Is a consulting career right for you?

If you're looking for professional challenges that offer both variety and flexibility, you might consider becoming a consultant. Consulting careers in the SME sector, business expansion and franchising offer a range of benefits.

How in demand are consultants?

The 21st century just may be a "golden age" for consulting careers. In a Robert Half Management Resources survey 55 percent of SME’s and franchise companies said they will require consultants for and during their expansion path.

Is consulting for you?

One of the big draws of consulting work — and an example of the flexibility it offers — is the variety of assignments you may see. Through consulting careers, professionals can gain exposure to many companies and industries. For many, that can be a refreshing change from working a familiar, if not predictable, full-time job. This exposure also allows you to build your network and client relationships, which can lead to repeat business — vital to most successful consulting careers.

One key decision to make if you plan to consult is whether you will work with a staffing firm that offers project consulting career services or attempt to strike out on your own and establish your own business. Flying solo can be rewarding, but it is also hard work, especially when you're just starting out and have few, if any, clients. It makes huge commercial sense to partner with an established consulting company which offers a strong brand rather than re-invent the wheel

Working with a well-established firm is another way to take advantage of consulting's flexibility. These firms give consulting candidates the ability to pick and choose their assignments. If the duration or timing of a project opportunity doesn't suit your schedule or your desire to consult on a part-time basis, you're under no obligation to accept the assignment. This may not be possible if you strike out on your own.

Other benefits of working with a consulting firm include:

Career path guidance — You can rely on experienced staffing experts to place you in roles best suited to your skills and experience as you transition to a consulting career. At afa we firmly focus on the SME, Hospitality, Retail, Travel, Medical Tourism industries

Fast placements — Just jumping into consulting is hard, but if you partner with afa, you're likely to have faster access to rewarding assignments with leading and up and coming brands.

Greater exposure — Larger specialized consultancies can present you with opportunities to expand your career horizons by working on projects at companies or in industries you hadn't previously considered.

Here’s a list of some of the major pros of being a consultant.

Of course, research is just one component of exploring a field, as you should also be sure to reach out and network with professionals who can offer insight based on personal experience.

Remember, the list doesn’t stop here.

There are hundreds of other perks to a career in the consulting industry: this is just a starting point!

Flexibility

Since a main part of a consultant’s job is to meet with clients, consultants can often have more flexibility with their work hours depending on appointment scheduling. There is also the opportunity to telecommute once you get more settled in your role. This not only leads to being a more productive employee, but it also allows for better work-life balance!

Working in a team environment

The best thing about starting your consulting career is that you definitely won’t be going at it alone. You’ll have the opportunity to work with team members who share interests, expertise, ideas, and work ethic behaviours similar (and different!) to yours. This creates the perfect opportunity for career-launching collaboration!

Using your problem solving skills daily

Consultants use their problem solving skills daily to get the job done and make clients happy. There are tons of perks to regularly using problem solving skills including: excitement, gratification, busy days and being creative!

Every day is different

Consulting is not your typical 9:00 am – 5:00 pm desk job. As a new grad, this is something that you should appreciate! The transition from school to work can be tough when you’re suddenly thrown into a regular work schedule. As a consultant, you’ll break this boring cycle by constantly tackling new problems and changing up your schedule.

Exceptional training and on-boarding

Often times when starting off as a consultant, the company you’re hired on with will give you awesome training or on-boarding to get things started off on the right foot. The goal of on-boarding/training is to set you up for success, so during this training you can expect to receive the resources, knowledge, and tools to do so.

Continuous learning

Consultants are the experts, which means they’re always learning and adapting to new trends in their industry. The great thing about staying on your toes is that clients appreciate it because you’ll be able to develop relevant and successful ideas. Though it might sound overwhelming to always be on top of news and trends, it will eventually become habit – and the results are worth it!

Big growth opportunities

With the right work ethic and dedication, consultants can experience professional growth early on in their careers. According to CNN, the average 10-year salary growth for consultants is 41.2%! And afa comes with an outstanding partnership program.

No specific degree needed

One of the greatest things for new grads considering a consulting career is that a specific degree is often times not required. Obviously there are the exceptions, but if you have a degree, experience, and show a potential employer that you’re genuinely invested in starting a consulting career, you might be the perfect candidate for a consulting role!

Exposure to a wide variety of clients

Consultants get to work with amazing clients of all sizes and from all types of industries! There’s no one specific type of client that hires a consultant which makes developing solutions and ideas exciting because every situation is different. Every client has different expectations, needs, audience, products and services, so consultants get to oversee projects of all kinds!

Fun networking events

A consulting career can be glamorous: fancy suits, big clients, and most of all exciting events! Networking efficiently is one way to be a successful consultant. It’s therefore crucial to enjoy getting out there and being sociable with potential, current, and previous clients. This can be through a coffee meeting, lunch briefing, dinner appointment, or a big networking event out on the town.

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