In this Real Humans: Alumni, we hear from Eike Hoffman, a recent Emory Goizueta MBA grad who turned an internship at Deloitte into a full-time role. In addition to a walk through his b-school experience and journey to consulting, Eiki offers some keen advice–mainly, enjoy the experience more and “run your own race.”
Eike Hoffmann, Emory Goizueta MBA ’24, Senior Consultant at Deloitte
Age: 30
Hometown: Irvine, California
Undergraduate Institution and Major: UC Santa Barbara, Economics & Accounting
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Associate, KPMG, 2017-18, Financial Advisory; Financial Consultant, Robert Half (2019-20), Financial Advisory; Special Projects Senior Analyst, Norfolk Southern (2020-22), Railroad
Post-MBA Work Experience: Senior Consultant, Deloitte Consulting, 2024-Present, Management Consulting
Why did you choose to attend business school?
My early career gave me a lot of tangential exposure to interesting high-level business problems, and I quickly realized that to work on those issues I likely needed to pivot into management consulting or corporate strategy. After many twists and turns, getting an MBA became the right path for me.
Why Emory Goizueta? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
The smaller class size, generous scholarships, and plentiful leadership opportunities were all highly appealing to me. But the biggest reason was simply that I had fallen in love with Atlanta after already having lived here for over two years. I liked the idea of still having a community outside of the MBA program (good for my sanity sometimes!) and continuing to live in the lovely Inman Park neighborhood. Three more years have passed and I still have no plans to leave!
What about your MBA experience prepared you for your current career?
It’s no accident that Goizueta Business School has a strong record of placing graduates in the consulting industry. My MBA education had a clear focus on building the skills necessary for the structured problem-solving, holistic analysis, and storytelling capabilities sought by top consulting firms. The IMPACT curriculum familiarized me with the type of work I would tackle in the future, while other classes exposed me to fascinating real-life business cases that I still re-read periodically.
What was your internship during business school? How did that inform your post-MBA career choice?
I had the fortune during my MBA of doing my internship at Deloitte, though I was also tempted by a corporate strategy role in an industry that I am fond of. My summer was a great teaser for a career in consulting – during my first week, I had to give a client presentation from the noisy lobby of a Florida airport after getting stranded there. The opportunity to dive into an unfamiliar industry, get in-person exposure to high-level executives, and witness the direct implications of our work was exactly the experience to convince me that consulting was the career I wanted to pursue.
Why did you choose your current company? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to work?
Despite working on a summer project that wasn’t necessarily in my interest area, I really enjoyed learning about an unfamiliar industry and building transferable skills. Outside of project work at Deloitte, I networked with people across the firm and learned about the huge variety of work being done. Unlike at other consulting firms, practitioners at Deloitte act almost as independent operators and have the agency to customize their career paths. Being able to explore different functions and industries was the deciding factor for accepting my full-time offer. It also helps that people here are genuinely nice!
Advice to current MBA students:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of the job search?
It’s important not to overextend oneself, but I benefitted from casting a wide net at the beginning of the process and learning about a lot of different jobs and employers. I saw some people put all their eggs in just a few baskets and end up disappointed. Luck plays an outsized role in the process so it doesn’t hurt to maximize one’s odds.
–One thing you would change or do differently as part of the job search?
It’s easy to say now, but I would tell my past self to be less tense and stressed during the process. There were a few weeks in the fall of the first year when everybody was on edge and in a bad mood. “Run your own race” may be a cliché, but it’s an important mantra for staying sane among the constant noise around you. Even when the stakes are high, we should remind ourselves to be human and enjoy the unique experiences the MBA provides.
–Were there any surprises regarding your current employer’s recruiting process?
I’ll admit I was thrown off-guard by the style of Deloitte’s case interviews, after having done more traditional casing practice. But my interviews were so collaborative and the interviewers so personable that this ended up a pleasant surprise.
–What piece of advice do you wish you had been given during your MBA?
The MBA experience is the final time many of us will have a non-traditional schedule or large chunks of free time before we retire. Go on a big trip. Do some projects or activities that are difficult to achieve while you’re working a full-time job. I did these things and still feel like I should’ve done more.
