Stepping Away from My Degree: Olo

Posted on: 3 September 2024 by Richard Finch in Class of 2023

Olo Okhamafe is a Class of 2023 LLB Law graduate now working as a Management Consultant at PwC.

How did you hear about your role and decide to apply for it? 

Through Bright Network. I decided to apply for it as I have always been interested in consulting, it was another career path that I was interested in besides Law. I also knew PwC was a prestigious firm and their graduate scheme had a good reputation.

How did you get to where you are now?  

As a law student, I did not have much experience in consulting but I knew it was an area that I was interested in. So, I took part in a consulting competition targeted at university students ran by McKinsey. The competition gave me insight into the actual work consultants do and the impact of their work.

After thoroughly enjoying participating in a competition, I applied for a spring week at PwC in management consulting. During this time, I shadowed consultants and gained an initial understanding of their work. This experience allowed me to determine if I could see myself pursuing this career. I also had the chance to work on project-specific tasks, which gave me a hands-on taste of consulting. Following the spring week, I was offered a graduate job based on my performance.

Your favourite experience as part of your role? 

The regional and international travel opportunities and the vast range of projects you have the opportunity to be involved in. From working with luxury fashion brands to overseas universities - being a graduate consultant at PwC means you have a lot of flexibility in the type of clients and work you do.

The most challenging part of your graduate journey? 

I would say probably applying for jobs, it is very competitive and can be demoralising facing rejections. Also, balancing studying for your degree and applying for jobs. Both are very intense and important things to do, so doing them at the same time can be overwhelming.

Your Top 3 Tips for current students and graduates. 

1. Don't wait too long to get experience - from your first year of university, it will be useful to get experience in the form of internships, Spring weeks, volunteering and open/insight days. It doesn't matter if you don't know what exact job field you'd like to work in as skills are transferable; no experience goes to waste!

2. Learn how to network - networking seems scary but all it is just getting to know someone new. Don't be shy and push yourself out of comfort zone by speaking to someone in a job field you're interested in. You never know what can come out of that connection with them, and lots of people get jobs through networking.

3. Don't be discouraged - rejection is completely normal, don't let it make you doubt yourself! If a job rejects you, try and ask for feedback. Based on that, figure out how to move forward and keep going.

 
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