Hear about Julia’s experience working at CRA

Hello! My name is Julia Gorman and I’m thrilled to share with you a bit about myself and my time at Charles River Associates.
I’m from Colorado. I miss the sun and mountains, but am learning to love the ocean and seafood. I graduated from Boston College in May 2015, where I majored in Political Science and Economics. My Macroeconomics professor—also my College Fed Challenge coach and thesis advisor—recommended CRA to me junior year. I interned at CRA the summer after junior year and throughout my senior year. Since August 2015, I’ve been full-time in the Antitrust & Competition Economics Practice in Boston.
The reasons I accepted CRA’s offer are many and wide-ranging—here are a few: CRA has a small-firm feel with big-firm talent. Right out of college, I have access to people who are experts in their fields. I’m able to think about economic theory day-to-day without a higher degree. CRA rewards creative problem solving—and there’s always another problem to solve! My coworkers at all levels are smart, driven, friendly, and helpful. Can you think of a better mix of qualities?
I count many of my coworkers among my good friends. Four of us have formed what we casually call the “coffee gang,” which roams the halls in search of coffee every morning. Well, I shouldn’t say “roams” because we know exactly what we want, we travel the same route every time, and the coffee is always in the same place. This is a ritual I look forward to, and the event that marks the start of a typical day.
Working in economic consulting for antitrust litigation ensures that the rest of my day will consist of several different, often disparate tasks which demand an array of skills. At any given moment I may be wrestling with data in SAS, reading a complaint, figuring out how to best present the results of an analysis, combing through depositions, or writing a memo. Perhaps I’m thinking about how the piece of a project I’m working on fits into that project’s larger narrative. This idea of a “larger narrative” points to the essence of what we do—we tell a story with the data and information we receive.
When I’m not focused on project work, I’m likely doing one of four things (make that five—there’s always ping pong!): working on CRA’s Pro Bono Initiative, reading to a child in Roxbury through our Volunteer Committee, meeting with our 2015 Analyst Class Council to plan an event, or writing to you.
I look forward to writing again, and soon. Next up? The skills I’ve acquired at CRA. Some you could probably guess, but some are like seat warmers in a car—you didn’t know you needed them until you had them, and now you wonder how you lived without.
Until next time!
Julia