Yash Bhatt is a final year Commerce/Economics student at UNSW who has been with 180DC since 2019. As a Consulting Director at 180DC UNSW in 2021, Yash has previously held three other roles within the society. In his spare time, Yash’s main interests include training in kickboxing and riding his motorcycle.
Having had the experience of working on several different and interesting projects, Yash shares his experience of what the Consulting Director role entails and also advice for those seeking to participate in consulting.
1. What was the process like for you in becoming a Consulting Director and what other roles have you held within 180DC?
Getting to Consulting Director has been an incredibly fun journey! I was a Consultant then a Project Leader for a project cycle each before becoming a Consulting Director. Throughout my time I’ve been privileged to work on an array of interesting projects ranging from Growth Strategy, Target Operating Models and building a new NFP ground up - for both domestic and international clients.
I’ve now been a Consulting Director for over a year and have overseen 6 projects which has taught me a lot about project management, and striking the right balance between being in the detail and staying sufficiently high level.
2. What would be your advice for anyone who is looking to join 180DC UNSW but also may be new to consulting?
3 key tips:
1) Pour your heart and soul into 180 as you’ll only get what you put in.
I’ve worked on some challenging projects with tight deadlines. I remember pumping out slides in the back of a cab in India before a client meeting! But when looking back, projects like these are where I really grew.
2) Ruthlessly seek feedback.
There are weaknesses you know you have and weaknesses you’re not aware of. The latter will really pull you down (not only in consulting), so ask for feedback from your peers on how to improve.
3) Don’t worry about not having a “traditional” consultant background.
Don’t worry if you don’t fit the classic Commerce/Law/Engineering background if you intend to pursue Consulting. Perseverance and work ethic trump “hard skills” and a lot of the desired skillsets for consulting such as problem solving and communication can easily be developed, regardless of background.
3. Favourite project/memory within your 180DC team?
A few come to mind, such as presenting a $3 million funding strategy to a climate change organisation or flying interstate for an Agritech conference. As I get close to wrapping up with the society though nothing really beats El Jannah runs with my project teams!
Thank you to Yash for joining us in this interview! If you are interested in joining 180DC, make sure to keep an eye out for our recruitment period which will be opening on Wednesday the 30th of June 2021. You can keep up to date with our recruitment and upcoming events through following us on both Facebook and LinkedIn.