The Consulting Job Breath Mint Battle

By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 7, 2008

Some students are attracted to U of M’s various career fairs and networking events for access to top-tiered companies; others attend to practice speaking with representatives. And some just attend for the loot.

While I’d like to claim that I’ve been looking for a job, my piles of corporate treasure suggest otherwise. I’ve attended the engineering career fair and tonight’s Co-Next event put on by the Women’s Initiative and the Michigan Business Women. Though I tried to avoid taking home job knick-knacks entirely this year, I’ve somehow accumulated a handful of these promotional products. As this is a food blog, I’ve rated the companies solely based on the taste of their giveaways (though let’s hope I have a few more criteria when I’m looking for a job).

Consulting Associate/Business Analyst Breath Mint Battle

Deloitte Presented in a thin plastic container, Deloitte’s white mints impart a classic mint flavor. Although I enjoyed the taste, their mints did not stand the test of time, leaving me wondering whether I would ever have fresh breath.

Target Target hits it off with their award-winning marketing and design skills, showcasing their white mints in a sleek slide-top metal container. Their mints are packaged in plastic [twice] to preserve freshness and flavor; however, their preserved flavor most closely resembles that of the grainy white Colgate toothpaste.

Bain & Co. Appearing in their team colors, Bain’s red cinnamon mints are distributed in innovative clik-clack packaging. While some people don’t like artificial cinnamon flavor, I enjoyed the seasonality of their mints which I plan to enjoy with a mug of hot spiced cider.

Diamond Just kidding. You wouldn’t want to eat staples.

Conclusion Bain wins for flavor and seasonality; Diamond takes the prize for utility. In all seriousness, though, please refer to your career center when finding a job. Good luck.

Also, feel free to contact me by commenting for food questions or engineering career advice; I have stores of loot vouching for my career fair experience.