Asian countries are among the most represented regions in Boston University’s international student population.
Despite the numbers, many international students from Asia have a hard time finding work after graduation in their home countries due to a lack of access to resources, said Questrom School of Business junior Tommy Xiao, co-founder and president of the newly formed Asia Consulting Network.
Andy Chen, a senior in Questrom and co-founder and vice president of the ACN, said many of BU’s existing career resources are “primarily based” in the United States, but “really lacking” for students aspiring to work in China.
The ACN aims to address this gap by connecting both international and U.S. students with corporate jobs in Asia.
“There’s been a lack of career support for overseas students,” said Xiao. “We’re trying to solve that.”
The club leadership plans to begin hosting events next semester. These programs include recruitment events with specific companies and question and answer sessions with consultants from specific regions in Asia.
Chen said the club provides “first-hand knowledge” on the firms in Asia. The club also wants to provide members with resources to establish a network to find career opportunities.
“On the network side, [the club] is really to meet new people, get experiences and to learn about their experience,” Chen said.
Advised by a former senior partner at McKinsey, the ACN has a large alumni network and has connections with many industry professionals. Xiao said that the ACN’s goal is to fill their student e-board with members who are knowledgeable about their home regions and have consulting experience.
Through its programs, the ACN wants to increase the number of BU students entering consulting — a challenging field to enter.
“Less than 1% of applicants get an interview,” Xiao said.
Xiao said the club hopes to make BU a “target school” for the top consulting firms.
“What we want to target is about 10 to 20 people going to these firms a year,” he said. “At the moment, it’s about one to three people.”
This club’s opportunities are critical supplements to students’ professional development, Frédéric F. Brunel, the associate dean for undergraduate programs at Questrom, wrote in an email.
“Students secure jobs because of the training we provide them but also because they secure meaningful experience with internships and practice leadership roles in their clubs,” he wrote.
Members can get “community, valuable experiences, leadership opportunities and networking” by joining clubs like the ACN, Brunel wrote.
Xiao said ACN was created to support students where BU is lacking.
“We’re here to solve people’s problems. That’s what consulting is, and that’s what our goal is as well” Xiao said. “If you have any struggles with finding internships or jobs, especially in Asia. I think we serve as the perfect platform to help every one of you.”
