Developing Confidence Beyond Consulting

by Agata Kostecka, MBA ‘11

Johnson’s Consulting curriculum, anchored by Professor Nate Peck’s Management Cases class, gives students much more than core consulting skills. It teaches strategic thinking and confidence when faced with business challenges.

I realized the benefits of the Management Cases class my first day on the job as a summer associate at Deloitte Consulting. My colleagues and I were completing a day-long, intensive training to prepare us for the work ahead, and I clearly remember having the realization that I intimately knew the framework and concepts being shown. I had studied, dissected, and crafted deliverables using them all in the Management Cases class. The preparation I received in Professor Peck’s class enabled me to access a deep well of confidence throughout that summer and work hard to go above and beyond expectations at Deloitte. The work ethic developed during the class, with weekly deliverables and intense preparation for a realistic mock client presentation, allowed me to approach my internship in an organized fashion, prioritizing tasks and spending limited time wisely. I walked away with an offer in hand, laying the groundwork for a solid reputation as a consulting practitioner.

As I advanced at Deloitte, and ultimately decided to pursue an interest in supply chain strategy at Gap Inc., I have continually drawn on the confidence developed during the Management Cases class. The curriculum equipped me with the skills and attitude needed for success in fast-paced, analytical environments. It was the perfect, holistic foundation needed to launch my career after Johnson.