Austin Allaire

About you

What work experience/internships did you have before beginning with Imperial College Business School?

Before beginning my studies at Imperial College Business School, I had several internships, most notably with KPMG in Dallas, Texas and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Working in the field of international tax ignited my interest in global business and curtailed nicely into my studies in the MSc International Management programme.

I chose to undertake an MSc International Management in order to further advance my own educational development and differentiate myself in a competitive job market. Living and working in the United Kingdom had been a long-term goal of mine before applying to the programme. When I applied, I did so with the intention of leveraging my experience to gain an employment opportunity that would enable me to continue living in London beyond the programme. I am happy to report that the Business School’s Careers team did a great job at preparing me for interviews and I will be staying in London to work as a strategy consultant when the programme comes to an end.

Programme

What aspects of the programme do you most enjoy the most?

I have greatly enjoyed the international flavour of the programme – both amongst the people and the programme itself. With regards to the people, we are a group of 43 students representing 27 different nationalities. This has been a tremendous asset both inside and outside of the classroom, as everyone brings their own unique cultural perspective to discussions and experiences. The programme itself is also very international with the opportunity to engage in an international design thinking project. I had the opportunity to travel to India*, which had an incredibly positive impact on my learning.

Which has been your favourite module so far and why?

My favourite module was the Climate Change and Business Strategy elective. Over the course of four (very full) days, we had the opportunity to meet the scientists, corporates, engineers and entrepreneurs who are working to address the climate crisis across all sectors. This module brought out the best of studying at Imperial by bringing together leaders working to address the climate crisis from both a scientific and a commercial perspective. We also ventured out from South Kensington to explore sustainability initiatives at London’s Olympic Park and the Transport for London (TFL) headquarters. Through this module I gained a deeper appreciation of both the scale of the climate challenge as well as our ability to overcome it.

What has been the most rewarding part of the programme?

The most rewarding part was definitely travelling to India to help a startup accelerator improve their business model using the knowledge base developed throughout the programme. Our experience really demonstrated how academically rigorous yet commercially practical the classroom experience is within the Business School.

"Our experience really demonstrated how academically rigorous yet commercially practical the classroom experience is within the Business School."

Opportunity

How have you benefited from the Business School’s connection to the Imperial College London community?

Being connected to the broader Imperial College community is significant in a number of ways. First of all, it provides the opportunity to encounter students from other faculties at common places like the student union, the dining areas, or even the gym. I’ve made several connections through our shared spaces that have helped to expand my thinking. Secondly, the connection to the College provides academic insights that would not be possible otherwise. The Climate Change and Business Strategy elective exemplifies this by bringing in relevant academics from the College to provide much-needed context surrounding their specialities.

Career

What are your future career goals and how have they been realised since being at Imperial?

I came to the Business School with the intention of securing a role in management consulting following the programme. I secured an associate consultant position with an incredible strategy consulting firm here in the city for after the programme and I couldn’t be happier.

How did the services from Careers help you secure employment/in your professional development?

The entire Careers team is fantastic and puts forward a tremendous number of resources to enable students to succeed. I personally owe a debt of gratitude to Mark Daley, one of the Career Consultants specialised in consulting. His guidance enabled me to succeed at the application process by advising on my CV and cover letter as well as preparing me for case interviews.

Tips

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about applying for the programme?

A mentor recently advised me that in challenging economic times, investments in higher education are always a wise idea. I think that is good advice. If you see something in the MSc International Management that would help you to achieve your career aspirations, come along and apply – you certainly won’t be disappointed. And, of course, if you have any questions, the friendly Admissions team is always happy to assist you!