Consulting the Kelley Network

When you consider the generous mentoring that shaped Kyle Guinivan's college experience, it seems fitting that he chose a career in consulting.

As a high school senior, Guinivan was trying to decide between IU and a large university on the East Coast, so he e-mailed eight business professors at each. None from the other university replied. Six from Kelley did.

In his reply, Assistant Professor of Finance Levent Guntay, an alumnus of the East Coast school, professed his affection for both universities and explained the pros and cons of each. He concluded that for what Guinivan was interested in doing, IU would be the better place for him.

"I read that e-mail, then called IU and accepted," Guinivan says.

A finance and accounting major and business honors student, Guinivan was a member of the first class of students in Kelley's Consulting Workshop—an experience that taught him to think and work like a consultant and prepared him for rigorous, analytical interviews with consulting firms. He also participated in 15 to 20 case competitions, learning to find creative solutions on a tight deadline. "I felt incredibly prepared to go into consulting," he says.

Especially so, thanks to two Kelley alumni he contacted for advice. One, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Indianapolis, helped Guinivan match his interests with potential careers and gave him advice before, during, and after an internship at PwC.

The other alumnus who helped Guinivan worked in the Minneapolis office of the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, and spent hours talking with Guinivan about McKinsey, interviews, and life as a consultant. Guinivan liked the idea of tackling challenging problems, working with one client in one location for several months and then switching clients and locations, and presenting his ideas to upper-level management.

When it came time to find a job, Guinivan had a lot of employers to choose from. "One thing that differentiates Kelley from other schools is its career services office. I made connections with 50 or 60 companies just from talking to recruiters and alumni on campus. I was never worried about finding a job when I graduated."

He chose to join McKinsey's Minneapolis office, partly because it works with so many philanthropic organizations. Giving back is important to Guinivan—at Kelley he helped launch a student-led career mentoring program and served as an informal advisor to at least 15 students interested in consulting. Inspired by his brother, who has cerebral palsy and loves to cook, Guinivan hopes to start his own not-for-profit someday: a restaurant in which people with disabilities will work with aides to prepare the cuisine.

"The people who recruited me helped me make incredibly important decisions in my life, and IU was such an important part of me getting where I am, that I really want to return the favor to students," says Guinivan, who hopes to return to Kelley as a recruiter for McKinsey.

"Kelley graduates are incredibly supportive of the students. This perpetual care is one of the reasons Kelley is so strong in the business world."

In Brief

Advice to students: "Get to know your professors—they have an incredible amount of knowledge to share with you. Find something you enjoy and get involved with it."

Going, going, Ghana: Went to Ghana over spring break for a Kelley course on emerging markets, and all but about $500 was paid for by Kelley scholarships that were available to anyone going on the trip. "It's pretty amazing to go to Africa and have all your expenses covered while you're there."

Things I miss about IU: meeting and talking with such diverse people, the professors at Kelley, the ethnic restaurants on Fourth Street, walking through campus on a nice day