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On Consulting
This document provides an overview of the consulting profession for early-career professionals and college students, including educational paths, necessary skills, and behavioral and case interview techniques. It discusses the pros and cons of a consulting career, outlining traits suited for the field and typical career paths within consulting, such as generalist and specialist roles. The author, Kisha Solomon, draws on her experience to offer insights into the lifestyle of consultants and the essential skills needed for success.
On Consulting
- 1. on consulting notes forthose considering the profession
- 2. preparing for acareer • education – what should you study? – business disciplines are common, but other degrees (e.g., english, psychology, math, engineering) are also relevant • experience – internships (consulting) – on-the-job experience (non-consulting)
- 3. landing a job •behavioral interviews – tell me about a time when you… • case interviews – given a fictional situation, describe how you would solve…
- 4. consulting might befor you, if… • If you like being an autonomous member of a team • If you’re ok with faking it ‘til you make it (i.e., the ‘instant expert’) • If you like being a ‘hired gun’ vs. ‘an insider’ • If you like regularly changing jobs, teams, projects, clients, etc. • If you like the idea of being a business owner, but the security of a corporate job
- 5. consulting might NOTbe for you, if… • If you want a job that has set, predictable hours and set, predictable work • If you like having a desk to put up pictures or personal items on • If you are uncomfortable making off-the-cuff or on-the-spot decisions • If you only want to do one type of work • If you hate travelling for work
- 6. typical career paths •the generalist (aka, Plain Ol’ Consulting) – process design / improvement • the specialist – industry specialty (e.g., Manufacturing, Healthcare) – tool specialty (e.g., Business Intelligence, SAP) – domain specialty (e.g., IT architecture, change management, Financial Reporting) • from delivery, to management, to sales – some exceptions on this career path for specialists
- 7. typical career paths,cont. • up or out – and the concept of ‘counseling out’ • after consulting – corporate or entrepreneurship
- 8. stranger than fiction •one extreme: – Marty Kaan – ‘House of Lies’ • other extreme: – The Bobs – ‘Office Space’ • true-to-life – Ryan Bingham – ‘Up in the Air’
- 9. essential disciplines ofa good consultant (soft skills) • knowing how to say no without saying no • being comfortable with ambiguity • being able to find answers anywhere • able to use analysis/numbers to support your opinions or recommendations • diplomacy / consensus-building • conflict management • facilitation (meetings, brainstorming sessions) • interviewing skills (open-ended questions)
- 10. essential disciplines ofa good consultant (hard skills) • Powerpoint • Excel • Visio / Mind maps • Public Speaking • Persuasive, concise writing
- 11. benefits / challengesof a consulting career • Benefits – best resume builder ever! – travel • Challenges – it’s a lifestyle, not a job – travel
- 12. about the author •Kisha Solomon is an Atlanta-based writer, project manager and independent consultant. She began her career as a management consultant with Deloitte and continues to work as a trusted advisor to senior executives and leadership teams in accounting, IT, operations, and marketing. • For more info: http://www.kishasolomon.info
- 13. about this presentation •This presentation is intended for early-career professionals or college students who are considering careers in a consulting firm. • It is intended to provide a high-level overview of what one can expect from pursuing a management consulting career.