Diogenes Alex Diaz

Co-op: At Deloitte Consulting, I used technology to solve business problems. I drew on a mix of skills from my major and my minor at Northeastern. We took an organization from paper files and cumbersome paperwork to a paperless work environment. I designed the infrastructure.

Co-op to employment: I’ve been offered a full-time job at Deloitte Consulting. I start after graduation.

Lesson learned: My co-op experience showed me how important it is to build relationships, especially for someone who is young. It’s critical for your career to keep your network as large as possible.

Expectations vs. reality: I knew I didn’t want a “hard-core” engineering career, that I wanted the business side of engineering. My Deloitte co-op not only confirmed that for me, it also showed me that consulting is perfect for me, that that is where I have to be.

Future in focus: I’d been thinking about grad school at some time in the future, and had been leaning toward an MBA but still strongly considering a master’s in engineering. After my Deloitte co-op, I’m 100 percent sure an MBA is what I want. I plan to work, and then start graduate school in the fall of 2010.

The co-op effect: Co-op can show you what you do or do not want to do in the real world. I would recommend students try a variety of co-ops at different places. I had three, and each taught me something different.