Overview
our work 
development 
Why I came to Dean
My start at Dean was largely atypical in that I didn’t start after graduation or come from another job. I was a pre-med, engineering major as an undergrad and spent 2 years at medical school before deciding that the medical world wasn’t the right place for me. My list of reasons for leaving were numerous, but the biggest ones were a desire for more freedom in my personal life, a profession with more creative thinking, and fewer sleepless nights.
After abandoning a career as a doctor, I came across Dean after looking at several options and choosing a serious midcourse correction. While my background was unconventional, however, my reasons for choosing Dean were somewhat typical. I liked the people that I met at Dean and was most impressed with the small firm culture and proposition. I liked the idea of working at a firm where everyone knew each other and I wasn’t just an anonymous “cog in a wheel”. I was also attracted to Dean’s individualized to career development and progression. As someone with significant real world experience, I liked the opportunity that Dean presented to demonstrate that experience and be evaluated on it rather than being pigeonholed into a traditional “up or out” program. Finally, I found that the Dean community very attractive for its friendly atmosphere and emphasis on promoting a balanced lifestyle.
My Experiences at Dean
I’ve spent most of my time at Dean working for a large manufacturing client going through an extensive restructuring effort. As a new analyst, I immediately had a substantial amount of contact with the client while I helped to develop a model that would guide the client’s multi-million dollar re-scaling efforts. I have not had to travel extensively, but I have made several trips to the client site to present my analysis and discuss potential cost saving initiatives. Often I have worked with the client directly without going through my managers. I’ve found that management has given me a lot of responsibility from the very beginning of each problem I work on. This has benefited me by forcing me to develop my own ideas and strengthen my problem solving skills. When I do have questions or need support, my manager and coworkers have always been more than willing to help. I think that my coworkers’ willingness to teach me new computer problems or explain business concepts to me has been one of the most positive aspects of my Dean experience.
My Experiences at Dean
I’ve been very fortunate in my time at Dean in that I’ve gotten to experience a great deal of projects across a wide range of industries. In under three years, I’ve worked for clients in private equity, satellite radio, vaccine manufacturing, rural telecom, commercial lending, building products, and pharmaceuticals. In addition to being exposed to a dizzying variety of industries, I’ve also gotten to work on an equally broad range of business problems including M&A due diligence, business plan validation, product distribution, sales optimization, internal reorganization, and a number of general business strategy challenges.
I honestly can’t imagine a more diverse and varied working environment and have found it incredibly rewarding. Working across a wide range of industries and problems has taught me more about business than I can imagine learning in any other environment and has presented me with new challenges at every turn.
My Life in DC
Prior to joining Dean, my time in DC was limited to the usual 8th Grade class trip. Since moving here, I’ve found DC to be a great, fun place to live with many distractions from work. Obviously, there are all of the great monuments and attractions – nearly all of which are free and easily accessible. What I’ve found most interesting, however, are the people in DC. It’s a very unique city in that very few people that live in DC are actually from here. People come from all over the country and world to live and work here and nearly everyone is doing something or supporting a cause that they’re passionate about. One of my favorite things to do is to simply walk around town or sit for a while in one of the parks and just watch the parade of protests and demonstrators that funnel through. In that respect, I don’t think there’s a better city for people watching. As an aficionado for random and sometimes terrible live music, I’ve also been very happy with the collection of venues and concerts in the area. From huge arena shows to tiny, noisy clubs, there’s always plenty of great shows to choose from regardless of the time of year or taste in music. All in all, I’ve found that DC has plenty to offer regardless of your tastes and even more to offer for those looking for new sounds, sights, and flavors. are restaurants serving just about every kind of food.
