To Author's Page
After having a degree in the pocket, the world doesn’t become any simpler- there is the big decision where to go and what to do. Probably the most common career paths taken into consideration among business students are banking and consultancy. I had the chance to experience both of them, so I will be glad to point out the differences and similarities.
After graduation I started to work in a German private bank. I was working on different projects, so I got to know the spirit of the bank, the structures, the products, the processes and industry know-how. In addition, I was also exposed to the very specific working culture- a formal and hierarchical one. In many banks you have very strict processes and structures, accompanied by a very polite way of communication. Usually the decision making process takes some time and the pace is rather slow, because of the many instances which have to act. When it comes to team work, I was very happy to have a great team; however most of the tasks on my desk were individual ones. Overall, I found the working style in banking is rather individualistic, where you are responsible for your own results and tasks. In terms of working hours it makes a big difference in what department or team you are working, in most of the cases very manageable.
After spending almost three very turbulent years in banking, I had the drive to gain more exposure to different areas, so I decided to go for consultancy. There are a lot of companies out there, but how to choose which one is the right one – management consulting or business consulting, large companies like the Big 4, or a boutique one? Without knowing the right answer for me straight away I found Cognizant- a huge international company, in the growing phase in German
y, which turned out to be a perfect mixture of all above. After having my first interview with my future manager I knew, that Cognizant suits me best- a highly driven team, entrepreneurial spirit and international environment. I was excited about the opportunity to work for a global company and the challenge to be right there while growing the business in Germany.
Within a very short period of time I knew that I made the right decision. I was amazed by particular aspects in my job, which I have not experienced like this before:
So after all, the working culture in consultancy, and in particular Cognizant is very different compared to banking. You have a very steep learning curve and a lot of challenges you can learn from. In banking there is the opportunity to become a specialist in a certain area and in consulting there is the chance to get to know many areas and companies. I am now very happy to have decided to pursue the consulting path at this point of my career in Cognizant and to be part of an awesome team with great, talented, hard-working people.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are my own and I do not reflect the opinion of the companies stated above.
Frankfurt School gGmbH
Adickesallee 32-34
60322 Frankfurt am Main
