Career
Consulting is considered as one the most popular and prestigious industries to work in, a feat which is confirmed year after year by several surveys, in particular among graduates and young professionals. The industry thanks its appeal to an array of factors, ranging from the variety of projects worked on (across sectors and functional areas) to the steep learning curve, working in teams, professional development opportunities and the satisfaction that consultants derive from high-impact work. And last but not least: competitive salary packages.
Working in consulting is, however, not an option available to everyone, and in the case candidates do match the consultant profile, then it is, given the broad spectrum of services, a challenge to understand what field of consulting best suits one's background and aspirations. Consulting work, for instance, ranges from defining corporate strategies to advising on mergers & acquisitions, and from implementing change programmes to rolling-out IT transformations.
The 'Career' chapter guides readers through all relevant aspects of working in consulting. The chapter commences with the industry basics: a definition of the consulting industry and the consultant role, followed by information on what a consultant actually does and an overview of the different types of consultants active in the landscape.
The 'Working in consulting' section walks (young) professionals and consultants that are (potentially) interested in pursuing a career in consulting through the different orientation steps. The section kicks off with helping aspiring consultants understand if they possess the skills and competences to become a consultant. If this is the case, the next sections helps candidates with funnelling their preferences by segment, industry and consultancy firm type. The section further provides an overview of how professionals can meet / join advisory firms (events, apprenticeships, graduate schemes), what it is like to work as a consultant and, lastly, insight in the typical career path in consulting.
For those that are fully convinced of their desire to enter the consulting industry, the section 'Applying for a job' provides an overview of the application process, offers tips and tricks for drafting an application letter and stipulates interview preparation tips. Solving a case study is mostly an important part of the recruitment process at consulting firms, and the section Case interview helps with preparing how to crack consulting cases.
Working in consulting can be a lucrative job, especially for those that work at top tier firms. The section 'Salaries and benefits' provides insight in both primary and secondary benefits across consultancy segments and firms. The 'Interviews' section lays out all interviews conducted by Consultancy.uk with consultants – they typically share their experiences of working in the industry,zoom in on the culture at their firm or delve into trends and development in their field of expertise.
