On March 21, a group of nine Princeton students interested in consulting careers participated in a Princeternship hosted by alumni Kirk Saari ’99 at Oliver Wyman. Though the Princeternship only lasted one day, it was a very enriching and informative day in the New York office and we learned many things that we previously did not have exposure to.

The day began with a presentation given by a Princeton alumnus regarding Oliver Wyman as a leading consulting firm and the variety of opportunities offered. This was a very informative session because the alumnus went into great detail regarding his personal views of the consulting industry in general and Oliver Wyman in particular. This was different from many other streamlined presentations I have attended and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing his professional and personal advice.

Then we engaged in a sample case interview workshop, during which we were divided into two teams and were working on a mini-case. We were given insights on what case interviewers look for in candidates during case interviews. Then we read, discussed and presented the cases in two groups. The most helpful part of this session was the feedback that we received. As we were able to receive first-hand feedback, it gave us a clear idea of what our strong and weak points in our solutions were.

After the case interview workshop, we engaged in a panel event where a few Princeton alumni came to speak about their experiences at Oliver Wyman and consulting in general. This was a very fascinating discussion, as the alumni all had diverse backgrounds, and they all spoke about how they meandered to the consulting path. Another very interesting topic was some of the cases that these alumni enjoyed working on, and it was surprising to see the breadth and depth of some of the cases.

Then we ate lunch at a lunch reception planned for us to network with Princeton alumni working at Oliver Wyman. We engaged in very interesting conversations and gained very fascinating perspectives. Overall it was a very enriching day, and I thoroughly enjoyed having the chance to visit the office. I want to thank Kirk Saari, the Princeton alumni working at Oliver Wyman, and the Office of Career Services for offering this opportunity for us.