How To Become A Consultant

Consultants are experts in their fields who give advice based on information they receive from clients and their work experience. There are many different types of consultants, ranging from political to management to tax consultants, providing various services to their clients. Some consultants are more in demand than others, so their growth rate may be higher. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), management consultants, also known as management analysts, are expected to grow at a rate of 22 percent between 2010 and 2020, which is faster than the average for all other professions. Tax consultants, on the other hand, are expected to grow between 10 percent and 19 percent during the same time.

Consultant Job Description

As mentioned earlier, consultants provide expert advice to companies to help them make improvements in their operations. If you are interested in knowing what an average work day of a management consultants looks like then look at the following tasks that a management consultant performs on regular basis:

• Identify a problem that needs a solution
• Gather and organize information about the problem
• Make recommendations to the company's management in the form of written reports or presentations
• Recommend new organizational, procedural, or systemic changes
• Confer with the company's management to ensure that the changes are working
• Develop solutions or alternative practices
• Conduct on-site observations to determine the equipment, methods, and personnel required for efficient working of the company
• Conduct interviews

How To Become a Management Consultant?

As mentioned earlier, there are different types of consultants with specific academic and training backgrounds. Therefore, there is no universal way of becoming a consultant. A management consultant for example, needs to hold a bachelor's degree in management. Some employers may, however, require a master's degree in business administration, a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

The Institute of Management Consultants USA, Inc., offers the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation. Consultants who earn this certification may have a better chance of getting employed than those who do not. The designation requires re-certification every three years. People wanting to enter into the profession should have the following qualities and personal attributes because they may have a better chance to become successful management consultants:

• Analytical skills
• Time-management skills
• Self-confidence
• Problem-solving skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills

Online Education And Degree Programs

With the advent of online education, various associate's, bachelor's, master's, and even doctorate degrees are being offered online in different academic fields including management. The online courses and degree programs are ideal for:

• Students who are looking for cost-effective courses, as some online courses and degree programs may be cheaper than on-campus courses and degree programs.
• Students with full-time jobs who do not have the time to attend classes on campus.
• Students who are thinking of a career change, but do not have the time to attend classes on campus due to family and other commitments.
• Older students who prefer studying independently from the comfort of their home.

Consultants enjoy a special status in society for being experts in their fields. They provide invaluable services, which in turn keeps the wheels of business and commerce turning.