Why Megan Atkins became a Capgemini Consultant

Capgemini UK employee Megan Atkins describes consulting as a fascinating and diverse industry. Currently part of the company's Invent Accelerate programme, she reflects on her reasons for becoming a Management Consultant and what drew her to both the industry and Capgemini.

Working with people from a variety of backgrounds

"Consulting attracts people from a vast array of backgrounds, workplaces, industries, universities and countries. Nowhere else is that truer than at Capgemini. Having joined Capgemini Invent’s Accelerate programme, I was really keen to better understand the path that led my colleagues to becoming management consultants. It’s not often you hear someone say they had wanted to work in the consulting industry for as long as they can remember," says Megan.

Since joining Capgemini, Megan has found it both thought-provoking and inspiring to hear about the varied career paths that senior leadership have taken. From those who joined the graduate scheme some 20 years ago and have worked their way up, to those who have explored several careers before arriving at Capgemini - she has been consistently impressed at the variety of backgrounds that make up the company’s workforce.

Finding the Accelerate programme

"I personally joined the Accelerate programme having spent a year out of university. This meant I didn’t have the exciting and multi-faceted route into the industry that perhaps others had to share. Regardless, I hope that sharing my own experiences so far, however brief, and the reasons that they led me to apply for the Accelerate program may in some way be helpful to those considering a career in consulting," Megan explains.

"To begin with, my background was in History, which I studied at Durham University. I have always been fascinated by people’s behaviour and social trends; History gave me the chance to explore these interests through a more analytical lens. I loved this way of thinking and chose to specialise in women’s rights history, basing my dissertation on this theme in America during the Civil Rights Movement. Despite being passionate about my subject, I was certain that I did not want to become a historian, so set about trying to gain commercial experience."

The financial services world was of appeal Megan during her studies, although she was not quite sure where or how it would fit in. To explore this further, during her second year at Durham, Megan undertook a three-month internship at an international Asset Management firm.

"There, I had the chance to research detailed customer profiles to capture and convey our target audience. I particularly enjoyed this aspect as it emphasised the personal, human element of the digital campaign. It allowed us to really visualise the customer behind the computer and anticipate their needs. This would in turn dictate the ways in which each customer segment would be targeted, as well as the benefits of the financial product displayed once they engaged. I also worked on the early stages of an exciting new app development project, as a further way to introduce potential clients to the firm’s brand," Megan continues.

"I loved the way that these projects incorporated my interest in people with a more commercial focus, as well as how they inspired exciting uses of technology and data. However, the nature of this work within an in-house role would have been cyclical. I sought variety and didn’t feel the repetitive aspects of this role were as appealing."

The road to consulting and Capgemini UK

Further research into career options throughout Megain's third year at university brought her to consulting, and more specifically Capgemini. This career seemed to offer the chance to work on the sorts of projects she had liked but for a huge variety of clients across all sorts of markets and industries.

"The Customer Engagement capability unit at Capgemini in particular seemed to align closely with the previous experiences I had enjoyed so much. In the year that followed, I applied to the Invent scheme, received an offer in February, travelled for six months, and then arrived at my induction," Megan recalls.

"It’s been a whirlwind few months, with my first role working for a financial services client. I am currently working in a Project Management Office (PMO) role and really enjoying getting to understand the commercial aspect of the consulting business. My job involves overseeing the day-to-day running of the account through resourcing, invoicing and tracking the financials of each project. I report to senior account leads and VPs to keep them up to date with the account’s status, providing me with great exposure at such an early stage of my career. I’ve learnt an enormous amount over just a few months and feel lucky to be on a graduate scheme where the opportunities to keep learning are so numerous. I’m looking forward to seeing what lies in store for my next project and making the most of the diversity and variation that drew me to the industry in the first place."

Opportunities for people of all backgrounds

Megan hopes that her insight into how she found herself in consulting as a first graduate role may be helpful to further women seeking career options. From discussions within her own Accelerate cohort, Megan has discovered her colleagues have arrived at consulting from almost every background, degree and work experience imaginable.

"It is this variety of experiences that encourage us to challenge each other’s ways of thinking and ultimately contribute to a more creative and progressive workforce. I look forward to seeing the way that those of us at the early stages of our career continue to contribute our unique experiences to the company and carve our own varied and diverse career paths going forward," Megan concludes.