of the program that have occurred this semester — was the Consulting 101 workshop run by Vachani. The event outlined the basics of a career in consulting and gave information about the mentorship.

The second meeting will be an “etiquette” meeting run by the CWS, which explains how the students should interact with Wellesley alumnae. These two meetings are mandatory and ensure the students’ placement in the program. After these meetings, the mentees are placed with mentors and have five individual sessions in which they begin the process of choosing which sub-industry they would like to go into and which firms they should be looking at.

“As a neuroscience and economics double major, oftentimes I get confused about what I should do after graduation, and sometimes I don’t know where to turn to to connect with alums. This program is excellent in that it points me in the right direction for a mentor,”  program participant Fiona Fan ’16 said.

In order to pair the students with alumnae, Rothkin and Saxena will personally be conducting behavioral tests to understand what the students are looking to gain, from the program. From these results, the two can decide as as well as whether each mentee needs a mentor who has recently gone through the recruiting process or who has had a significant amount of experience in a certain field.

“Junior mentors have just gone through the recruiting process, so it’s really fresh in their minds. Senior mentors have been in the industry for a very long time and so they’re valuable for more life experience,” Saxena explained.

As this is the first year the program is running, the mentorship is specifically targeted towards juniors who will go through recruiting next semester. Graduating seniors Rothkin and Saxena plan to ensure that the program continues in coming years. They also hope to expand it to sophomores and possibly first years who show a strong interest.

This new program is one that speaks to the extensive support that the Wellesley alumnae network provides to current students, especially those who are entering this male-dominated field.

“A lot of Wellesley alumnae just want to give back to Wellesley. They want students to have an easier experience getting into consulting,” Saxena explained.

Photo by Bianca Pichamuthu ’16, Photo Editor

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleWellesley commemorates Black History Month
Next articleNews in Brief: 3/4

You may also like

The Wellesley (COVID) 100

In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays

Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2022 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top