How can you decide if consulting is the right career for you?

In my experience, one of the most invaluable benefits of consulting lies in fostering learning agility. Not only does it empower you to tackle diverse challenges within consulting projects, but it also equips you with a skill set adaptable to various career paths and changes: learning agility becomes your guiding force. A second benefit is getting exposed to the "eat what you kill" behavoiur, as usually in consulting the conventional boundaries between sales and delivery blur. You start selling consulting projects after mastering the art of delivery. Not only do you learn to sell but also to sell conscientiously: deliver on promises made, avoid overselling, and ensure the consulting piece is not just sold but expertly delivered.

I have been gifted the opportunity to be a consultant for over 2 years and a half and for sure what I have been appreciating the most is that you dispense advice without having the burden of making something happen for real. That’s also a cons, if you live your life for innovation and disruption like me, it’s kind of frustrating not seeing things happening at the pace you expect them to.

To determine if consulting is the right career for you, consider your skills, interests, lifestyle, career goals, and the culture of consulting firms. Consulting requires strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills. It involves working on diverse projects with different clients and industries, which may require long hours and travel. Consulting can provide opportunities for growth and advancement, but it's important to research the industry and company culture to ensure they align with your values and work style. Self-reflection and networking can help you gain a better understanding of the field.

My small contribution: I have worked in consulting for many years and offer the following advice, not in order of importance: a significant amount of travel, skills in analyzing complex problems and developing effective solutions, flexibility in working with diverse clients and in varied industries, communication is essential, ability in data analysis, ability to manage multiple projects, specialization aligned with your interests and skills. Consultants often work independently or in small teams, requiring an entrepreneurial mindset and a predisposition to business development. Building a strong professional network, and skills in establishing and maintaining meaningful connections, risk tolerance

Consulting comes with its share of difficulties: workload fluctuations, client expectation management, and unpredictable project durations. Extensive travel and the constant need for learning add to the challenges. Balancing multiple projects, handling team dynamics, and ethical decision-making are hurdles consultants face. The pressure for tangible results, market competition, and dependency on client cooperation contribute to the complexity. Despite these challenges, successful consultants overcome them with strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills, finding value in the dynamic nature of their work.

When you have worked in your industry for more than 15 years and for different enterprises, you have gained a lot of good knowledge, skills and business experience which will help you to shape your career in consulting. You have a good understanding of C-levels pain points and challenges plus having a big picture on future industry trends which will set you apart from regular employees. You know how to create the best value for your clients impacting C-levels KPIs and deliver outstanding results on-time. You have learned to be fast and utilize your strategic thinking, analytical and delivery skills to make the best impact for your clients in a quick time frame. You are also a quick learner to learn more about new technologies.

Consulting can be challenging for sure. The best way to navigate through a consulting career successfully is to recognize the challenges that come with this rewarding career. Be mindful of long working hours, risks and impact on health and well-being. Focus on work-life-balance, being prepared for uncertain times and finding time for unwinding and self-care are paramount to avoid burn-out.

The fact that consultants need to work long hours eat while they are on the computer trying to make the 120th slide of a PowerPoint no one will ever read…. It’s just a false mith. Let’s concentrate on something more critical: do you really have something to advice? Do you really have groundbreaking ideas in the business or in the field you want to operate? If so… just few words (the right ones) placed in the right moment with the right audience can make things happen. Don’t waste your time concentrate on providing value.

Big 4 have a standard approach. They have 4 very specialised consultants with hundreds of stageurs as side dish, the ones without knowledge who get paid to make data crunching (at the best). The question to understand if you’re ready to be a consultant are: - if you’re young and wish a career in one of the most renowned consultancy firm, are you willing to be a data cruncher for years? - if you’re mature and think about quitting a job where you’re very specialised at, enough to provide advice and consultancy, are you willing to explain an infinite amount of time same things to people who challenge you with lack of attention and lack of interest?

Evaluating readiness for a consultancy career involves assessing analytical, communication, and project management skills. Adaptability, effective networking, and client relationship management are key. Teamwork and an entrepreneurial mindset are crucial, alongside travel tolerance and continuous learning commitment. Reflect on risk management, ethical considerations, and time management. Ensure your motivation aligns with the challenges of consultancy. This self-assessment guides informed decision-making and helps prepare for the dynamic demands of the consulting field.

Assessing your fit for a consulting career involves analyzing analytical skills, industry knowledge, and effective communication. Adaptability to diverse environments, project management proficiency, and strong networking skills are crucial. Client relationship management, collaborative teamwork, and an entrepreneurial mindset are key. Readiness for travel, commitment to continuous learning, and ethical decision-making are vital. Effective time management and alignment of motivation with consulting challenges are also essential considerations. A thorough evaluation of these factors guides informed decision-making and prepares you for the multifaceted demands of a consulting career