When it comes to consulting, success is not only about having excellent academic credentials. To be successful in the consulting world, you need to be flexible, have relevant work experience, possess strong presentation skills, and be able to build relationships with colleagues and clients. In this article, we will discuss the three most important skills required to be successful in consulting. Academic excellence is essential for top consulting positions. Your academic record reveals both your capacity to learn and your capacity to work hard, two key attributes of a consultant.
Therefore, a strong record of school results (including A levels or equivalent and any school awards), as well as good performance to date in college (including detailed module results, & of expected grades) will show that you are a candidate worth considering. Consulting firms are looking for candidates who have already put their skills to the test in a relevant work experience placement. The ideal would be a vacation plan or an internship that demonstrates your interest in the consulting world, as well as giving you some ideas about what you are looking for in a consulting firm. Other professional work experience with well-known brands is also great, especially if you can talk about the transferable skills learned, such as data analysis, presentation skills, teamwork, etc. Presentation is another key skill for any consulting applicant. If you manage to become a consultant, you can expect to be charged clients several hundred pounds per hour, so it's imperative to demonstrate your attention to detail and your high standards from an early stage.
The company must be able to trust you to develop documents for FTSE 100 companies and attend meetings with their executive directors, so you must demonstrate that you are up to the task. This includes everything from a clear, well-articulated application form without typographical errors, a well-structured CV with a consistent format, a readable font and good grammar, and a well-dressed, polished, clean and confident interview assistant. Once you've moved on to the interview stage, a consulting firm is looking for someone who is absolutely ready for consulting, rather than any other corporate role. Your curriculum will have given them confidence in your studies; now is your chance to show them your ability to solve difficult problems, develop strong relationships and be part of high-performance teams. Make sure you have some success stories handy about your academic, extracurricular and work experience.
You should be able to talk about situations in which you've faced a challenge and how you've diagnosed and then resolved the problem in a methodical and measured way. Finally, consultants typically work 60 hours a week and sadly spend more time with their colleagues than with their friends and family. Therefore, consulting firms are looking for candidates who can get along well with the rest of the team, who have the ability to build relationships at all levels of an organization, and who are fundamentally good at meeting new people. Having some interests is a great way to start conversations; this is your chance to show that you are a fun and interesting person and not just a set of academic records and work experience records. In conclusion, the three most essential skills required for success in consulting are academic excellence, relevant work experience and strong presentation skills. Additionally, consultants must be able to build relationships with colleagues and clients and have interests outside of their work.
With these abilities in hand, you will be well on your way to becoming a successful consultant.
