Class of 2013
Niranjana Rajagopal

Niranjana's Videos:

What flexible curriculum really means to students
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How the Diwali party made Chicago a second home
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Second-years helping first-years in Management Consulting Group - with Deep Bodapati, '12
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GLOBAL SUPPORT

I’ve found alums to be very accessible. When I was trying to interview with various consulting firms, the alumni I spoke with took my call, carved out time for me, and supported me throughout the process. I’ve been very happy with how supportive the Booth network has been. Jerry Rao, ’81, a sponsor of mine through the India Trust Fellowship, specifically gave good advice for me on how I could maximize my time here.

A CONCRETE PERSPECTIVE ON YOUR FUTURE

Career Services has been incredibly helpful. They organized mock networking sessions with second-year students. They offered advice on your materials – how to present your story in cover letters and how to shape your resume to best highlight your experiences. They were involved in the process all the way up to interviews and selecting your jobs.

When I was preparing for internship interviews, I came to Career Services with a long list of all of my experiences, and they helped me organize it in the format that best highlighted the key skills that I would bring to the table, if that firm hired me. It was really important to get a different perspective because it’s easy to lose the message that you’re trying to pass along.

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP ACROSS CULTURES

LEAD consists of a set of modules that are conducted in the beginning of the first quarter, as soon as you arrive at Booth. They teach you how to present effectively, how to give and receive feedback, and everything in between.

As an international student, I particularly found this useful because I got candid feedback on how I come across as too direct in some situations, which perhaps is a personality issue or might be a function of the culture I grew up in. I realized that I have to be more willing to engage in small talk, which is the norm in America. I took note of that and definitely made changes to the way I interact with different consultants and thankfully, it’s paid off.

Having that opportunity to reflect on how people perceive me and adjust my behavior accordingly, especially prior to the start of recruiting season, was incredibly important for me.