What advice would you give to a student who wanted to follow in your footsteps
Be thoughtful about establishing short-, medium-, and long-term career plans for yourself, but be flexible to adjust those plans, if necessary
Work hard, but recognize that this business game is often about way more than just working hard
Establish strong relationships with people and be sure to develop those relationships for as long as you can
Don`t let setbacks knock you down for the count...look at them as opportunities for learning and treat them as such
What PROFESSIONAL experience(s) had the greatest developmental impact you?
My time at McKinsey was the most impactful professional experience of my career. not only did I learn a fantastic set of analytical tools and techniques, but I also learned about how to interact with people at all levels of business and how to communicate in a more structured way to ensure proper understanding of my message.
What is the best piece of advice you have every received?
"Be ruthless with your time" - Jim Ellis, Stanford GSB '94
What advice would you give to an experienced professional (5-10 years work experience)
looking to transition into a career in you
field
Build as much of an understanding of business overall, the levers that can be pulled in a range of situations, and the impact of pulling those levers. A career in strategy requires one to have a strong base in problem solving and an understanding of the implications of making different moves. The best way to achieve this understanding is to learn to "think business" and then practice applying that thinking to real world situations.
List favorite personal or professional development resources (e.g. books, periodical,
websites)
Books
- "Case in Point" by Mark Consentino
- "Cracking the Corporate Code: The Revealing Success Stories of 32 African-American Executives" by Price Cobbs