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- Help organisations become better at what they do be reviewing their practices and suggesting improvements
- You'll work on projects for different companies and will need excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
- Hours can be very long but prospects are good in terms of pay and promotions
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Meeting clients to discuss what they need
- Carrying out research to gain an understanding of the client's business
- Interviewing managers, staff and customers
- Collecting and analysing data
- Preparing reports
- Identifying and investigating issues and planning how to tackle them
- Highlighting areas for improvement
- Creating computer models to test possible business solutions
- Presenting recommendations to the client
- Agreeing a course of action with the client
- Providing ongoing support to the client
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You'll work in an office.
You'll need
To be a management consultant, you'll need excellent verbal communication skills, business management knowledge, analytical thinking skills, flexibility and openness to change, good initiative, customer service skills, the ability to use your judgement and make decisions, and to work well with others.
You can apply directly for jobs or set up your own business if you've got relevant work experience in business management or finance, human resources, project management, or IT.
It may be useful to have a degree or postgraduate qualification in a subject such as business studies, maths, finance, science, or project management.
You could do a junior management consultant higher apprenticeship and work your way up as your experience grows.
You could also join a graduate training scheme with a management consultancy firm. As competition for places is strong, you'll usually need at least a 2:1 degree, evidence of analytical, planning and communication skills, and relevant work experience from placements, internships or temporary jobs.
Foreign language skills can be highly valued, as many firms work with international clients.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could become a partner in a management consultancy, work freelance or set up your own consultancy firm.
You could become a member of the Institute of Consulting and apply for certified management consultant status.