My first experience of working with BCG was as a summer intern two years after I graduated from college. I was still playing professional basketball then but wanted to use my free time off-season to get some work experience relevant to my studies. The 10-week internship with BCG in Budapest highly exceeded my expectations. When I decided to quit basketball a year after my internship I was excited to return to BCG as an Associate.
So, why BCG? There is a Hungarian proverb: "A good priest learns till he dies." This is true not only for a good priest but a good consultant as well, and BCG is the ideal place for continuous learning. First, being faced with new challenges every day helps me push myself to my limits, which is the best way to get better at what I do. When, however, a question arises that I cannot answer on my own, I can always find people in the office who are experts in the given topic and are ready to help me solve the problem. Working closely together with my co-workers is a great way to learn new skills that I will be able to pass on to others when my turn comes. Finally, the direct feedback I receive on a regular basis helps me grow further and be a more valuable member of the BCG team.
One of the main drivers of continuous learning at BCG is the diversity of people who work here. First I thought that my background as a professional athlete would make me an outsider among the consultants but I soon realized that was not the case. Although the majority of the consulting staff have economics backgrounds, there are also psychologists, architects, engineers and mathematicians, among others, who all contribute to our work in a different but equally fruitful way. This diverse mix of consultants gives ground to a constant exchange of interesting ideas and helps us all grow professionally and personally as well.