On Consulting
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This presentation is intended for early-career professionals or college students who are considering careers in a consulting firm. It provides a high-level overview of what one can expect from pursuing a management consulting career.
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On Consulting
- 1. on consulting notes for those considering the profession
- 2. preparing for a career • 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 be for 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 NOT be 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 of a 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 of a good consultant (hard skills) • Powerpoint • Excel • Visio / Mind maps • Public Speaking • Persuasive, concise writing
- 11. benefits / challenges of 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.