Consultants Uncovered: Job Description

Consultants Uncovered   

If you talk to someone and ask them a question but leave the conversation more confused than when you entered it, you are talking to a consultant. No one really knows what consultants do, and most of the time, consultants themselves struggle to answer this question. I hope to shed light on this unknown so others can understand helpful we are to the functioning of successful businesses.

No one path leads to a career in consultancy. Honestly, the more diverse one’s background, the more valuable they are toward projects. There is a heavy emphasis on providing the most well-researched knowledge to your client to guide clearly-thought-out recommendations. This assures feasible implementation strategies while preventing similar issues from arising. Some like to say consultants are like doctors of the business world, and here are some things to justify this title:

• Diagnose a problem and holistically learn about it 
• Pull together pieces of knowledge from primary and secondary sources
• Work with client to put in place solutions to prevent future predicaments

Case Example

Let’s see how this plays out in a sample “dummy” case. 

Let’s say a government division came to a consulting agency with an issue of not being able to supply money to small businesses. This problem has persisted in the company for decades and stunts growth for many relying on the services of these businesses. Consultants are called to help create a new and efficient process flow, departments, and strategies for example. This aids in finding the bottleneck in the system and not only eradicate it but they are also tasked with optimizing efficiency by a certain percentage. 

The issue now resides in the fact that there are so many facets to the problem with such a little time frame. Consultants have to interview all organization members, stakeholders, employees, banks, governments, and any other entity tied to the process. After this primary research, we move into solution based research which could consist of looking at companies in similar situations and devising a plan based on foundations they changed. After all this research, we draw a process map; one with many branches but with such granular detail to exhaust all possible situations. This is then trialed and tested to see specific outcomes and levels of efficiency with varying scenarios. We then present to partners and CEO’s who also have to approve everything every step of the way.

After the tedious process of creating a new strategy, we now have to sit with the client and tell them how to implement it and walk them through everything. This can include training staff, enhancing websites, organizing information, restructuring the line of command, re-writing forms, going about marketing differently, setting up new offices, and so much more. 

What It Takes

This means, to be a consultant you need to possess some of the following traits: 

• Open-mindedness
• Creativity 
• Flexibility

And here are a few technical skills that would aid you but are not necessary to have before entering this practice: 

• Data modeling and data analytics 
• Excel and PowerPoint
• Professional writing

You also can’t forget these phrases which will magically slip into your vocabulary by the nature of how much you use them:

• Let’s circle back 
• What’s the north star 
• I am on the beach

Becoming Strong

The level of detail, back and forth, approval, and confidentiality throughout each process are intense and mentally fatiguing. People are paying to have their problems solved, so it is up to you to deplete every possible way of doing it to propose to them the best one. You can work for hours on something one day and have it tossed out the next, but you need the mental resilience to keep going. The satisfaction at the end, knowing you are helping other people succeed, is very fulfilling. Especially if one is working in the social or startup sector or relishes seeing first-hand the impact of their work.

Diversity Within 

There are many types of consulting companies out there, and there are many types of consultants. Here are a few examples of the kinds of consultants: 

• Tech Consultants 
• Management Consultant  
• Financial Consultant

And here are a few notorious companies in this field: 

• McKinsey (management and tech focus)
• Deloitte (accounting focus)
• Public Consulting Group (health and education focus)

Exit Opportunities

Usually, consultancy is very mentally demanding, and most people only stay for a short time. It is one of those things you do out of college for 3-5 years and then progress to something more sustainable for a work-life balance, or you work upwards to a partner or senior position. Most exit options for consultants are into CEO or prominent senior positions because companies recognize the problem-solving and analytical skills gained throughout these years. Not only this, but consultants work cross-functionally across many sectors.

During my time with a consulting company, I was lucky enough to only work in one field to gain mastery and depth. Still, I had other peers who worked two-week sprints. First, it would be banking, then healthcare, then insurance, and then startups. With each of these projects, they needed to have a certain level of mastery of the field to understand how to address the provision of solutions and any intricacies that may arise. This level of cross-functional knowledge and in-depth thinking elasticity is valuable because, in, lets say 5 years, one can gain a lifetime of knowledge. This brings me back to exit opportunities, which include: 

• CEO of fortune 500 companies
• Private equity and venture capitalists 
• Public policy/government roles

Final Thoughts

So, despite consultants having a poor reputation in the workforce, most fail to understand the nuance and complexity of the work. On the surface level, it may seem simplified (again, this can be in attempts to maintain secrecy). Still, statistically, there is a rise in the need for consultants and their ability to draw on expertise and knowledge for innovative and productive change. This is especially crucial with the rise of new technologies, small businesses, saturated markets, and rapid changes in government and political rules and regulations.

Ratings: 

Grammarly

Hemingway