If you’re thinking of a career in consulting, you can expect to encounter some of the most cutting-edge technologies in the world and have a varied career.
Have you ever considered a career in digital consulting? If you come from a technology background but crave a change, transitioning into advising businesses on how to smoothly transition into the digital future could be an ideal fit. Or at least it certainly will be if variety is what you’re looking for.
Variety is one of the best elements of this field according to Gunjali Sachdev, a senior associate in digital consulting at PwC. We spoke to her about the array of projects she’s currently working on.
What is your role within PwC?
I’m a senior associate in digital consulting.
If there is such a thing, can you describe a typical day in the job?
My experience in PwC has been quite varied. The best part about consulting is that each client engagement is an altogether different experience. I am currently working in an agile environment where my day starts with daily stand-ups.
In these meetings, each member of the team talks about what they did yesterday, what they will do today and any concerns or blockages in their way. This helps in planning the entire day at the start to make it as productive as possible. My day is then spent completing the planned tasks and noting down any impediments in the way, not to forget the lunch and coffee breaks in between, which help me to keep going throughout the day.
What types of project do you work on?
I have worked on a few internal as well as external projects including pharmaceuticals, healthcare, banking and retail clients. Since I am in digital consulting, the projects mostly involve cool technologies like artificial intelligence, chatbot development, machine learning, data analytics and more.
Currently I am working on a robotic process automation (RPA) project with a leading client. RPA is a trending technology and I am glad that PwC helped me get involved in this area. It is about automating the mundane and repetitive processes to save time and utilise resources in a more efficient manner.
What skills do you use on a daily basis?
Consulting involves using a mix of various skills on a daily basis – project management, data analytics, change management, core technical skills, people management, Microsoft Excel and Visio. In addition to these skills, consulting is all about speaking with confidence and having a positive attitude.
What is the hardest part of your working day?
The hardest and yet the best part of my working day would be planning my entire day at the start. It is difficult because I need to prioritise and list down all the tasks that I can complete in any given day – however, it helps me accomplish more.
Do you have any productivity tips that help you through the working day?
Prioritising is the most important one as it makes your life easier. In addition, taking 10-minute breaks in between is vital. I either have coffee or go out for a walk – it helps refresh my brain and make it more productive.
When you first started this job, what were you most surprised to learn was important in the role?
Well, I would not say there is anything that surprised me but something that helped for sure is having the right attitude. It’s all about perception and having an optimistic approach towards anything and everything you get involved in. This attitude has helped me deal with stressful situations quite well.
How has this role changed as this sector has grown and evolved?
Having the right attitude helps in every situation even if the role changes with the growing sector.
What do you enjoy most about the job?
The best part about my job is to help clients solve their important problems. It starts with building trust and taking their problem as our own, and coming up with solutions that would benefit them the most.
Other than this, I really like the work culture in PwC. The environment is so accepting and there’s always someone you can talk to about your concerns, and they make sure that they are listened to and acted upon. This makes work life so much more comfortable and enjoyable.