Road to Consulting helped senior shine during internships and then land full-time job offer at Deloitte

Solving problems is second nature for Rutgers Business School-New Brunswick senior Laura Estilo. As a co-director of Road to Consulting (RTC), Estilo helps her peers overcome challenges to breaking into the competitive consulting field. “My responsibility is to support students in meaningful ways,” she said.

Estilo joined the RTC leadership team her junior year, organizing workshops and case competitions, and mentoring students. Recognizing how difficult it can be for students to connect with industry professionals, she and a former RTC co-director hosted a workshop last fall on networking strategies and created a tracker to help peers organize their outreach. She is one of four co-directors for the 2024-2025 academic year.

RTC Director Zeki Pagda described Estilo as organized and driven. “She’s on top of everything. I call her boss,” said Pagda, an assistant professor of professional practice in management and global business.

Estilo, who is double majoring in marketing and business analytics and information technology (BAIT), is something of a poster child for RTC. She landed three summer internships with Deloitte and has accepted a full-time position with the consulting firm after graduation. “I know I’ll use the lessons and skills I’ve gained from the program in my career,” she said.

Launched in 2021, RTC is designed as a pipeline to management consulting careers in big-name companies including Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, Boston Consulting Group, KPMG, and EY. The program has grown from a first-year cohort of 30 students to 50 in its fourth year. The job placement rate for the first two cohorts exceeds 90%, according to Pagda.

Estilo had already secured an internship through Deloitte’s Discovery Internship program for the summer after her freshman year when she learned about RTC. Eager to be part of its second cohort, she embraced the mentoring, networking, resume workshops, mock interviews, and case competitions it offered. “I felt confident it would push and inspire me,” she said.

Estilo said RTC’s mandatory management consulting class taught by Pagda “pushes students out of their comfort zones" and makes them think on their feet. “That’s essential for navigating the fast-paced and ambiguous consulting environment,” she said.

Pagda agreed. “With consulting, you learn by experience’” he said. “It’s very interpersonal.” This year, he began teaching the course online, as well as in person in New Brunswick, so Newark students wouldn’t have to commute. 

During her internship at Deloitte Consulting last summer, Estilo had the opportunity to make a presentation to a client in the technology, media and telecommunications industry about a software tool to help the client decide whether or not to adopt it. The experience underscored her growing skills and confidence.

Estilo emphasized the value of strong mentor relationships, noting her RTC mentor provided “great guidance about what a consulting internship could look like.” 

Outside RTC, Estilo is the director of academic excellence for the business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma. As a member of Rutgers Honors College at Rutgers–New Brunswick, she helped new members acclimate to campus and shared professional development tips during her sophomore year. Estilo also is active in Phi Mu sorority.

To maintain balance in her life, Estilo said she sets goals, schedules deadlines, and relies on the strengths of her RTC co-directors. “I do my best to be flexible and adaptable,” she said.

In her final year at RBS, Estilo is working to elevate RTC and make Rutgers a top choice for consulting firms. “My goal is to make a lasting impact,” she said. “What I’m most proud of is being able to give back to the Rutgers community.”

-Margaret McHugh