11/19/2018
It’s been a little over one year since they joined Sendero as Associates, so we checked in with them to ask a few questions about their experience so far.
What led you to Sendero?
KEVIN: I had interviewed with several companies and was not sure what I wanted to do or where I wanted to end up. I had several friends who had jobs lined up in management consulting, so I had a basic understanding of the industry, but weekly travel was not something I was particularly interested in. A friend of mine who worked at Sendero talked to me about the company culture and about Sendero’s local consulting model, and I was immediately interested. I knew this is where I wanted to end up. Sendero seemed like a company that truly invested in its employees and encouraged not just professional growth but also personal growth. Throughout the interview process, my belief was further confirmed and towards the end of my senior year, I was lucky enough to receive a job offer.
What stands out to you about Sendero?
CHRISTINE: Everyone at Sendero knows your name. Whether I’m passing our CEO, Bret Farrar, or a member of the senior leadership team in the hallway of our downtown home office, I never cease to be surprised by people taking the time to address me by name and ask how my day or current project is going.
What has been your favorite part about working in the management consulting industry?
CHRISTINE: My job constantly keeps me on my toes! Prior to joining Sendero, I would have proclaimed that I was the face of change and adaptability. Boy was I wrong! While I was well versed in being submerged in an environment that requires flexibility and adaptation due to the nature of my major, the level of adaptability that consulting requires is nothing in comparison.
KARA: Constantly working with new people, both at the client site and on internal initiatives. It makes it so easy to get to know a range of people in the company and learn from all of their different work experiences.
Tell us about some of the internal work you’ve been involved with at Sendero.
KEVIN: I am on Sendero’s Wellness Committee and have assisted in several initiatives including the Richardson Corporate Challenge, Movember, Fitness for a Cause, and our weekly Wellness Minute. The Wellness Committee has allowed me to get to know coworkers outside of my project and to participate in and lead company-wide activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional wellness.
KARA: I have been involved in a community rock project for Our Friends Place, a non-profit dedicated to helping young women break the generational cycles of abuse, neglect, poverty and homelessness. My team and I helped completely revamp Our Friends Place’s website and gave them the tools they needed to continue to update their website in the future.
What new skills have you learned in your first year of management consulting?
KEVIN: I have learned many useful skills in just my first year, but some of the most relevant skills I’ve learned are the ability to ask intelligent questions and conduct research in a way that allows me to gain the most knowledge. Management consulting puts you into situations that might not be familiar, which allows you to grow and develop in a way that is hard to get outside of consulting. These unfamiliar situations also cause you to lean on your team members which builds a high level of trust and has allowed me to develop team skills that I didn’t have before.