Samantha is currently a consultant at Deloitte, and she started as a Business Analyst at the same organisation after graduation.
Q: What was it like when you first started at Deloitte?
As a graduate Business Analyst, we start off as generalists and are presented with the opportunity to work on projects across industries and markets. We work in a team-based format where analysts work alongside experienced Consultants, Managers, Directors and Partners. These projects can go on for a period of a few weeks to sometimes more than a year. A main part of the scope of an analyst is working with data and synthesising this data into condensed, informative slides for the clients. My current project is in the Financial Services industry where I work with the client to facilitate product development and Agile delivery. A fantastic part about being a part of the team engaged by the client, is that I get to interact with other members from different offerings, and interact heavily with the clients.
Q: What are the challenges that you, as a consultant, face?
One of the challenges, or shall I say a learning opportunity, is that we are client-servicing. As a fresh graduate, it might seem like a steep learning curve to be able to represent the company as a professional, and be adaptable in any situation. Ultimately, we are hired as a professional party to work together with the client to achieve a business goal. Hence in the first few months, I focused on how I presented myself and represented the firm on the ground, while also learning from the rest of the team on how to be flexible and resourceful. In my previous internships before the Deloitte INSPIRES programme, I was part of internal teams where most of the interaction was contained within the company with the exception of portfolio companies, agencies and suppliers etc. Needles to say, there was a shift in the overall dynamic of interactions at the workplace.
Additionally, a main part of working with internal teams is the long-drawn relationships forged as you work towards a common goal and solve business problems. Consulting is slightly different in the sense that the work is project-based and hence the teams mostly change with the project. This might pose as a challenge as this constantly changing and dynamic work environment might not be for everyone. It is critical that you understand your own individual working style and preferences. That being said, however, this dynamic nature of work means a vast exposure to experts of various industries and also a chance to discover an area of interest even after graduation. Most of my internships were in Consumer Business and I am still very fascinated with the industry. But personally, I had joined this line of work for this challenge. I believe that such a work environment would allow most to grow and be faced with a myriad of business problems and industries before starting to specialise in an area.
Q: What are your best takeaways from NUS Business School?
With no doubt, the biggest takeaway was the people. I met friends through classes and CCAs whom had pursued different specialisations and are now realising their own unique aspirations. Even until now, we still learn new things from each other while discussing what we have accomplished at work and also the challenges we face. It is always exciting to find out what our friends and classmates we used to be fighting for class participation with are up to these days!
There was also a lot of support from the Business School for the student initiatives. In 2017, my friends and I started out NUS Business Marketing Interactive, or MINT for short, to grow and foster relationships within the Marketing community. Another goal we had was also to ensure that there was another avenue for students to understand what Marketing truly is and what it entails as both a specialisation and a career. I remember proposing this with the team to the BBA office and managed to garner the support of the office, professors and even the student body that has continuously supported our initiatives.
Q: Do you feel like the business school has prepared you well for your career?
There were three main ways through which I believe business school has supported my development as a student to prepare me for the start of my career. First was of course, the curriculum and the autonomy that we had to decide our specialisations – or none at all if we had so chosen! The core modules built the foundation and the higher level modules prepped us for the skills required during internships and ultimately when we enter the workforce. Second was the career office that had resources and connections with experts across industries and companies. I still remember signing up for almost one event every two weeks in the last couple of semesters in school and it had really shaped my view on the available career paths and allowed me to better decide which line of work suited me best. Last but not least would be the other activities available for us to partake in such as case competitions. The school would send out emails regarding all the competitions out there and all we had to do was sign up for it. I really appreciated this ease of exposure and looking back, taking part in these case competitions and working together with friends in time-tight situations were truly some of the highlights of my time in school.
Q: Where do you envision yourself to be in 5 to 10 years?
I hope to be in a position where I would be leading and managing a team. The ability to lead requires the culmination of years of extensive experience and industry knowledge. For now, I am focusing on having enough industry experiences to know what kind of projects I want to build my expertise in. At this point in time, a strong contender would be Consumer Business so I will be working towards that!
(Left) Samantha Lee, Consultant at Deloitte
Bachelor of Business Administration - Finance, Marketing (2018)
Q: Technology has changed the business world in big ways. What are your opinions on the impacts that such disruptive trends have on businesses (MNCs vs SMEs)?
