Alumni Spotlight - February 2024

How long were you a member of miLEAD? What positions did you hold?

I was a miLEAD member for ~4 years during grad school. I joined as a consultant in the fall of 2018 and was promoted to Project Manager in the summer of 2019. Following this, I joined the board of directors and was actively involved in several organizational development initiatives. I held several positions, including the Director of Human Resources, Director of Web Services, Vice President, and President. During my time on the board, miLEAD experienced immense growth, including a 5-7x increase in revenue. I was glad to be part of an amazing team of entrepreneurially minded board members who drove the organization to success. I left miLEAD right around my PhD graduation in April 2022.

What was the most interesting project you were involved with while part of miLEAD?

As a Project Manager, I led a team of 4 consultants working for a robotics and defense technology company. As part of our project, we led customer discovery calls with potential customers across industries - including agriculture, oil & gas, bridge inspections, and various other shortlisted sectors that we helped the client identify through our go-to-market strategy. As someone with a biomedical sciences background, I had no previous knowledge about the intricacies of robotics engineering and its applications. Nevertheless, the topic and project were fascinating because of the market potential of the innovation, and seeing the passion our client had about the technology. miLEAD's work had an immense opportunity to bridge the gap between innovation and market adoption - ultimately, our customer discovery initiative led to 12 potential contacts who were willing to discuss the product further with our clients, with ~$2M in potential sales

How did miLEAD help you obtain your current position?

miLEAD was pivotal in helping me decide whether management consulting is the right fit for me or not. I was doing very well in academia and grad school and had no reason to leave. But after nearly ~4 years of consulting work, helping clients realize their potential and driving organizational change for a growing organization like miLEAD propelled me to reconsider what I wanted to do with my career. Throughout my time at miLEAD, I accumulated an incredible network of friends and people I met (both on the client side and fellow graduate students/postdocs who were a part of miLEAD), who inspired me to pursue a path outside of academia. My experiences on projects and on the board of directors were not only valuable on my resume and cover letter - but helped me get my foot in the door interviewing with McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and ClearView Healthcare Partners. My miLEAD experiences were also conversation starters and I had interviewers ask me questions about my time at miLEAD at every single interview I went through. There are very few opportunities out there like miLEAD and I am highly grateful for the doors that miLEAD opened up for me.

What is your day-to-day life like in your current position?

There's no unique day in my life as a BCG consultant - every day is dynamic and intellectually stimulating. The skills I use in my job are characterized mainly by strategic & critical thinking (which at its core, isn't vastly different than what a scientist does...). What is perhaps unique (and different than academia) is the fast-paced nature, client interaction, and the level of team collaboration. My day includes internal team meetings to align on project objectives, and client meetings/workshops to present data/insights or progress updates, or even sometimes to brainstorm & co-develop solutions. Much of my day is spent analyzing data and creating models in Excel, talking to experts about a particular field/topic/challenge, and developing client presentations in PowerPoint. Collaboration is a key part of the day, involving discussions with others on the team. Undoubtedly the schedule is demanding - but I am able to often engage in learning & development opportunities, mentorship, and other fun office/BCG-wide affiliation activities. The day concludes with "big picture" planning for the next steps/day/week, all while ensuring client needs are being met.

What did you learn through miLEAD that you apply to your current position?

miLEAD offered me several valuable basics of consulting - notably, client interaction skills, slide-writing/presentation skills, and thinking with a business-first lens (as opposed to a science-first lens). During my time as a board member, I led several client calls and business development activities in order to secure revenue for miLEAD. Those experiences taught me the art of client services excellence i.e. meeting client expectations through outstanding work, proactive communication, and fostering long-term relationships. In addition, miLEAD prepared me for a particular way of communicating through slides (that is unique to consulting) as I practiced prioritizing clarity, conciseness, and visual impact (using charts, graphs, and bullet points) to make complex information easily digestible for clients. Finally, miLEAD allowed me to think about business and client impact first - I got the practice of focusing on how my recommendations can enhance value for clients, rather than what might be academically interesting or important.

What advice would you give to current or prospective miLEAD consultants?

My advice to current or prospective miLEAD consultants (or anyone navigating their career search) is to approach this journey with an open mind. You will land a great career, just believe in yourself. Embrace new experiences outside the lab environment and actively seek opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. Regarding involvement in miLEAD (or any other activity you are a part of), remember that you will get as much as you give. Fully invest in your endeavors (even if it is just one thing outside of lab) - not just for the sake of participation, but with a genuine commitment to contribute and learn. I think networking is another critical component as you are discovering and learning about career options. Keep in mind that effective networking goes beyond a simple phone or Zoom call - it involves cultivating genuine curiosity about others' experiences and perspectives. Engage in networking chats with a mindset focused on learning from others.