Hall H. Wang
2008 – Political Science / History
Accenture, Senior Strategy Consultant
Hall H. Wang, a 2008 political science/history graduate, is a Senior Strategy Consultant with Accenture. In that role he is a “therapist for businesses. He goes to leading companies across America, has deep conversations about their business challenges (with some major doses of data), and then structures solutions for them to improve and meet their potential.
What advice would you give students who have an interest in consulting?
Appreciate that it is a terrific opportunity to gain a wide array of professional skills and have a working knowledge of the struggles of today’s business that few (if any) career opportunities can beat. It can be very exciting because you are often working with fun people with great personalities that come from a diverse range of backgrounds. However, in order to do well, you have to really put in the hours, get used to regularly travel to your clients (when COVID subsides), and actually enjoy group projects.
What WFU career resources did you utilize that were most helpful to you?
I did Army ROTC at Wake Forest and was an Army Officer for 8 years prior to consulting. I went to Accenture because a Wake alum friend of mine called me about how much she enjoyed her experience and helped bring me in.
What courses, activities or experiences gave you an edge in the job search process?
I was actively involved with Student Government for all my four years at Wake, which gave me amazing exposure on working with lots of different types of people to get things done. Academically, all of Professor Brister’s classes were really terrific in helping me structure analysis for complex problems.
What specific advice would you give regarding effective networking?
Quality is more important than quantity. Please be yourself, but come in with a compelling story about why consulting is right for you.
What specific advice would you give to students regarding effective interviewing?
Get the core down right (structure, math, and story telling) but make an effort to really shine by showing your creativity and highlighting real world examples.
Are there any books, magazines, websites, etc. that you would recommend to students who are interested in consulting?
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQMyhrt92_8XM0KgZH6VnRg
There is this channel on YouTube called Company Man. You get an amazing understanding of business dynamics in how businesses succeed or fail. Oh and this should be fun for you to watch!
Every consulting firm has structured recruiting pathways. If you want your shot at an internship or a full time offer, figure out how to get on a pathway. Between recruiters and Wake alums, you should be able to get plenty of insights.