“Through federal consulting I feel like I am directly impacting the public and the world.” As I shadowed Guidehouse in the summer of 2024 this quote from field expert, Ruba Elbasha who is a partner in the National Security segment, stuck with me the most. Even though my dad has worked in consulting all of my life, I have always struggled to understand its global impact.
I began to visually understand the global aspect of consulting as I was taken to the State Department on a tour during my job shadow. Once I walked through the lobby filled with the flags of countries from all over the world and saw the famous conference room where diplomats sign international agreements, I could finally begin to understand how the work of consultants influence the partnerships between countries.
I learned through my interview with Ms. Elbasha that “Consulting is all about problem solving, helping your clients solve their challenges, helping them develop creative and innovative ways to help them move forward in their initiatives.” After hearing this, everything started to come together as I finally understood that even though Guidehouse is based in Washington D.C., it has an effect on those living all over the world as they solve problems for global companies and government agencies on a daily basis.
Ms. Elbasha shared an example of this impact as she explained her work with the US Navy and Marine Corp as Guidehouse directly touches the global mission of by working with the Navy to help them build dashboards and conduct data analysis to survey the readiness of the US Fleet to deploy. This interaction between consultants and the US government broadens the opportunities of global involvement for consultants as they solve complex problems that could interrupt international relations, trade, and security. Lastly, Ms. Elbasha shared how closely she works with the leader of Defense and Security in the UK as they trade notes on comparing the strategies of the Royal Navy and the US Navy to ultimately save time and money for their clients.
Through this interview and job shadow, I have been able to explore a few ways consulting has a global impact and solves problems for companies and governments all throughout the world.
