Hakim Jailani is a first-year student, currently studying Mathematics, Statistics and Business at the London School of Economics. Originally born in Malaysia, Hakim joined 31ten with a keen interest in financial modelling within the public sector, having previously led a team of five on a mathematical modelling challenge, analysing the link between homelessness and housing availability.
He joined the 31ten team between June and July in 2025 and supported a range of projects within the Financial & Data Modelling team (FDM). Before Hakim headed off to enjoy the rest of his summer break and diving into his second year at uni, we sat down to discuss his internship experience with 31ten.
How did you come across the opportunity to intern with 31ten?
The opportunity came through the LSE Careers Mitchell Family internship programme. This was something I first discovered in mid-autumn, when the university sent emails regarding this opportunity. It wasn’t until February that applications opened. Upon reading more about the 15 other organisations involved, a mix of SMEs, NGOs and Charities, I applied to 31ten and one other company.
What were your expectations going into the internship?
I didn’t have many expectations of what the company would be like in terms of culture and environment. This was my first experience working in a corporate setting, so my main goal was to develop my professional skills, like communication and collaboration. With this in mind, I set out my mindset to be like a ‘sponge’ – to absorb everything that came my way.
Was anything different to how you expected it to be?
31ten shattered my expectations when it came to a business environment. I knew collaboration was a key value for the company before going in, but seeing it in person made it much more real. My first example of this would be seeing peers asking each other for help. Furthermore, I didn’t expect there to be such little hierarchy, or rather how little hierarchy is emphasised within the company.
What have you learnt whilst interning with 31ten?
There were lots of things I learnt across my four weeks, but these were my top three. Firstly, time management. Working on projects here was very different to your typical Uni group work. Deadlines were crucial for the client, so that meant I had to elevate my prioritisation skills.
Secondly was communication. Upon feedback, I learnt how important consistent communication is to make sure the team were always up to speed with what I was working on. This is something which I hope to develop even further in the future.
Lastly, I think I understand now how to be more effective when asking questions or asking for help. It’s important to understand that your peers will have projects they are working on as well, so you must respect their time. But also, when you’re interning, you’re expected to have a lot of questions, so it’s good to find the balance between the two.
What did you enjoy most from your time with 31ten?
Amongst all the tennis and table tennis played, I would say my favourite experience was being able to present the Excel tip of the month for the whole company at the monthly team meeting. I had the chance to develop my presenting skills, but also my confidence talking to a large number of people. I wanted to make sure this was done as well as possible, so I spent my time reviewing the presentation to make sure it was clear and easy to follow. For me, nothing will beat those five minutes of spotlight I was given to present to everyone.
Is there anything from your experience here that you will take forward into your studies / future career ambitions?
My work was mostly focused on financial modelling, which is something I found interesting before I came to 31ten. Undergoing a quantitative degree like Mathematics meant I wanted to challenge myself with lots of problem-solving, something which data analytics really hones in on. Hence why it was amazing to be able to develop these skills from the FDM team. With their teaching, I became more polished as a modeller, and it is something which I can very much see myself in as a future career.
What advice would you give to anyone else about to embark on a consulting internship?
These are the things which I would tell myself again before I started if I could. Firstly, be open-minded and receptive. Four weeks is not a lot of time so it’s important hit the ground running. Being quick to learn means they can teach you more, but it also grants you the trust to be able to take on more responsibilities. Secondly, I would say consulting at 31ten will be much different to other consultancies out there. So, the most important thing at the start is to get familiar with the different teams within the company. Not only will this open up more interesting conversations for you, but it’s also crucial to understand that different teams will work together, so knowing what their team does will give you an edge. And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I would say enjoy the experience. Again, four weeks is not a long time, so make the most of it – accept any invitations you receive!
You can connect with Hakim to continue to follow his career journey here: Hakim Jailani