The uptake of Technology by MNCs takes much longer to effect change as compared to SMEs or startups which are more agile and receptive to change. The transition within MNCs poses more of a challenge as they operate on a regional or global level. This is sometimes also coupled with the different states of infrastructure across countries. The existing infrastructure would first have to be upgraded with new technology introduced, which takes time and capital. With the advent of technology, Deloitte Consulting also has been transforming our approach towards client services offerings. We have to be up-to-date with the current technology and be critical towards the latest cutting-edge ones. The main idea is how to implement such change and understanding the implications for each client, and not just recommending the latest and newest. For this, we have specialised teams to advise on such topics and challenges. It is also essential that we understand the client’s needs and resources as levels of receptiveness fluctuate towards new technology and change.
Q: While most businesses are working on transformational changes to cope with the changing environment and to stay relevant, what are the key skillsets and mindset that one needs to have in order to be valuable to his employer?
As an undergraduate, you should be open-minded towards learning new things outside of your modules in Business School. How you approach this could be in the form of taking up Unrestricted Electives (UEs) or even participating in courses and certifications beyond school. Speaking from my experience in the Marketing and Consulting field, I believe understanding how to use analytical tools is important. Learning how to use them to help you synthesise data and then present this data in a very readable and concise manner is an understated skill. To bring that a step further, leveraging on knowledge garnered from school and from work experiences can also allow you to interpret these outcomes and create business value.
Q: What are the key motivating factors to keep a young and inspired individual, like yourself, in a job?
Everyone has a different metric for job satisfaction. The first step would be to understand what this metric is for YOU. You can get inspiration from industry experts and even your peers but this metric is your ultimately your own. Some drivers could be receiving affirmation, the challenge and scope of your work or even your pay. Together with this metric, we then have to plot our own milestones in both the near future and in life. One way to come up with them is to constantly get feedback from your peers, colleagues and mentors. The constant feedback will then act as a catalyst for positive change and also motivate you to evaluate your current situation. Everyone needs to find their big picture to keep themselves in check.
Q: What is some advice that you have for juniors who want to pursue a career in the Consulting line of work?
My advice is to not pursue Consulting if you solely see it as a prestigious job that everyone wants to dive into. Traditionally, this line of work is thought of as “sexy” and “high-paying”. However, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. One must be able to come up with solid reasons as to WHY you want to be in this line of work, what drives you to wake up every morning and what motivates you to perform at work. These are important considerations in finding a suitable career for yourself. That being said, trying out an internship in Consulting to understand the nature work is a great start!
Additionally, one should have some foundation in the understanding of what are the latest trends across industries and what the drivers of change are. In Consulting, it is highly likely that you would be involved in a project in which you have minimal knowledge about the industry. So knowing the trends in major industries is beneficial to have under your belt during the initial discussion with clients or your team members. It is best to follow-up on industry news and to know who’s who and their latest developments.
Lastly, there are a set of basic frameworks in which firms use to present specific types of data. If you have some understanding of these frameworks, it helps with your thought process and allows you to follow your seniors’ line of thought more closely. Keep a bank of templates for PowerPoint presentations and also samples of framework slides that you can tap on. This is essential when you need to do a presentation on a tight schedule or when you are having a mental block on how best to present your information.
Q: What would you advise your juniors who are looking to pick an internship?
One, we need to realise that it is going to be a challenge to get an offer from a big and more well-known internship programme in the first year. That being said, apply to companies of all sizes and requirements. So apply to startups, SMEs, MNCs or even start your own project! Two, Try not to accept the first internship offer that comes your way because internship windows are scarce and they act as platforms for you to try out different industries or job scopes that you might have in mind. The various internships that you have reflected on your resume must show a certain intention and story. Know your end-game and plot a logical path for it.
In your Sophomore and Penultimate year, the internships that you undertake should be more exploratory within the area of your interest and more for developing the relevant skills needed as you take on larger and more challenging scopes of work. In your Senior year, always seek out for conversion opportunities as these companies would be looking out for new recruits – how better for recruiters to understand someone than to have already seen their work and how one interacts with the team.
Lastly, taking a Leave Of Absence (LOA) should always be a consideration even though you would graduate a little later than your peers. I took an LOA in my final semester to really pin down the career path I wanted to pursue. It truly gave me a good idea of what I was looking for in a job and I eventually accepted a full-time role as a Business Analyst at Deloitte Consulting. If you are not in a rush to graduate, explore your options and minimise the uncertainty that you might have when starting out your first job. All the best!
