Updating Results

Partners in Performance

4.2
  • 100 - 500 employees

Kevin Lee

The best thing about management consulting at PIP, is that anyone with the correct skillset can do it, regardless of their background.

What's your job about?

Partner in Performance (PIP) is a global management consulting firm specialising in operational performance improvement and delivering big, rapid sustainable results.

As a Business Analyst, my primary role is to provide analysis, insights and to manage clients to help deliver big results ($$$) for some of the biggest organisations in the world! Everything you do is extremely fast paced, results orientated and all in all just a thrilling opportunity to learn about what drives businesses to suceed. 

What I do every day can be very different, depending on the project I’m working on. A typical day will generally involve:

  • Analysis and modelling of complex businesses and their operations
  • Identifying and gathering complex data sources
  • Creation & design of management controls, processes and tools
  • Coaching client members PIP’s improvement methodology
  • Meetings with clients (the productive kind that actually achieve something!)
  • Lots of team activities (you get very close with your team while travelling together!)
  • Travelling - exploring the city you’re working in!aww

Most importantly, PIP is all about the people – developing your skills, unlocking potential in clients, and building genuine relationships with your team and the client.

What's your background?

My story begins in the suburbs of Western Sydney, attending a small catholic high school learning how to put on a tie and polish my shoes – all the important skills in life. Growing up, I never really knew what I wanted to do, everything seemed repetitive and destined for eternal boredom.

This indecisiveness stuck with me until I I ended up choosing Electrical Engineering at UNSW the night before course submissions were due (no joke -  I got them in 11 mins before the deadline).

University was one of the best sections of my life. I met amazing people, gained valuable work experience, learnt how to make robots, and live the student life that every middle aged adult dreams of returning to.

However throughout I still felt I didn’t have the one thing I desired, a decision on what career I could not only love, but be passionate about for a long time. You should never settle on a career you’re just “OK” with.

In my final year of university, PIP came and did a presentation on starting a career as a “management consultant”. Immediately I knew this is what I wanted to do. Travelling, problem solving, people management, influencing, delivering results, variety of industries – the list goes on.

And thus began my journey to now. From studying and working in engineering, bar tending in London, starting with PIP, working in Asia and all around Australia across 4 different industries – I feel like I’m living the fast paced, exciting and adventurous life I was destined to live as the boy from Western Sydney!

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes! The best thing about management consulting at PIP, is that anyone with the correct skillset can do it, regardless of their background. At PIP there are people who have worked/studied in finance, engineering, latin poetry, law, philosophy and arts.

So what do you need to work at PIP?

  • Excellent problem solving skills - probably the most important skill
  • Results driven attitude
  • No crippling fear of numbers
  • A great communicator / influencer
  • God-like use of Excel and Powerpoint
  • Very strong work ethic and ability to deal with pressure – delivering big results requires a lot of work
  • Excellent grades (at least a distinction average) – you’re working with the biggest problems around today

What's the coolest thing about your job?

As someone who loves adventure and new experiences, travelling is definitely the best perk of my job. In my last year, I’ve worked in the high rises of Kuala Lumpur & Australia, tropical rainforests in Cairns, and remote towns you would never think of visiting (Mount Isa anyone?).

But all this would not be as fun as it is if it weren’t for the people you spend the time with. There’s nothing more valuable than the big personalities (there are some big ones…) and fun evenings out with your team mates.

What are the limitations of your job?

The biggest limitation of the job is managing a work life balance.

PIP demands a lot from its people in terms of performance. Often you can be put in situations where you have to think on your feet, work fast and accurately - all whilst under time pressure to deliver results. As such being a consultant is not a job for the faint hearted!

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

  • Don’t settle for a career you’re not passionate about, take your time to find out what you want to do.
  • It’s okay if you can’t find your passion straight away, most people don’t! You have the next 40 years of your working life to figure this out. Give things a go and put yourself out there! It’s perfectly normal in todays workplace to change career paths multiple times throughout life (I’ve already had one!)
  • Make sure you surround yourself with the right people and culture for YOU. The best places I’ve worked have had a culture aligned with my personality and goals.