Although the common stereotype is that all liberal arts graduates are social workers or environmental activists, there are plenty of businesspeople among our alumni.

Four such alumni, all employed by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), met recently in New York with their common economics professor, Karl Egge. Later, two of those alums, Kes Puckorius ’03 and Nicky Dinev ’06, answered a few questions about how they made the leap from globally aware college to global consulting group.

Job titles: Consultant

Post-Mac academics: MBAs (Yale for Nicky, Wharton/Penn for Kes)

What BCG consultants do:

Work to resolve specific problems for clients, which are large for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Examples: Supporting an auto company’s field force as they rolled out a new customer service program in U.S. dealerships; developing a plan for a healthcare company to outsource marketing and sales.

What liberal arts has to do with business

Says Nicky, “A liberal arts education is great in that it teaches people to critically think about the world rather than learn a specific set of tools that can get outdated. Being able to think quickly, critically, and creatively is a huge asset in business (though an MBA later doesn’t hurt)!”

Advice for prospective businesspeople

Says Kes, “Start early. The business world has its own culture and way of thinking that takes time to understand. Professor Egge told us to start seeking internships early and that made a big difference for me because every job builds on the last one.” Adds Nicky, “Take full advantage of the variety of experiences Mac has to offer. Take classes you’re afraid are too hard. Run a club. Practice a sport. Get politically involved. Engaging in interesting and challenging activities is the best way to prepare yourself for whatever comes in life. And it’s so much more fun.”

December 3 2010

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