Recent graduate Zwe Latt shared the following information about his junior year internship with 
Charles River Associates…
What was your role as an intern?
I was staffed on two projects as an Analyst in the Life Sciences practice. One was a client-facing project that focused on two drugs in development. The other project was an internal project that focused on looking at past projects to inform firm capabilities and areas for growth. Initially, my role was to attend all meetings, participate in trainings, take notes, and help with straightforward tasks in Excel and Powerpoint. As the internship progressed and my knowledge base and skillset were rounded out, I contributed to all final deliverables, including Excel revenue forecasts, our final slide decks presented to the client, creating interview guides and surveys, analyzing data, compiling insights and trends, among many other tasks.
How did you find this internship?
I came into college interested in consulting, so I conducted a lot of research and attended consulting-specific events, which allowed me to come across CRA. I attended multiple CRA-specific events that notified me of the application postings. I applied through Handshake.
What did you enjoy most about your internship?
The quality of the work you are involved in producing is top notch. You also learn an incredible amount about the specific industry and disease area of the drugs you are working on in a very short amount of time. The mentorship and exposure to upper-level management you get even as an intern is invaluable for your professional development. CRA also has a very friendly, casual culture with lots of events, which really helped socially. You are assigned an onboarding buddy and professional development manager who both help you with your concerns and help you network and meet people.
What did you find challenging?
The work is very fast-paced and the responsibility you are afforded can be daunting at first. Initially this can be hard to adjust to. I also didn’t have the most specific subject knowledge, and there are pretty high barriers to entry in the form of jargon and complex processes, especially in the healthcare & pharmaceutical industry. Hours were also unpredictable, with some weeks being much more busy than others.
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to make the most of an internship like yours?
Take agency and control of the work you are assigned and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s the best way to learn. In consulting especially, no one expects you to know what you are doing as an intern, so best case scenario you impress them with great work and worst-case scenario it’s a profound learning experience. I would also recommend being proactive with offering your time and communicating with your team. As basic as it sounds, this is not only an impressive professional skill, but it also really helps with team cohesion and efficiency. Finally, if you’re working at a bigger company, it is really valuable to make an effort to reach out to colleagues in senior positions, as they can help you get staffed on projects, teach you more about the firm, and guide your career journey.
About the Organization
Charles River Associates (CRA) is a leading global consulting firm that offers economic, financial, and strategic expertise to major law firms, corporations, accounting firms, and governments around the world. Our experts bring a unique combination of cutting-edge research, state-of-the-art methods, and proven experience to bear on our clients’ most complex challenges.
CRA specializes in management consulting and economic litigation. Our senior-led teams include leading academic experts and business leaders with experience across industries. Because of our proven skills in complex cases and exceptional strength in analytics, clients depend on our objective, fact-based advice for their high-profile, high stakes matters.
