Jim Finnigan earned degrees in Electrical Engineering and Managerial Studies from Rice University. After graduating in 2006, he joined Accenture’s Management Consulting practice as a Strategy Business Analyst. I first learned about Accenture from a college friend who graduated a few years before me. She really enjoyed working at Accenture and only had great things to say. The people I met on campus and interviewed with really swayed me to work here. They were all very smart people who I easily got along with and knew I would enjoy working with. I also wanted to focus my client work within one industry. As a Strategy Business Analyst, I’m aligned with the Communications & High Tech operating group, which works well with my background in Electrical Engineering and interest in technology. My current project is a global growth strategy project, helping one of the world’s largest electronics companies create their strategy to become a major player in a new industry. We’re looking at all the things the company needs to be successful—from Mergers & Acquisitions to product line-ups to core capabilities to market trends. I’m primarily responsible for the global technology work stream, helping identify the technologies that might affect the industry and the types of products they need to compete with current competitors. I’m also helping them with the services and solutions that they need provide in order to be successful player. While my Electrical Engineering background may not seem directly related to strategy consulting, the skills I learned are directly applicable. The ability to break apart a complex problem into manageable components and critically think about an issue has been very helpful. My engineering degree also helps build credibility with clients from High Tech companies who have similar engineering backgrounds. The most satisfying part about working at Accenture is the vast range of experiences I’ve had. In just over a year, I’ve been able to work on key strategic initiatives at some of the world’s top companies, travel and work all around the United States, and spend a month working in India. As a recent college graduate, I don’t think I’d get these experiences elsewhere. I also am active in my local Accenture office. I’m a coordinator for Strategy Connect, which is a monthly training session and networking activity for Strategy professionals, am part of the Houston community for employees in the Management Consulting & Integrated Markets growth platform, and am a co-lead for undergrad recruiting at Rice University. Socially, I like to spend time with fellow Business Analysts.