Northeastern University Co-op Zach Sherin Shares Insight into Consulting

As our Spring 2021 Northeastern University co-op program comes to an end, Zach Sherin reflects upon his time with Stax Boston. Zach shares his co-op responsibilities, memorable projects, and his favorite experience – meeting fellow colleagues IRL at a Red Sox game. We thank Zach for his time, energy, and valuable contributions to our team.

What is your major/background/hobbies/interests at Northeastern?

I am a rising fifth-year student at Northeastern with a business major (finance and entrepreneurship concentrations) and a law and public policy minor. On-campus, I am a member of club basketball and the Kappa Sigma fraternity, and in my free time, I enjoy getting outside the city for hiking, skiing, or any other outdoor activity.

At Stax, what were your co-op responsibilities, and what have you learned over the last six months?

One great thing about Stax is that my responsibilities increased with each project. In the beginning, I was primarily focused on scheduling and conducting calls with industry experts to support the team’s knowledge and deliverables, but as time went on, I was able to become more vocal in meetings and discuss our takeaways in certain areas, as well as take on sections of the PowerPoint decks. Outside of teaching me how to think and act like a consultant, and providing me with new knowledge on several industries, this helped me learn how to juggle multiple pressing tasks, as well as how to work effectively as part of a fast-paced team in a fully remote environment.

What has been your most memorable experience at Stax? your favorite industry, product, or service to evaluate?

My favorite experience was the Red Sox game. It was the only chance I had to meet many of my coworkers, thanks to Covid, and it was an opportunity to interact with the people that lived on my screen in a non-Teams environment. My most interesting project was on the verification space – it was interesting to see how so many different players all fit together in such a niche industry. This project was also the first one where I ramped up my responsibilities, and I was able to see and participate firsthand in how the final deliverable came together.

How has this experience compared with other co-op opportunities you have had?

Compared to my other co-ops, Stax is much more interactive. In my previous two experiences, I did not have nearly this much face time or communication with the rest of my team. In addition, my coworkers have been good about filling my schedule but not overwhelming me, which is a difficult balance to strike, especially in a remote setting. It is also my only co-op where my responsibilities have continuously increased, which means I am always learning, and it does not get stagnant.

What advice would you give to an incoming co-op/intern?

Absorb all the information you can. It will help at first as you are figuring out your role and the Stax process, and later when you become more involved and autonomous in your role. Also, do not forget your charger at the office.

How has the Stax co-op experience helped guide your post-graduation careers goal/path?


My time at Stax affirmed my plans to pursue consulting post-graduation and showed me exactly what a career in consulting means and entails. By no means do I have my entire career path figured out, but now I feel confident and excited for my next step after Northeastern.