Consulting with Passion Rooted in Experience by Sumona Bose

It’s always a mouthful to answer questions like, ‘Where are you from?’, ‘What do you identify as?’ or ‘Where is home?’. I think that is what pushed me to pursue an early consulting career, to ask and answer nuanced questions. But to keep it short, I give a simplified version of myself: I was born to Indian parents in Botswana, and raised in Southern Africa and India, ultimately moving to Cape Town little less than a decade ago, a city I feel proud to call home. It’s definitely much simpler than I can construe immediately but it’s an abstract of my identities. But throughout the years as the world around me evolved dramatically so did my understanding of myself.

I remember a time during my honours year in 2018 when I was majoring in International Relations, my uncertainties flared up igniting the many insecurities a 21-year-old would assumedly have. But working through academia and research in Africa’s best university, in the world’s most unequal society, gave me an edge to credit my experiences a bit more. I moved further and further away from labels and boxes that suffocated me. I felt that young people are constantly constrained by so-called traditions and expectations of invisible standards and traditions. Breaking free is the hardest part because the web of conforming is more entangled than a spider’s cobweb. Whether it was financial worries, career insights, or academic progress, a young person entering into their roaring 20s does not anticipate the angst it rents out.

But I found refuge in my quirks, in the multiple identities I embodied, in the little wins I applauded and mourned the shattering losses I incurred. More so, coming from a multidisciplinary academic sphere where the Social Sciences and Life sciences regularly intersected, I expected complexity in whatever I pursued as a by-product of my choices. And by the time I secured my first internship, I became comfortable identifying as an Indian on African soil. It was my merit and agency to practice what I inherently grew up as and believed in. Sometimes being different, and being able to stand out in a crowd becomes your road to employability.

The challenges of a consulting career comes with the attractive opportunities it brings on. However, I found that being a consultant, development practitioner, public and global health scholar grounds me into bringing lived experiences to the forefront. The principles of consulting across industries demand integrity, dedication, diligence and strategy. This is where I can apply my own personal background and identity into the mix. And I learnt that quickly on the job that client-based needs and results are different and diverse; just like how I grew up.

If you’re looking to create space for yourself in the world of consulting, let your imperfections and individuality stand out as key assets rather than insecurities. Let your pride be in your spine, in your work ethic, in your craft and in your reassurance.

Written by : Sumona Bose

Edited by: Ms Zinhle Novazi

About the Author Sumona Bose : Sumona holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) in International Relations and MPhil Degree in Justice and Transformation (Cum Laude) from the University of Cape Town. She is currently an MSc candidate in Public Health (Global Health) at King's College London. She is a research consultant and developmental practitioner with a multidisciplinary range of expertise and interests intersecting between social and life sciences.

Navigating the Twenties Emma Reinecke Ms Zinhle Novazi

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