For students seeking careers in consulting, the School of Foreign Service has just the place where they can get their feet wet. The Graduate Student School of Foreign Service Consulting Club is geared towards SFS graduate students interested in private sector work and international affairs, but who don’t want to limit themselves to nongovernmental organizations and direct government work. Gabriella Mallory (MSFS ’13; pictured) is acting Vice-President of the Consulting Club and explained that the club is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the industry.
A native of Ecuador, Mallory chose to share her experiences with her fellow students. “Prior to coming to Georgetown, I worked in consulting for several years and wanted to contribute my network and knowledge on this field of work. I am also interested in political risk consulting and felt that the club would be a useful tool to learn more about the industry,” said Mallory.
The purpose of the Consulting Club is to prepare students to enter the consulting industry by giving them a comprehensive platform while at SFS from which they can enter the field. “The GSFS Consulting Club prepares students for case interviews and superior on-the-job performance, connects them with professionals in the industry, and helps them leverage their SFS degree to make the best possible application for careers in consulting. We work with the administration, “alums,” and students to host consulting firms, conduct workshops, and coordinate networking events,” Mallory said, explaining the club’s mission.
The Consulting Club is open to any School of Foreign Service graduate student. “We do require a one-time payment of dues which goes towards case study materials, workshops, and events,” said Mallory.
For those under the impression that consulting might solely be a financial enterprise, Mallory explains that there are a multitude of variants in the field. “We recently held a panel with representatives from D.C.’s top development consulting firms. [Many] students are interested in international development, and we wanted to show them that there is also a niche in the private sector for this line of work,” she said.
Past Consulting Club events include hosting on-campus visits from multiple consulting firms including Deloitte, Accenture, and Oxford Analytica, and off-site visits to several D.C. offices. They also hold an intensive case study program with workshops on skills essentially to mastering interviews. “We’re very excited about the coming year. This fall, we hope to work with Georgetown’s business school to host our first ever case study competition,” said Mallory.
For those interested in participating in the GSFS Consulting Club you can contact Siobhan Pangerl, External Affairs, or Jacob Vawter.