In 2018 Gibson recruited some
of its finest interns to date.
We sat down with Ronald Pisano one of Gibson’s Senior Consultants to learn more about the program, it’s people and the years results.
1. Why Gibson does this program?
In today’s marketplace, Gibson competes for the best students to intern. We constantly evaluate and improve the Summer Associate Program each year by benchmarking it against other top internship programs. Our Summer Associate Program (internship) gives interns a look at what consulting is and allows them to experience a real consultant role. Interns experience this through traveling, being in a client facing role, and executing firm impacting work. By empowering our interns to make decisions, have an active role in decision making, and be a part of our teams, our interns have the chance to realize if this career path is right for them and if they are the right fit for Gibson.
Lastly, we have fun. Our interns live in and experience Chicago, participate in firm events, and come together in project teams and as an internship class. Interns experience our firm culture first hand by living in corporate housing, participating in all firm events, and having an internship budget to host intern events.
2. How do you select the students
Gibson follows the standard on-campus recruiting process. We attend career fairs and host presentations at BIG 10 schools including Wisconsin, Indiana University, Purdue, Illinois, and Michigan State. Following the career fairs, we have candidates complete an Excel test, complete one to two phone interviews, and then come downtown Chicago to our office for our Campus Recruiting “Superday”.
If a candidate does not attend one of the schools at which we recruit, we still accept resumes separately and add them to our potential interview list.
3. What is the timing of the program
Our Summer Associate Program is a 10-week program during summer. Interns start the first week in June with our new hire class and undergo a week-long training class to learn about Gibson and our work process. We have final intern presentations the first week in August and conclude the internship at the end of that week with a celebration and thank you event.
4. What’s unique about it
During the Summer Associate Program, interns travel and experience the world the same way they would as a full-time consultant. Unlike other internships, interns take an active role in numerous aspects of the project. Interns are in the field working with client team and completing client impacting work.
Interns are assigned a personal project to complete in addition to a Summer Associate wide project. The Associate wide project is managed and completed by only interns and is an opportunity for interns to work as a team. At the end of the program, interns present what they completed this summer to all the partners and firm.
5. Results
We aim to retain 100% of our interns each year. On average 80% of interns who receive offers come back and work for Gibson full time. Interns that decide strategic sourcing is not right often accept jobs at other top firms including Big 3 consulting firms and manufacturing/operation companies.
6. And why people come back after they graduate.
“I am returning to Gibson because of the people who believe in the process and believe in the culture. Working in a fast-paced environment can be challenging, but at Gibson, you are fully supported and encouraged by your ambitious and talented co-workers and leadership. I decided to come back to Gibson because it is the perfect place to grow personally and professionally.”
Grace Lattner (2018 Summer Associate, May 2019 Consultant Class)
“Gibson gives you the opportunity to make an impact from day one. Right from the start, the level of responsibility and trust that was placed on me as an intern was incredible. Both my seniors allowed me to do meaningful work which I saw firsthand being used during negotiations with suppliers.
The culture of Gibson is also amazing. Everyone wants to see you succeed and they are willing to help you with whatever it is you need. This is something that definitely stood out to me and is a big reason of why I decided to come back.”
Fernando Mandujano (2018 Summer Associate, May 2019 Consultant Class)
“What truly drives the interests of candidates after they graduate or new hires to Gibson is the culture. Here at Gibson, it is a very open atmosphere. If any questions or concerns arise, someone is always there from a Consultant to a Partner standpoint willing to give a helping hand.”
Dan Kwak (2017 and 2018 Summer Associate, full-time consultant)
“I realized there were immediate opportunities that I was afforded at Gibson which differentiate my experience from the norm; client engagement, international travel, executive client exposure and world class training.”
Emily Brett (2017 Summer Associate, Full-Time Consultant)
“Returning to Gibson after my time as a Summer Associate was a no-brainer. The experiences that I had, and continue to have, demonstrate that Gibson Consulting is the best place for a new consultants to gain impactful, real-world consulting and leadership experience.”
“The company culture is unlike any other company’s. At Gibson, every team member’s voice and ideas are valued and drive key decisions. Working closely with the Gibson and client teams facilitate not only professional relationships but friendships as well, which makes going to work every day even more enjoyable.”
(2017 and 2018 Summer Associate, Full-Time Consultant)
“Gibson has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and grow through these experiences that I wouldn’t get anywhere else. While being put in these challenging and unfamiliar situations, the Gibson team has supported and provided guidance every step of the way. These challenges have allowed me to make positive, worthwhile contributions while also further developing my personal growth.”
(2017 and 2018 Summer Associate, Full-Time Consultant)
“The client facing work and the results that we produce are invaluable. Every day there is a new challenge that we are faced with, but through problem solving, we stay engaged and create results for our clients.”
(2017 and 2018 Summer Associate, Full-Time Consultant)
If you are interested in learning more about the 2019 program, please click here to view our college campus visit schedule.
