As a boutique consultancy for the chemical and process industry, 3con occupies a niche in the consulting market that immediately spoke to Thomas, who holds a doctorate in chemistry. The senior manager has never regretted his decision to switch from research to industry. On the contrary: "I've fully arrived in consulting and don't regret the step out of the academic world one bit." A pragmatic and authentic working atmosphere is one of the factors that make 3con his employer of choice.
„"The human factor is particularly important to us when advising clients - that's why, in addition to specialist knowledge, a certain emotional competence is essential“.“
Dr. Thomas Uhlemann
I have a typical scientific background: bachelor's and master's degrees in biochemistry, followed by research and a doctorate. Then came the point where I had to make a career decision. For me, joining a management consultancy seemed like a good way to get a broad overview of the entire chemical industry. In this respect, it was my interest in the industry that in turn sparked my interest in 3con. How convenient that at the time there was an event at my university organized by btS - Life Sciences Studierendeninitiative e.V. in cooperation with 3con.
I still remember finding the attitude and wealth of experience of the presenting partner there quite impressive. I also liked the prospect of working in a boutique consultancy. The demands are no less than those of the Big 4, but the interaction felt positively pragmatic and simply honest to me as soon as I met them. This was confirmed during the rest of the application process, when I directly spoke to three out of four partners.
Consultants need more than just professional expertise
What surprised me during my first steps in the world of consulting was how pragmatic and sometimes straightforward the solution to specific problems sometimes is and how much the entire consulting process revolves around the factors surrounding it – stakeholder or change management, for example. Fortunately, these are things that I believe we at 3con are particularly good at: We not only find solutions, but also ensure that they are actually implemented. In addition to the skills component, the human factor also plays a crucial role. Consultants therefore absolutely need a certain level of emotional competence, otherwise it won't work.
Shaping your own career path
From a learning perspective, I started with the classic bread-and-butter topics of 3con, such as organizational structure, location management and production-related services. I quickly gained practical experience and learned the basics. It was a great experience to work directly with our partners on projects and benefit from their wealth of experience. As a result, my learning curve was quite steep.
Through various projects, I eventually found my way and further evolved in the areas of value chain and sustainability. That's the charming thing about 3con: as a consultant, you're not forced into a prefabricated template. Instead, you are given the freedom to set your own priorities and thus shape your own specific profile and career path.
Transparent success factors
In general, I think the 3con approach to personnel development is very fair: although applicants start with a wide variety of qualifications, the same is expected of all consultants. From the moment you start at 3con, it depends on what you do here and what accents you set. Transparent development sheets and constructive feedback from management are provided at all times. It is common knowledge what you have to achieve in order to reach the next level. Whether you make it in one or three years is up to your personal goals and capabilities.
