What's your job about?
As the largest Australian-founded management consulting firm, Nous Group advises government departments and corporations on how they should approach difficult decisions. Our projects have ranged from exploring how universities could enhance students’ digital campus experience, to developing a government strategy that underpinned the rollout of 100 million dollars’ worth of funding. As a consultant, I am constantly exploring new ways to solve different puzzles, which means my work varies on a day-to-day basis. Some days I could be doing research to understand international best practices while on others I could be presenting exciting analytical insights to a client.
What's your background?
I moved between China and Australia growing up. This meant I changed schools a lot before settling down in Melbourne in Year 9. During high-school and most of my university days, I didn’t have a clear idea of exactly what I wanted to do in the future, but I was open to exploring new things.
A friend recommended a pro-bono consulting club while I was in Melbourne University and I’ve not looked back since then. To get into management consulting, I did pro-bono consulting projects, case competitions, a global consulting project (organised by the Melbourne Business School) and other leadership-focused extracurricular activities while in university. Before joining Nous Group, I also spent two years working in Grant Thornton Consulting.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes! Management consultants come from all walks of life, I work with people who were lawyers, musicians, physiotherapists and public servants. At Nous Group, we work across multiple sectors including government, education, health, finance and human services, so we actively recruit people with diverse backgrounds.
I think a great consultant should have a blend of interpersonal and technical skills, including the ability to push your thinking, engage with people and think on your feet. But more importantly, being open to learning new things and having a ‘can do’ attitude.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The best thing about my job is I get to work with and learn from friendly, brilliant and passionate people who are experts in their field. I started learning coding to conduct rapid data analysis for a project. By the end of the project, I was amazed that I analysed close to 500 datasets! The analysis I did underpinned the recommendations we made to the client, which is both a humbling and empowering experience.
What are the limitations of your job?
I would describe management consulting as more of a lifestyle than a job, as it does not follow a typical 9 to 5 schedule. I have worked long hours at high intensity during weekdays and sometimes even on weekends. However, we are actively encouraged to balance these high-intensity periods with downtime as Nous supports a self-managed approach to work.
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