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Exploring IT Consulting: My Journey as Visiting Associate at BCG Platinion
Alex Dalum and Lisa Molitor, now IT Consultants in our Copenhagen office, reflect on their time as Visiting Associates. They highlight the insights they gained through client exposure, their involvement in problem-solving sessions, and their deeper understanding of BCG Platinion's collaborative approach to working with clients.
What is a Visiting Associate?
At BCG Platinion, the Visiting Associate role offers (graduate) students to experience life of an IT consultant while working as part of our client case teams on developing IT strategies and solutions. For us, a VA is not merely an intern; the role is designed to give practical experience and allow our Vas to contribute to real-world challenges.
Being a VA is not just about work experience —it’s about engaging with strategic operations, finetuning your problem-solving skills, and exploring whether a future in IT consulting aligns with your career aspirations. VAs also enjoy opportunities to connect with colleagues outside of work. From team dinners to sports and office events, these moments of help build friendships and a sense of community, enhancing the overall experience.
Where can a VA role take you?
The VA program provides valuable exposure, hands-on learning, and can be a stepping stone for your career both within or beyond BCG Platinion. Many VAs leverage the skills and insights they gain here to pursue career paths in the broader world of IT consulting, while some VAs return to join us as IT Architects or IT Consultants after completing their master’s degrees.
The program equips you with practical experience in areas such as client interaction, problem-solving, and strategy development—skills that are highly valued across industries.
“It was an incredibly fun and rewarding experience to be part of a team of industry experts with diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences. I gained an understanding of what it means to work in IT consulting, and many of the colleagues I worked with as a Visiting Associate are still my mentors today.”
Lisa Molitor, IT Consultant
More than just work
To gain a deeper understanding of what it’s like to be a Visiting Associate, we spoke with Alex about his experience and the key moments that shaped his time at BCG Platinion.
During your time as a VA, how many cases were you involved in, and what were the key areas you focused on?
During my time as a VA, I focused on Vendor Selection Strategy and Post-Merger Integration (PMI). Typically, you are part of one client case team at a time as a VA. But as my VAship tenure was longer than the duration of the first case, I was staffed on a second case team. During the first case, we developed a vendor selection strategy with an emphasis on organizational cost efficiency. Then during my time on the second case, we worked on a post-merger integration (PMI), specifically focusing on formulating the Day 1 strategy and realizing synergies between the two companies.
Reflecting on your time as a VA with BCG Platinion, what were the standout moments or key highlights for you?
There were several highlights, especially in terms of the level of responsibility I was given. For example, I was entrusted to lead my own 'mini workstream', where I managed the entire process - from raw data collection to data cleansing, analysis, and final presentation through visual communication. I also had the opportunity to independently prepare important materials for the case, and it was rewarding to see those materials become central to discussions in client meetings. I was able to sit in meetings with C-suite executives and gained profound understanding of the collaboration between BCG and BCG Platinion. It was nice to see how integrated the teams are and how they work together across projects - it really embodies our "One BCG" approach.
Do you recall any memorable after-work events or team activities during your time with BCG Platinion?
Absolutely! There were many opportunities to connect with colleagues outside of work. From case team dinners to office events where I got to know my local colleagues, I was able to connect on a personal level. This made teaming together even easier and more fun so that it didn’t matter if we were working on tough cases or celebrating successes, we always helped one another and made sure eveyone did their best to deliver high-quality work while pushing ourselves to grow.
Are You Ready to Explore?
The Visiting Associate program offers a unique chance to discover what it’s like to be part of BCG Platinion. Whether your journey leads to a full-time role here or elsewhere, the skills and experiences gained will be valuable for your future career.
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