Sometimes you find your perfect career path. Other times, your perfect career path finds you.
That’s what happened to Jahin Habib, who studied electrical engineering at Virginia Tech. Before senior year of college, Jahin thought she had her career path figured out. She planned to graduate college and then land a job in electrical engineering, focusing on research and product design.
But during her senior year she was elected president of her school’s student chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). While organizing industry tech talks and information sessions for members, she became well-connected with recruiters. One of those recruiters worked for Accenture Federal Services.
Jahin admits that she (along with most of her electrical engineering classmates) didn’t know the first thing about consulting. Still, something told her to take a leap of faith and apply for an internship with Accenture.
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Before long, she was hooked on the company culture, high-energy environment, and the chance to make an impact—not to mention amazing connections. “While I was interning, I attended an IEEE Future Leaders Forum in New Orleans,” she says. “I met a Managing Director at Accenture, and we ended up getting dinner. That’s how I learned about Accenture’s labs across the country and all the innovative work happening there.” Before long, Jahin was convinced she needed to return after graduation.
One year in, she’s already had the opportunity to interact with her company’s C.E.O. “When I started at Accenture, the thought of meeting with C-suite executives never crossed my mind,” she says. “There are countless opportunities to meet and network with leadership at Accenture.”
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Jahin says she’s found a career where she’s excited to come to work every day, but there is one thing she wants to see change—more women pursuing STEM careers. “When I was at Virginia Tech, only six percent of electrical engineering students were women,” she says.
Jahin’s best advice for her future coworkers?
1. During interviews, highlight your experience—whether that’s coursework or internships—and show how it’s made an impact on your life and career. Recruiters want to know more than what’s on your resume!
2. Challenge yourself to continuously learn. The moment you stop retooling yourself is the moment you start to become comfortable, and it’s hard to grow when you’re comfortable. Graduating college doesn’t mean you’re done learning. It’s only the beginning!
3. Network, network, network. There are so many paths you can take at Accenture Federal Services. You might start your career in one area and then pursue something entirely different a few years later. Build relationships across the organization so you have champions supporting you throughout your career journey.
One day, Jahin would love to work for one of Accenture’s digital studios, which specialize in technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. But for now, she’s loving the career path she discovered.
Ready to start your career at Accenture Federal Services? They’re hiring now!
