“I can be a fit almost anywhere in the firm and my opinions and skills are valued.”

David Kang

, Consultant

Why did you choose Booz Allen?

I originally joined Booz Allen as an intern during the summer of 2007, and my experience at the firm during that time was great. I later returned to the firm full time because it’s considered one of the top consulting firms in the industry. This is important to me because I wanted a strong and stable company that I would be able to grow with and stay at for the long term. The firm’s work-life balance philosophy is also fantastic, as it allows me to have a flexible schedule when I have educational commitments. Even when I was an intern, the firm worked with me to accommodate my summer school schedule.

How has Booz Allen helped you prepare for a career as a consultant?

Booz Allen has helped me pursue CompTIA Security+ training, which is in demand for Department of Defense contracts. I’m also considering other computer-related certifications in the future.

Do you have a mentor at Booz Allen?

I do not have a formal mentor, but I communicate with various colleagues on how to move forward within the firm. My supervisor, who has a similar background to mine, gave me some insights into the culture at Booz Allen. He explained how the workload for information security can vary and projects don’t always go smoothly, but that’s the nature of the business, so I knew not to be concerned. Another manager talked with me when I started at Booz Allen about my work-life balance options. For example, depending on the circumstances, sometimes I’ll work from home during inclement weather.

What is the most important thing that working at Booz Allen has taught you about yourself?

The most important thing is that I can be a fit almost anywhere in the firm and my opinions and skills are valued, whether I’m providing risk assessments, directory services, or coming up with new solutions for development.

What do you find most exciting about your work?

I like the new challenges I encounter every day, including engaging with clients, debugging directory software, or coming up with new solutions for development. It’s a good feeling to fix a problem. I chose this field because computer security is always in demand—I’m a little paranoid myself about someone hacking into my online information. My team helps a lot with identification management, and what I’m learning at my job now is likely to have broader applications in the future. In addition, my team publishes a lot of our work, so our insights are helping the general public as well.

Describe a time when you saw one of the firm’s Core Values in action.

Teamwork is a very important element of our projects. For example, the components of one of my team’s projects were dependent on each member of the team completing his or her tasks. When our team needed many components of our project to fit together, we communicated and coordinated effectively to accomplish that goal.