What's your job about?
Kearney is a global management consulting firm, that serves as a trusted advisor to the world’s foremost organisations across multiple industries. I am currently on a project based in Papua New Guinea, so I travel back and forth between Sydney and Port Moresby each week. While no two days are the same in consulting, the average week follows a similar structure. The week is full of client engagements, problem-solving sessions and apprenticeship check-ins. The week generally finishes the same way though – catching up with colleagues over a drink on the Kearney balcony.
What's your background?
I grew up in Sydney, Australia. When I was 10 years old, I was clear with my career ambitions: become the ‘boss’ of Rugby Australia (unaware of what a CEO was at the time) or become a full-time cheerleader (despite not being able to do a cartwheel). However, by the time I finished year 12, I wasn’t so certain about what I wanted to do. I learnt of UTS’s BBus and BCII double degree and was immediately interested – it paired a strong commercial grounding in business with critical and creative thinking. In my first year at UTS, I joined the UTS Case Team – a student-run group that competes in undergraduate case competitions across the world. I eventually became President of the team, participating in case competitions based in Canada, Norway and the Netherlands. One of these competitions was the 2021 Global Case Competition, hosted by the Norwegian Business School and sponsored by Kearney and the United Nations. I had not heard of Kearney before this experience – I spent a lot of time on YouTube figuring out how to pronounce Kearney (hint: think ‘Car-knee’). Before the final presentation, we were paired with an ANZ-based Kearney manager to help us perfect our pitch. I was immediately impressed and inspired by the apprenticeship and coaching provided to my team. A few months later I saw Kearney had opened applications for their Sydney-based summer internship – it was a ‘no-brainer’ to apply, I wanted to continue my Kearney journey. I landed the internship, and then received an offer to return as a graduate!
Could someone with a different background do your job?
If you have a passion for learning and enjoy working in a team, then consulting is absolutely a career you should consider! You don’t have to have a business degree to succeed. A range of backgrounds brings different viewpoints and experiences, leading to more creative and comprehensive solutions.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I love that Kearney fosters a culture of continuous learning and development. Even more rewarding is that the firm actively seeks out and respects the opinions of junior staff, empowering teams of all experience levels to collaborate and contribute meaningfully. I can’t count how many ‘pinch-me!’ moments I have experienced throughout my first year at Kearney… from presenting to C-suite executives to travelling to new places (not many people have visited Papua New Guinea!), there is never a dull day.
What are the limitations of your job?
Working in consulting requires embracing the unknown and a love and passion for lifelong learning. This might not be for everyone.
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