AIC Hosts First “AIC Career Lab: Consulting” Event

The first AIC Career Lab for AY 2025 was held on Monday, May 19. The theme of this event was “the consulting industry.” AIC received over 70 applications, with 53 students ultimately attending the event. Three companies were invited to speak, and through their presentations, panel talk, and roundtable discussions, students were given an opportunity to think about their careers.

Introduction (Visiting Professor Shigeru Shiina)

The event kicked off with a talk by Visiting Professor Shigeru Shiina, who gave an overview of the consulting industry, recent market growth trends, types of working styles, and the differences in career paths for shin-sotsu (new hires to a company who join immediately upon graduating school) and chuto (those joining a company mid-career). The presentation began by introducing the etymology of the word “consulting.” By combining “con” (with) and “sedre” (to sit), one can arrive at the essence of consulting, which is to “think together with one’s client and work toward a solution together.” Through this, Professor Shiina explored in depth the role and appeal of the consultant position. Framing his point with keywords such as “problem-solving ability” and “co-creation of value,” he gave a compelling argument on the consulting industry’s continuing growth in the future and the background behind that projection. Participating students showed much interest and gave his talk their undivided attention.

Company Introductions Session

The next session featured representatives from three companies in the industry, who all spoke about their company’s characteristics and initiatives, as well as the appeal of pursuing a career as a consultant.

• INTLOOP Inc. (Takashi Tojo)
  INTLOOP presented on their business development as a strategic firm, with a flexible project structure utilizing a network of over 50,000 freelance workers. They also showcased how they are pioneering new initiatives such as meeting challenges in AI.
• PwC Consulting LLC (Kazumasa Fujita)
  PwC Consulting spoke about the unique structure of their organization that crosses areas of expertise with industries and the practical use of AI in data science.
• EY Strategy and Consulting Co., Ltd. (Naoto Yamamoto)
  EY Strategy and Consulting introduced their commitment to “creating new values,” their purpose-driven business development, and their approach to human-centered value creation using generative AI.

Panel Discussion

In the following panel discussion facilitated by Yuki Takenaka, who was instrumental in launching BizReach Campus, the company representatives shared a wide range of perspectives, discussing their backgrounds and motivations for entering the consulting industry, how one can choose a career based on their own experiences, the relationship between AI and consulting, the role of consultants in society, and more.

The students resonated with what the professionals active in their respective fields were saying as they mentioned useful tidbits like, “In this day and age, it is important to ask questions,” “The mission of consulting is to fill in the gaps that cannot be solved by generative AI alone,” and “You can contribute to society through problem-solving.”

They also shared a number of practical advice. One speaker said, “In order to determine which company is right for you, you should try to get information on companies not only through interviews and internships, but also by making use of more casual conversations and alumni visits.”

Roundtable Discussion

In the latter half of the event, a roundtable discussion was held where students and companies could freely interact with each other over light refreshments. It was a very valuable time for students to hear personal stories from professionals in the field, such as their reasons for joining the company, their experiences from their student days, and what they find rewarding in their actual work.

A lively Q&A session ensued, providing an excellent opportunity for students to connect with their peers aiming to enter the same industry.

Summary

This Career Lab offered a rich opportunity to get a closer look at the reality of the consulting industry. By being exposed to multiple perspectives, ranging from the structure of the industry as a whole to the business structure of individual companies, as well as hearing real voices from those active in consulting, the students were able to broaden their future outlook.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the companies that participated in the event. AIC Career Lab will continue to provide opportunities to connect students with a broad range of industries and companies.