February 18, 2015
As a business and technology student embarking on my first foray into the professional world, “consulting” was one of those buzzwords that you tend to hear. It always sounded interesting but prior to my week-long Booz Allen externship, I had no idea what it really meant.
I had no idea what to expect, but any worries about scrutiny from actual Booz Allen staff and other participants evaporated once the program started. The externship was led by helpful and skilled team leaders, and not only provided out-of-the-box learning opportunities like lessons on design methodologies featuring Legos™, but also allowed for team building with other externship participants and peers.
By jumping into three different challenges, I learned a lot about what it would be like to work as a Booz Allen consultant. Collaboration and creativity were encouraged in the problem solving process to find the best solution, which was a refreshing contrast from my familiar world of academia where problems have strict guidelines and one right answer.
I also loved hearing from Booz Allen staff about their experience— it provided me with first-hand insight into the company’s culture. It’s very telling when every person says that the people are the best part of their job. I felt an atmosphere of support and collaboration among colleagues and working alongside my challenge leaders and hearing about employees’ experiences left me with the impression that Booz Allen is made up of people who want to learn from each other. New ideas from employees at all levels are seen as valuable contributions instead of threats to the status quo.
For me, the externship experience was a week-long learning program I shared with a group of intelligent, interesting people. I walked around the technology showcase in awe of what Booz Allen team members have created. Had I seen this in the beginning of the week, I may have worried I didn’t have the expertise or skills to create something like that, but my experience here showed me that if I’m willing to work hard and ask for what I want, Booz Allen could help me to achieve it.
