This week, I had the chance to interview Michelle Choi, the mastermind behind Desautels’ Management Consulting Association (MCA). From the start of the interview, I could already get a sense of her friendly and ambitious personality, and all throughout, Michelle kindly shared with me her insight as the co-president of MCA. Michelle is in her last semester at McGill, and is currently giving back and helping others prepare for their future through this student-run club. To find out more about this high-achieving, motivated lady, and MCA, continue reading!
Averie Hah for Her Campus McGill (HC McGill): First, introduce yourself to our readers!
Michelle Choi (MC): I’m a U3 student from Vancouver, but I was born in Busan, South Korea. I’m in my last semester here at McGill, studying Strategic Management.
HC McGill: So I know you’re very involved on campus, and like to keep busy. Could you tell us about what you do?
MC: I’ve been involved in one of the Management Undergraduates’ Society (MUS) clubs called the Management Consulting Association (MCA) for a while, and this year I’ve actually been working as the co-president. It’s a student-run club that helps and guides students with their future careers in consulting. Although it is under MUS, we actually cater to all students from all faculties.
HC McGill: You said MCA helps students with their careers in consulting; what exactly do you do in this club?
MC: So the consulting industry, it’s very competitive to get into. To pursue a career in this industry, you must be bright with a relatively high GPA, always motivated, and well-rounded since it requires different skill sets. The interview process alone can be very difficult and rigorous. Thus we help our members prepare for this hard but rewarding journey.For example, for the first time this year, we hosted a Toronto Consulting Trip, taking about 20-25 high potential students with us to Toronto, where we did a bunch of office tours in some of the top consulting firms, gave them the opportunity to learn more about each firm, and of course, to network with consultants. This year, the MCA also launched a program called the Consulting Preparation Program (CPP). We selected about 30 students in their U2 or U3 year for the program, where every Friday, we would partner up with a consulting firm, run a session, and practice case(s) afterwards. We’ve got plenty of summer plans too — we’ve partnered up with PrepLounge, a start-up company that offers an online platform where members can practice cases with not only each other, but also other talented students around the world.
HC McGill: Wow, it sounds like a very busy and active club!
MC: Yeah, a lot of these initiatives were launched just this year — the consulting trip and the CPP, especially. We really aim to promote consulting, and teach students about what it really is and how fun it can be, because not very many students know about it.
HC McGill: So is this only for consulting students? Or Management students?
MC: No, you don’t have to be in consulting to be part of this club, or even in the faculty. In fact, we find that finance students are often very well-suited for consulting, along with students from other faculties, especially engineers. Since consulting is about problem solving, anybody with the right skills is a good candidate for the industry and the club. Honestly, any student interested in the area should check us out — cases are something you can work on through practice, but things like presentation skills and leadership skills are something you need to build and work for with the help of others.
Michelle with the executive team of MCA
HC McGill: In that case, how can one join this wonderful association?
MC: Usually, young students in their first or second year first hear about us and sign up when we table the first couple weeks of school. Or they would hear about consulting from friends, even family members, and become interested in joining the club. By signing up, they automatically are granted full access to our resources through our website, such as interesting cases and solutions. Students in their final years usually are “discovered.” Sometimes, the Desautels consulting career advisor, Julia, will seek out talented students from career services, and tell them about our association. They all have a very well-rounded skill set including leadership skills, communication skills, high GPA, and most importantly, show enthusiasm through their involvement in school. Then we sort of recruit them into MCA if they’re interested in this career path. Otherwise, you can take classes that are more targeted towards consulting, and we often make short visits to tell students about us.
HC McGill: So you’ve launched two programs this year, and you have sessions every week… you must be very busy to keep this club up to date with everything. What are some of your responsibilities as the co-president?
MC: Running different initiatives at the same time involves a lot of planning and meetings. My job is to oversee all the different activities, run them smoothly by keeping everyone on their toes, and most importantly, develop relationships with consulting firms. Consultants are very busy people, and it’s important that you stay persistent.
HC McGill: Then what would you say are some of the difficulties and challenges that come with being the co-president?
MC: Running all these events can be tough, but I find keeping the whole executive team motivated is tricky. Since you have to be a very motivated and accomplished student to be part of the club, most students are very excited to be part of this. But I can understand since all of our exec members are high achievers with many other commitments outside of the MCA, and because they’re usually all already set for after graduation, very experienced and familiar with things, etc.
HC McGill: After all the hardships, what would you say was the most rewarding experience you’ve had in the club?
MC: I’m so proud when my members tell me afterwards that they got offers from all these amazing, accomplished firms. For example, members who went on the consulting trip with me, and members who I helped with tough case practices would come back to tell me about these amazing opportunities. It’s almost like a proud-mom-moment. Before, when I was a member, the association was not really a well-developed community, and members were on their own a lot of the times. Now, we’ve cultivated a community of intelligent students who help each other out through this rigorous process. We’re students with the similar interests and dreams and it’s a good way of keeping everyone motivated.
HC McGill: As a successful student in her graduating year, what tips can you give to our readers?
MC: Everyone says college experience is about having fun while you try out different things, meet new people, and step out of your comfort zone. I definitely agree, it’s when you should discover, and reinvent yourself. I feel like I definitely had the full, four-year McGill experience — I’m not at all like the first year me. But I can say from what I’ve seen, that often times, it’s easy to neglect your academics in the midst of all that’s happening. Don’t forget your responsibilities as a student. Your GPA is obviously not everything, but it will open more doors for you in the end. Also, GO ON EXCHANGE.
HC McGill: Any last words as the co-president of MCA?
MC: The Management Consulting Association is indeed a club under MUS, but that doesn’t mean it’s just for management students. Consulting can be for engineers, even students in Arts, because top consulting firms are usually very open to different backgrounds. I know that many Arts and Engineering students who are interested in this field can feel like they don’t have access to a lot of the resources, but a complete business background is not a necessity! MCA is actually looking into collaborating with different faculties, discussing the possibility of joint sessions with engineering clubs. So don’t be shy and check us out if you feel consulting is for you.
Additional information: Michelle is also an amazing cook and an advocate for healthy eating. You can check out some of her fantastic recipes on Instagram (@choi.michelle).
Pictures provided by the interviewee.