What I took from a summer in consulting

Wrapping up my time as a Summer Associate at just experts, a strategy and digital transformation consultancy in Düsseldorf, I want to share what stuck with me beyond the project work.

What AI can, and should, do

Contributing to the firm’s own AI platform and its internal coding tool showed me how much value AI can create today, from automating internal processes like offer creation to exploring fraud detection concepts for insurers. The more important lesson was what responsible AI use in a company requires: data security, avoiding shadow AI, cost control, governance and compliance matter as much as the technology itself. Writing a fair amount of code myself was a good reminder that understanding AI means understanding what happens underneath it.

How the digital stack fits together

Between data intelligence, organisational intelligence, IT consulting and AI consulting projects, I got a much clearer picture of how digital infrastructure connects: from well-structured databases to backend, frontend and interfaces, all the way to cloud infrastructure, SaaS models and data centres. Seeing why solid data structures, clear IT governance and clean internal communication (Microsoft 365, PMO setups) matter so much to companies was one of the most valuable parts of the internship.

What consulting really means

Sitting in on client workshops, stakeholder interviews with CEOs and CFOs and countless team brainstorms taught me what it takes to advise a client well: pinning down the real pain point, telling a software problem from an organisational one, and building every recommendation on actual data rather than assumptions. I also saw how much a firm’s growth can depend on trust and network rather than marketing. just experts built most of its client base exactly that way.

Beyond the work, there was a young, motivated team and a leadership that coached rather than instructed, plus some excellent Asian food and a few good startup events along the way (Future Tech Fest, several pitch nights). Thank you to the whole team for the trust, the honest feedback and the support.