Favorite Parts Of Being An Independent Impact And Evaluation Consultant
Rakhee, an Impact & Evaluation Consultant, thrives on the flexibility of consulting, enjoying "working on what I want, when I want, with who I want," while simultaneously finding deep fulfillment in the social impact sector. The variety of projects, from environmental work with National Geographic to educational initiatives, combined with the shared values of the nonprofit world, allows Rakhee to contribute meaningfully to causes close to their heart, accelerating the impact of organizations.
Flexibility, Meaningful work, Variety of projects, Social impact, Consulting
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Rakhee Patel
Impact & Evaluation Consultant
Independent Consultant
Wellesley College (studied abroad for 1 semester at University College London)
UCLA | M.S. and Ph.D. in Statistics (2011)
Mathematics, Data Science, Statistics
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Consulting
Honors Student, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Flexibility: Rakhee highlights the work-from-home opportunities and flexible schedule that consulting offers, allowing for better work-life balance and personal time.
2. Variety of Projects: She emphasizes the diverse range of projects she handles, from environmental work with National Geographic to education and sports-related initiatives, showcasing the dynamic nature of the field.
3. Meaningful Work: Rakhee finds deep satisfaction in working with nonprofits and contributing to projects aligned with her values, making a tangible social impact.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your career role?
As a consultant, I accidentally became one because I wasn't sure if that was what I wanted to do. But now that I'm doing it, I love it because I have so much flexibility.
I have more time for my two boys and less time for my husband, which is mostly zero time commuting because I work from home. Most of my work is virtual, and I do most of my meetings on Zoom. It's awesome to mostly just get to work from home.
I work on what I want, when I want, with who I want. I know I'm super fortunate, but I think my experiences and friendships along the way have allowed me to have all of this. I wear what I want – I'm wearing a sweatshirt and a T-shirt. I am never not wearing sweatpants.
I go to Target when I want and have lunch with my friends when I want. It's really great, so I love that flexibility part as a consultant.
In terms of the actual work, I really love that I get to work on a lot of different kinds of projects. Even in my old role in market research, I loved having different clients with different focus areas, whether it was entertainment, consumer products, or toys. In my new work, even though it's all social impact and nonprofit, and a lot of the work is aligned, sometimes I work with clients like National Geographic on the environment. Sometimes it's in education, sometimes I'm working with a foundation in the sports world. It's really cool to get different types of projects, and every project has different aspects.
It's also just awesome working in a sector where everyone kind of shares my values. It means I get to work on things that are really meaningful to me and align with my hopes for the world and what I hope young people can have for the future. It's about really just helping people. A lot of nonprofits have great visions, but I enjoy helping them actually get to that vision. It's really rewarding and satisfying to help organizations accelerate the impact they want to have.