Job type

Strategy consultant

£35k - £800k

Typical salary

45 – 65

Hours per week

Strategy consultants work with CEOs, COOs and CFOs of global corporations to help with their business strategy, either advising them on how to enter a new market or helping them increase their profitability.

More info

  • Use your problem solving skills to break down complex issues
  • Analyse consumer and industry trends to give your client an in-depth analysis of their business and sector
  • Work with and learn about a whole variety of businesses, varying from baking companies to the oil supermajors

As a strategy consultant you will be working with corporate executives to help them across a broad range of their strategy problems.

DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES

Advise corporate executives on how to enter a new product market or geographical region, increasing their market share or helping them to improve their profit margins. Your clients will vary from supranational enterprises such as McDonalds or Amazon to smaller domestic businesses.

Break down complex issues and use forensic and investigative skills to go deeper into your analysis, providing your client with an end solution.

DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT

There is a lot of travel involved in this role, visiting client sites. You tend to work on one business case at a time, with the average case duration being about six weeks. As you start off in your career, you will be a generalist, working across all sectors.

You'll need

This role requires team-work and leadership skills, time management skills, the ability to think analytically, good communication skills, the ability to use your judgement and make decisions, and business management knowledge.

You usually need a degree in a numerate subject to work in strategy consulting, but a specific subject is not always required. A lot of strategy consulting firms do tend to recruit a significant amount of postgraduate students as well.

CAREER PROSPECTS

As your progress, you will usually specialise in an industry sector (e.g. financial services, pharmaceuticals etc.). After a few years many strategy consultants move over to work directly in-house for corporates, or some go to private equity. If you decide to stay in your role as a strategy consultant and progress to partner, a lot of your work will focus on getting new clients and cases for your firm.