Learning to excel in consulting: reflections on my time at FTI Delta
After spending seven months at FTI Delta, I can confidently say that my first experience working abroad and in consulting has exceeded my expectations and has been incredibly enriching.
The recruiting season during business school can be an intense experience, with hundreds of coffee chats with recruiters and consultants and daily interviews and case studies: you can feel the general stress on campus, faces showing an excess of caffeine, and very little sleep. But after 2 months, you get to that glorious day, the day you accept an offer from the company you have chosen, and suddenly the stress is over. That happened to me a year ago, in February 2022, when I finished my final round of interviews with Delta’s senior partners and accepted my job offer.
When I joined the company in July, I was a little apprehensive because it was my first time working as a strategy consultant in a different country, despite having over 8 years of experience in different industries. From day one, I was impressed by what I found: a group of incredibly capable professionals with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills who enjoy working in teams and helping each other.
My first project was not long in coming; on my second day, I was placed on a telecommunications project that required me to travel to the West Coast every week and work closely with Principals and Sr. Partners at the client site. However, there was no need to be nervous; FTI Delta's culture of integration and teamwork helped me to quickly get up to speed, approach problems in an efficient and structured manner, work effectively with the client, and enjoy the process.
As a seasoned professional – new to strategy consulting – I understand the importance of paying attention and seeking feedback to quickly add value to the team. The mentoring program at FTI Delta has been helpful in this regard. Upon joining the firm, I was assigned a mentor who guided me through various situations and assessments, helping me to identify areas for improvement and progress in my career. My mentor has been instrumental in helping me develop my client relationships and manage common consulting scenarios.
However, if I had to choose one aspect to highlight about FTI Delta, it would undoubtedly be its international culture, which creates a sense of belonging similar to that of an extended family or a close-knit group of friends. Collaborating with people of different nationalities and cultures in the office is just the beginning. I have had the opportunity to travel to Dubai and meet teams from other offices, including Barcelona, Singapore, and Johannesburg. Some of my colleagues and I even took a short trip to Egypt and Jordan before heading to Dubai for the New Entrant Program, and like every day in the office, we had an enriching experience together!
Alvaro Luna