Michael found his way into consulting later on: After studying mechanical engineering and obtaining a PhD in thermodynamics, he opted for his "real" career start with a major corporation. Michael started in project management for investment projects, where he stayed for six years. After a professional stint within the supply chain, Michael then took the leap into consulting, which had always appealed to him. Since Targus primarily relies on colleagues with professional experience, the fit between Michael and Targus was definitely there.
„Ein ‚Up or Out‘, wie es bei anderen Beratungsfirmen gelebt wird, existiert bei TARGUS nicht. Vielmehr habe ich das Miteinander bei Targus als sehr familiär erlebt – man kümmert sich umeinander.„
Dr. Michael Dragon
Application Process
What impressed me about TARGUS was the speed and thoroughness of the application process: Between submitting my application, the first and second interviews, and the case interview including the contract offer handed to me immediately afterward, not even four weeks had passed. I had never experienced anything like this before!
Onboarding at TARGUS
The onboarding process at TARGUS was very well organized: In addition to the mandatory handover of a laptop, company phone, business cards, and other essentials on day one, I was trained for a week on internal processes, workflows, methods, and tools. Experienced colleagues took ample time to provide me with the necessary information. Right after the onboarding week, I was assigned to my first project, where concrete tasks awaited me. The colleagues there warmly welcomed me and introduced me to the initially small but gradually expanding tasks. The initial period was accompanied by short, concise training sessions, including in consultant multifunctional tools like PowerPoint and Excel. Initially, this was somewhat of a plunge into the deep end, but the lifeguards were always nearby ;).
Tasks in the Project
My specific tasks in the project are and will naturally be primarily defined by the nature of the project. However, there is always plenty of room to spontaneously respond to the client's requirements and to act flexibly for their benefit. In sub-projects, I worked with the client to delve into issues, immediately search for pragmatic solutions, align them, and then implement them. This includes questioning challenges with tailored analyses, substantiating solution possibilities, and presenting and preparing topics, challenges, and results as best as possible.
My Achievements So Far
In my first project, I had the opportunity to manage production planning processes for our client in a highly complex refit project. With the help of a specially developed smart tool, we succeeded in significantly reducing downtime and waiting times within the production team by providing more transparency.
In a second project, I had the opportunity to develop and implement a modern absenteeism management system for and with our client. The joint development with various stakeholders and institutions of the client – from the shop floor to the management – was extremely exciting.
A central point at TARGUS is always the joint finding and implementation of solutions with the client. We measure ourselves by the results we achieve together.
Beyond project work, TARGUS offers the opportunity from the beginning to participate in the company's development – whether through work on methods, industry analyses, or simply organizing events that everyone enjoys participating in.
The Culture
There are many colleagues at TARGUS who have been with the company for years. There is no "up or out" policy as seen in other consulting firms at TARGUS. Instead, I experienced the culture at TARGUS as very familial – people take care of each other. This spirit is invested in: In addition to events exclusively for colleagues, TARGUS invites everyone once a year to a "family event," where partners and children are also invited. The only thing on the agenda here is to "let your soul dangle."
Challenges
It should certainly not go unmentioned that working in the consulting business, especially after getting used to corporate processes, certainly requires a significant mindset shift. Flexibility, customer orientation, cooperation, and forward-thinking are required to an extent that I had not previously experienced. This certainly took some time to get used to, alongside the required readiness to travel.
Conclusion
For anyone interested in broadening their horizons, working on a variety of topics, constantly rediscovering and proving themselves, meeting many new people, and achieving results, considering an entry into consulting, especially at TARGUS, is definitely worthwhile.
