Jane Poon - Consulting at BEAR
What was your biggest learning?
The customer doesn't always know what they want and it is part of our job as the consultant or the expert to help them define the problem.
Can you share a cool customer or consumer or category insight?
Individuals have a skewed perception about the prevalence of dishonesty within life insurance application. Almost all consumers believe other applicants frequently lie in every single section of the application, including personal information even though statistics reveal this is not the case. The reason for this can be attributed to Peer Effects that helps individuals rationalize their own dishonest behaviour.
What was your favourite part of the internship?
Having complete autonomy of where to take the consulting project, from what methods of primary research to conduct to what the final deliverables would look like.
What was a typical day at work?
There is no real typical day at BEAR since everyone works on flexible schedules and locations. I prefer to set up periodic touch-points with my team around important deliverables and delegate independent work to be discussed for the next meeting. A day's activities can range from calls with clients, to conducting interviews, to presentation prep, and group feedback sessions.
What skills are important for this job
Flexibility, leadership/team management, public speaking/presentation skills, primary and secondary research (various), analysis, writing
What did you least expect going into the internship?
As someone that comes from a start-up environment, I did not expect to struggle with the ambiguity that came with our project brief. Things are very different when there are people relying on you for direction and guidance. So, always be humble - it's okay to ask for help if you need it.
Any advice for first-year MBA Students?
Ask for feedback: from your superior, your peer, as well as your direct-reports; ask for ways you can improve, and embrace any and all negative feedback. They will be the most rewarding takeaways and will help you grow both as a manager and as an individual.
What did you do before your MBA?
Marketing Manager at Innermost (Innermost is a British designer lighting and furniture manufacturer)
What are your post-MBA goals?
Given my interests and experience, I am looking for a marketing role where I can support the growth of a brand in the consumer products or entertainment space.