Employers think ex-consultants are the bees-knees. There are lots of reasons for this. Here are four of the best.
1. The Experience
In principle, consulting provides an incredible grounding in business. A consultant who does two or three years is likely to be exposed to all sorts of industries and commercial situations. A consultant might gain experience in solving problems with distribution, marketing, leadership, product development, or even analyzing the profit & loss account. Over a 2 year programme a consultant might work on as many as 20 projects, gaining an immense breadth of experience across a diverse range of areas. Compared with going straight into industry, this is a much more intense experience that accelerates consultants along the learning curve. Even better, consultancies only really expect their junior employees to hang around for those two years. Compared with other industries, very few people enter consulting at a young age and stay there for their whole career. It is totally acceptable to let people know that you just want this grounding before heading off.
2. The Recognition
Being a management consultant at a top firm has become a stamp of valued potential to be a great employee. The limited places and rigorous application process means that, if you are selected, you have done exceptionally well. Because other businesses value consultants so highly, it is generally understood by top firms that many people want to work there just for the CV points. For many people, a grad job in a top consultancy is viewed as a platform to launch a promising career somewhere else.
3. The Skills
Part of the “credential” of consulting comes from the skills you gain. Anyone who has worked as a consultant will have highly developed problem solving, presentation and numeracy skills. This just means that when you hire a consultant, there is a tacit guarantee that they bring an exceptional level of analytical proficiency.
In addition, because of their breadth of project work, consultants have a reputation for being creative. Compared with jobs in financial services, consultants place a much higher emphasis on innovation and out-of-the-box thinking. Their job is literally to go into situations that are so challenging, time sensitive, or high value that other people are unable to deliver a solution. As a result, ex-consultants bring with them a certain level of professionalism and creativity that allows them to challenge the status quo.
4. The Intensity
Finally, consultancy is intense. Anyone who hires an ex-consultant is likely to pay a premium because they come with a gold star. They have probably survived massive pressure from demanding clients working on a whole range of different things. Of course, bankers and lawyers face similar pressure, but they often carry out a lot of the same tasks, which means they are more likely to become pigeonholed in their roles due to a perceived inability to provide value in new industries or on unfamiliar projects working directly with senior management.
Will is the founder of The Cambridge Consultant, a site which focuses on everything consulting – how to get in and get on!
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