How to become a consultant

Management consultancy is one of the career options that survives in a financial decline.

How can this be? Because more than ever, organisations need consultants and advisors to assist them boost takings and trim costs.

Management consulting is also one of the superior rewarded vocations in the western world. Recent research has found entry-level consultants earn an average of £32,000 annually while senior partners earn an average of £150,000 (including bonuses and profit sharing). Self-employed consultants may earn anything from £50 to £250 per hour.

So, if you’ve been thinking about breaking into this profession, tarry no more. The financial rewards are a real motivator. Other benefits of the job include: intellectual challenge, prestige, development opportunities, and high levels of job satisfaction.

Lets consider the two choices of consultancy to consider: working for others and going it alone. If you don’t have much experience or are a new graduate, the employed route is probably the wisest option. If you have already gained sufficient professional experience in a specialised field, being self-employed is a highly feasible option.

Whichever path you choose, here are some guidelines to break into and succeed in this field:-

Improve your skillsbase.
Business consultants need to be experienced at problem-solving, communication, and management skills such as planning and delegating. Other skills and attributes that can help you land a job are basic computer skills, leadership, and an ability to cope well under stressfull conditions.

Get educated.
Despite what you might think, you don’t need to have a business degree, an MBA or even ANY degree to break into this field. However, you ought to keep abreast of current management issues through CPD or reviewing business publications. It can certainly be worthwhile formalising this by obtaining a consultancy accreditation such as the Certificate in Consulting Essentials, or the Diploma in Management Consulting.

Understand the job
develop an understanding of job titles, specialisations (from information technology to organisational development), and the typical consulting cycle (proposal, brainstorming, data gathering, analysis, and presentation). Much of this can be learned from specialist workshops or consultancy qualifications.

Get experience.
Opportunities to get consulting experience include volunteering to consult for a non-profit organisation or volunteering for special projects with your existing employer.

Decide what kind of organisation you want to work for.
If your career goal is to work for a consulting firm, decide where you want to focus your job search. Types of employing organisations include multi-national firms such as Accenture and McKinsey, small "boutique" firms, local authorities, non-profit organisations, and government departments. Each one has different advantages and disadvantages.

Understand the consulting job hunting process.
Typically the interview stage for a consulting job includes personality tests and CV questions, communication questions and business case questions. You may even be asked to give a presentation.

If you have an bent for entrepreneurship, first steps to starting a management consulting business include conducting market research, deciding whether to become a limited company, and setting up your place of business. You will also need to price your services and attract clients through networking, advertising, or publicity.

Although it is not an absolute requirement, you should consider a professional designation as a Certified Management Consultant to take your career to the next level. In the UK The Institute of Business Consulting together with the internationally regarded Chartered Management Institute is responsible for this.

Management consultancy is a very profitable profession do your homework properly to ensure success and there is no better way to do that than to obtain an internationally respected qualification.