Launching a Career in Consulting: A Conversation with Karim Hussamy

As Part 2 – Launching a Career in Consulting – of our NetSuite Career Series, we sat down with Karim Hussamy to find out what led him to a career in consulting and specifically to join Myers-Holum.

What brought you to a career in consulting?

Karim – The first thing was getting exposure to different industries and working with executives from all types of businesses. I have worked with a broad range of businesses from tile manufacturing, alcohol distribution, hardware companies to technology companies. In consulting, you learn about everything.

While I was really interested in consulting because of the exposure to different industries and different companies, I have plenty of friends who feel stuck in their consulting roles. Myers-Holum is different. MHI offers the opportunity for quick growth and promotion. Since we help companies improve their business function using the best technology, you also get to keep up with the latest technology advancements.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from earlier roles that you want to bring to Myers-Holum?

Karim – One thing I took from my experience is how to work with clients. I love interacting with people, and I have found that you cannot over communicate. It really is true that first impressions are everything. Always be willing to help upfront. I have had good feedback and learned a lot from our team. The first project that I led end-to-end for a large office supply company told us it was the smoothest software implementation that they had ever had. That was due to good communication.

What have you found that works best for you at MHI?

Karim – Communication is the most important and staying organized. There are a lot of deliverables for every project. I take time to look at all the competing deliverables for all my projects, so I know what needs to be done to adhere to the timeline. Managing my time efficiently ensures I meet my deadlines and milestones.

Tell us about your life outside work.

Karim – I have always played soccer in college and throughout my whole life, and now I have picked up golf. I play at least once a week. I just started yoga, and it is great after sitting all day.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to your younger self?

Karim – The biggest advice that I would give is first try and figure out things on your own. Using all MHI resources and NetSuite resources – it is a huge knowledge base— I exhaust those first.

Second, do not hesitate to ask questions. For client-specific questions, it is always a good idea to get further clarification on requirements or solutions.

Third, do things before being asked. In consulting, you need to take your own initiative. If you know a deliverable is approaching, act early. That is the way to accelerate the project and grow.

Does mentoring play a role at MHI?

Karim – I have gotten a lot of great mentoring and leadership on calls and on projects as well as some important one-on-one meetings about work and even about life. Everyone is helpful and I try to repay the help I have gotten throughout my time at MHI. Whenever I see questions on Slack that I can answer I do, or we jump on a quick call.