For those who have been consultants...
- Thread starter FortFunFoSho
- Start date
Yeah, i think that is a given. Eh, NOOOO, never say NO to a latina.
Apart from that, it's the ability to learn and adapt quickly.
a generalist is more valuably all around than a specialist, and that is what a consultant is, someone who can point you in the direction of the best specialist.
Worked at a strat firm (McK, BCG, Bain). Skills by importance (1=highest). Worked on international assignments mostly in biotech and pharma industry.
1. Analytical Skills
2. Communication skills
3. Dual degree (MD and MBA, both top 3 schools)
4. Fluent in five languages
1. Analytical Skills
2. Communication skills
3. Dual degree (MD and MBA, both top 3 schools)
4. Fluent in five languages
Our place just spent $6 million for a guy to do charts and say stuff like: '..... you need to finish this task before that task can be done.....'
Our management is amazed how good this guy is. :roll:
This is exactly what we tell them every day. The difference is that we don't get paid $6 million.
Our management is amazed how good this guy is. :roll:
This is exactly what we tell them every day. The difference is that we don't get paid $6 million.
Check your PMI work as a consultant now, providing support mostly to ice cream manufacturers, but also other food companies. Key thing in what I do is first of all, it's a fairly specialised area and I've got 17 years experience working for a major multinational I/C manufacturer - largest one in the world actually. Second to that, but almost as important, is to have a very wide network of contacts across the industry, along with a good personal reputation - keep track of everyone you meet, you never know when they come in useful.
In the end, what is boils down to is having skills or knowledge that they need, or at least that you are able to convince them that they need! The old joke about a consultant is that they take your watch, then tell you the time. Not quite true, but there must be some reason they pay me £800/day to do this.
Something else I found out quite quickly, while you may charge by the day, you want to work by the month i.e. get long contracts for a major piece of work rather than a day here and there, unless things are a bit tight and you need to get some cash in. Occasionally though, the one or two day thing is good if it gets you into a new company and helps to establish your reputation.
In the end, what is boils down to is having skills or knowledge that they need, or at least that you are able to convince them that they need! The old joke about a consultant is that they take your watch, then tell you the time. Not quite true, but there must be some reason they pay me £800/day to do this.
Something else I found out quite quickly, while you may charge by the day, you want to work by the month i.e. get long contracts for a major piece of work rather than a day here and there, unless things are a bit tight and you need to get some cash in. Occasionally though, the one or two day thing is good if it gets you into a new company and helps to establish your reputation.
Depends. If you are directly employed by a big consulting firm like accenture, it's markedly different.
If you are employed by some "consulting" farm that just places you at a place like accenture, you need to be extremely technically proficient in your area and able to communicate effectively in a team environment. What does that mean? Well first off it means being able to take constructive criticism, being able to admit you don't know everything, etc.
If you are directly employed, my guess (from what I've seen) is that you need to be a grade A butt kisser, always use honey over venom, always place the client's wishes above what's good for them (sad but true), and must be willing to work insane hours. Also, you have to be willing to do a lot of crap jobs relating to the company itself that have little to do with your clients.
If you are employed by some "consulting" farm that just places you at a place like accenture, you need to be extremely technically proficient in your area and able to communicate effectively in a team environment. What does that mean? Well first off it means being able to take constructive criticism, being able to admit you don't know everything, etc.
If you are directly employed, my guess (from what I've seen) is that you need to be a grade A butt kisser, always use honey over venom, always place the client's wishes above what's good for them (sad but true), and must be willing to work insane hours. Also, you have to be willing to do a lot of crap jobs relating to the company itself that have little to do with your clients.
ok, you need to be more specific. i think this is a kid in school who just heard about "consulting" and that they make big bucks. i could be wrong though.
you said accenture and IBM, so i'm guesing you're looking into IT consulting. if that's the case, then what others have said about having a very technical background is pretty accurate. lots of engineers, lots of CS majors, etc. however, if you're looking into management or strategy consulting, then all you really need is to be smart. it really doesn't matter whether you're a biomedical engineer or a french major. if you're an extremely bright individual. you also need to be from a top school, because most of big five only recruit at ivy schools and other similarly ranked universities. of coursev your personality needs to fit well into a particular organization, but that goes w/o saying whether you work at microsoft or mcdonald's. one of my friends worked at accenture during one summer internship and now works at bain. he was an econ/german major. however, he was very smart, disciplined, and articulate.
check out some books for some insider info. try "the fast track." it's fairly comprehensive.
=|
you said accenture and IBM, so i'm guesing you're looking into IT consulting. if that's the case, then what others have said about having a very technical background is pretty accurate. lots of engineers, lots of CS majors, etc. however, if you're looking into management or strategy consulting, then all you really need is to be smart. it really doesn't matter whether you're a biomedical engineer or a french major. if you're an extremely bright individual. you also need to be from a top school, because most of big five only recruit at ivy schools and other similarly ranked universities. of coursev your personality needs to fit well into a particular organization, but that goes w/o saying whether you work at microsoft or mcdonald's. one of my friends worked at accenture during one summer internship and now works at bain. he was an econ/german major. however, he was very smart, disciplined, and articulate.
check out some books for some insider info. try "the fast track." it's fairly comprehensive.
=|
i currently work as a consultant for accenture. are you coming in as new or experienced? in general, people who succeed here can adapt, learn quick, are sociable, and work well in teams. a technical background helps as well.
work here is much different than that of strat firms (McK, BCG, Bain), which are more like big think tanks, and much more academic. at accenture, it's more hands-on work, like managing and delivering IT implementations...pm me if you have more questions on what it's like here
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