When choosing Cognitive Science as a major, third year computation track student Arvin Yaple was worried about job prospects after graduation with the field being new, but that isn’t the case anymore. Arvin now says his experience is anything but, saying “more doors have been opened because of the versatility and customizability of the major”.
In the Winter ‘23 academic term, Arvin was recruited into PwC as an incoming consultant for Summer 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. PwC, also known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, is a large professional services firm that provides various services such as consulting, tax services and more. As a consultant, Arvin worked in their consulting firm, where they help businesses identify existing problems and identify solutions to help them run smoother.
When being interviewed for this position, Arvin was setting himself apart from the other candidates from the start. Being one of the only CogSci majors applying, he was able to spotlight the unique skill set acquired within the Institute to further explain how his experiences made him a more qualified candidate than other traditional majors. When asked about how being a CogSci major was beneficial when it came to differentiating himself from other candidates he said, “you get to market the major based on the role you are applying for since the major is so versatile and customizable” going on to say that he’s acquired knowledge and skills that other applicants from other backgrounds can’t provide.
While the connection from Cognitive Science to Consulting isn’t immediately apparent, Arvin makes the case that the CogSci major can prepare you for a job in the industry. Majoring in Cognitive Science is interdisciplinary, but at its core it gives students a holistic approach to problem solving; something Arving has said was attractive to employers. Some consultants do UX/UI work which has a significant CogSci focus, others do market and consumer research which the psychology and philosophy classes can really help with. However, “all consultants have to think analytically, holistically, and broadly, which the Cognitive Science major prepares you extremely well for”.
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