Following graduation, Davidson alumni Laura Hiatt ‘18 and Henry Flores ‘21 found careers in consulting at Point B, an employee-owned consulting firm with 13 locations across the United States, including Charlotte, North Carolina. Hear from Laura and Henry about their experiences as consulting Analysts, and why Point B stood out to them among other opportunities afterlife at Davidson.
Why did you choose Point B?
Laura: Point B’s culture! Our values and actions aim to always do the right thing, which I find reminiscent of Davidson’s Honor Code. Here, I feel at home. Further, I am able to have a career where I work on a variety of consulting projects while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Henry: The people and the size. I interned at a larger firm and a boutique consulting firm before interning at Point B. I really enjoyed that there wasn’t a strict hierarchy and protocol (which is custom at bigger companies) and yet I still had many resources at my disposal at smaller firms. Everyone here is willing to help and genuinely get to know you outside of work no matter how senior!
What kinds of projects and clients are you working with?
Laura: I am currently working with a Utilities client on a data centralization and analytics project. So far I’ve worked in nine different industries on projects ranging from strategy to process optimization over the past two and a half years.
Henry: I’m working on a supply chain strategy and operations project for a multi-national electrical manufacturing company. This is my first full-time project and I’ve already learned so much. Constantly learning was something I valued at Davidson and I’m glad I can continue to do so here at Point B.
How has Point B maintained its culture with the shift to remote work?
Laura: Our culture has continued via virtual happy hours, lunches, and coffees where we can connect with our coworkers. However, we are starting to have outdoor in-person gatherings to maintain our sense of community. We also have a quarterly stipend where we can take our family out to a meal on Point B to extend our culture to the communities we have outside of our Point B team.
Henry: Point B continues to support both virtual and in-person events. Some of the virtual events I’ve attended have been coffee chats and lunch & learns. I’ve also participated in the Point B Getaway Weekend in Las Vegas to catch up with company-wide members. These have been my favorite memories by far.
What kind of early-career support does Point B provide Analysts?
Laura: Point B provides internal professional development opportunities as well as an external training stipend. During your first year, you complete the Foundations Program where one of your peers works through lessons with you about Point B’s culture, our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), etc. and answers any questions you may have. Experienced leaders on your project or in your local office are always willing to provide guidance as well.
Henry: In addition to Foundations, each employee is assigned a 1-on-1 partner who serves as a guide to help answer any questions and a coach to help you reach your long-term goals. The Analyst Accelerator is also a valuable development experience. During this first week, members of your new hire cohort come together to form connections, meet with directors and company leaders to learn about Point B as a whole, and practice the skills you will use on the job!
How can Point B Analysts shape their career outside of just client projects?
Laura: Point B Analysts can shape their career by participating in a variety of internal roles in addition to client service delivery. For example, I am a Foundations Partner (a peer support to those completing their first year at Point B), a Campus Ambassador (help with campus recruiting in our Charlotte market), and I run our Charlotte Geo biweekly calls (hooray for PowerPoint and public speaking).
Henry: While there is a lot of support for new analysts, you are also given a lot of autonomy to pursue your passions and grow. There are groups you can get involved with such as communities of interest (e.g. Financial Services, Nextcontinent) and communities of practice (e.g. change management, data, and analytics). Personally, I’ve been involved in formalizing and growing the employee-led Hispanic & LatinX at Point B Business Resource Group (BRG) which seeks to create a space for Hispanic & LatinX Point B’ers to foster personal and professional growth, empowerment, and inclusion which are all very important to me.
To learn more about Point B and explore entry-level positions, visit the Students and Graduates section at careers.pointb.com