Catherine Cashman on her first 6 months at First Consulting

20 December 2019 Consultancy.uk

After completing her Master of Engineering at the University of Bristol and with previous work experience under her belt, in April this year Catherine Cashman joined First Consulting as a Business Consultant. How have her first six months been? 

How did you start working at First Consulting?

Whilst studying for a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, I was unsure of what my next steps would be. I chose to study Engineering because it applied the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems. I knew I wanted a career where I could remain curious, be on the cusp of new technologies and solve real world problems. 

When my recruiter introduced me to First Consulting, I was drawn to the core values of the company; daring, together and fun are a few of the values that resonate with my own experiences and outlook. The size of the firm and the focus on the personal development of each employee enticed me; I was keen to be challenged, take on new responsibilities, interface with clients early on and learn new skills. I was especially interested by the opportunities in the Process Optimisation and Business Technology domains. 

After an extensive four-round interview process with four members of the team at First Consulting, I learnt a lot about the firm and was delighted to receive an offer from the UK Managing Partner, Jonathan Nelmes. 

Members of First Consulting’s team

How have you experienced First Consulting so far?

I recently celebrated 6 months at First Consulting. During my first week, I was introduced to the UK team, all of whom made me feel welcome and part of the team almost instantly. During my second week I jetted off to the Netherlands for a week-long Business Technology Bootcamp, where I was also introduced to many of our Dutch colleagues.

Since then I have been on a variety of projects (implementation and advisory) with a focus on Robotic Process Automation (RPA); one of which was based in Dubai. I especially enjoyed working with the client team, exploring the area with my First Consulting colleagues and the hot weather. Overall, I have received extensive learning and training opportunities over the last six months and have especially appreciated the continuous focus on my personal development.

First Consulting emphasise the importance of having a close-knit team. As many of us are working on projects all over the globe, we have a monthly Collaboration Day where we work together and share updates both from a personal and project perspective. We also hold regular training events and socials for the UK team. I really enjoy being part of the Social Committee that makes these events possible as maintaining close relationships with my colleagues and having fun with them outside of work is important to me. 

Currently I am very much looking forward to the end of year party in December and our annual company-wide ski trip in the new year. I am especially excited to celebrate First Consulting’s successes with the Dutch colleagues at these events. 

“The first six months at First Consulting have been a steep learning curve. I’ve been on a variety of projects (implementation and advisory), one of which was in Dubai.” 

What does a ‘Day in the life of a Consultant’ look like for you?

No two days are the same. When on a project, I work on client-site for most of the week and attend frequent meetings with the internal team, subject matter experts and key stakeholders. I always work on projects as part of a team. We work hard to deliver high-quality outputs that are aligned with our clients’ requirements. 

Towards the end of the week, we typically go for dinner or drinks either with the client or with First Consulting colleagues. When I am in between projects, I like to use the time for training and to help with sales and internal operations such writing proposals and arranging socials.

My first six months at First Consulting have been a steep learning curve. I have enjoyed developing my RPA and stake holder management skills and working on a team with bright colleagues. I look forward to the next six months and the challenges and development opportunities ahead.

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