Hendrik Westerink: From engineering to consulting to engineering

What stood out about the academic learning experience for you?

The elective options and opportunities for practical learning through the MBA consulting projects stood out for me. In terms of electives, I took quite a wide range (everything from managing big data to energy and emissions policies) because I wanted to broaden my perspective on subjects that I might never get the chance to study again. 

The multiple consulting projects we completed during the MBA allowed me to gain experience that is directly relevant to my career in consulting. One of the highlights of my MBA was consulting for Liverpool Football Club as part of the Global Consulting Project (which came with the opportunity to attend a match at the end of the project!). I took the Digital Transformation Concentration which also included a consulting project component – coming from the construction industry (which is possibly one of the least digitised industries in the world), I was interested in learning more about practical ways to digitally transform organisations. 

What were the best extra-curricular activities you did?

There were a lot of extra-curricular activities at Cambridge that allowed me to build relationships with peers and the business community. Along with two other students, I led the ‘Cambridge Judge Against COVID-19’ initiative where we worked to help businesses impacted by COVID-19 by completing pro-bono consulting projects. I also served as a Social Chair for the Cambridge Business School Club, organising social events throughout the year and the end-of-year May Ball. 

Did you switch any of the following after your MBA?

After my MBA I switched job function and industry as I moved into consulting with Boston Consulting Group, more recently returning to the engineering sector with my current role. 

If you did make a switch, what factors enabled you to do that?

My classmates and the Careers team at CJBS enabled me to make the switch. I spent many hours with classmates and coaches going through case interviews and other interview questions, thinking especially about how I could adequately highlight the transferrable skills I gained as an engineer that would be beneficial for a career in consulting. The group feedback sessions were very enlightening– having a broad range of classmates, coming from different industry backgrounds, in the room giving me feedback on my mock interview answers was invaluable. 

How has the MBA influenced your career journey in general?

The MBA has given me the breadth I was seeking to pursue a career outside of engineering. As a civil engineer, I had very specific bridge design experience for the 7 years before the MBA. I was seeking a broader understanding of the business world, and the MBA provided me with that – from the lessons learned in my courses and projects to the perspectives gained from the diverse classmates and friends I met through the programme. 

What else was impactful about your MBA experience in making your career change?

The network. Through the connections at Cambridge Judge (which extend across Canada), I was able to set up calls to learn about management consulting before applying to jobs. I was impressed at how willing CJBS alumni were to help students, with some alumni even taking time out of their weekends to hold case interview workshops for us. After the MBA, I look forward to carrying this forward as part of a global network of fellow Cambridge Judge alumni.