Summer Internship | Student Spotlight: Allison Kubis

Allison Kubis Exxon

Company: PricewaterhouseCoopers
Position: Advisory Intern, Management Consulting in the Technology, Information, Communication, and Entertainment Vertical and Finance Horizontal.

What did you expect to gain from your internship this past summer?

I hoped to gain some insight into the consulting world. How it is working for a client, the typical work/life balance, etc. I previously had an internship with a company in industry, so I wanted to see the similarities and differences to learn what I liked and disliked before interviewing for full-time positions.

Did the internship meet or supersede your expectations? How?

The internship totally exceeded my expectations. I was able to work not only on client work but also some internal initiatives. The client work was interesting and I really enjoyed being able to help PwC improve and gain more revenue.  On top of that, I met a lot of wonderful people, both interns and full-time employees on my team. Also, my career coach was great and even gave me the opportunity to sit on his project for a couple of days so I could see what other projects were like.

Tell me about an interesting encounter you had during your internship.

One of the most interesting days I had was actually the first one of my project. I sat in on an “Account Planning Workshop,” where managers, directors, and partners of the firm met to discuss a potential client. It was awesome getting to meet so many of the people who are the upper management of that area in PwC. I also liked seeing the detail that the firm goes into when pursuing a client, its people, and its problems.

What did you learn about yourself that you did not know before?

I learned that I am a quick learner and able to work without many details. I also learned that I need to focus on my reader when creating a document and organize it so that it’s easy for them to consume. I also learned where my mental capacity is.

Consulting is known for long hours, and I learned the point at which my brain stops working and I need a break, whether it’s eating, working out, or driving home.

What did you contribute to the company?2015-07-20 10.12.10

I contributed by working on a few things for my client, but I also worked for PwC internally. I did research and created slides for a partner as he was preparing to pitch some work to a potential client. On top of that, I also worked on some competitor and sector research for an event that PwC was interested in getting more involved in.

What advice do you have for other students who are recruiting for internships?

After this summer, I would definitely recommend that students try different areas with each of their internships. I know it can be easy to accept a return offer or stick with what you know, but you learn so much more when you try new things. I’m glad I went in the opposite direction for my second internship because I learned a lot about what I want out of my full-time job, so I know what companies to target.

BHP Students Part of Winning PwC Case Competition Team

A team consisting of three BHP students took first place against 17 other teams in the university-wide PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Extreme Accounting Case Competition, held in late-October. The team was composed of five members: Ka-Wai To (BBA ’13), Tina Dai (BHP ’14), Matt Pojman (BHP/MPA ’15), Ayushi Agarwala (BHP ’15), Klevrin Sitohang (BBA ’15).

The case, which had to do with a company acquisition, posed some unique challenges. The team was able to stand apart from their competitors by focusing on the management aspect of the acquisition.

“The management was flawed, so we decided to standardize processes and restructure the organizational chart. We wanted to focus on reducing the turnover of the employees within the acquired company,” said Dai. “It was definitely an honoring experience to be recognized against such admirable competition. We were really fortunate to have had such a great team dynamic that allowed us to have fun while challenging each other throughout the whole process.”

The national committee overseeing case competitions for PwC is currently reviewing proposals from all participating nationwide campuses. If chosen as one of five finalists, the team will be flown out to New York City to represent The University of Texas and present their case again in the national finals. If chosen, the team will also receive a check for $10,000 to split between the five team members.