Becoming a business consultant

Business consultant is supposed to be the architect of success, devising innovative strategies for streamlining business processes, efficiently managing the workforce, and getting rid of bottlenecks in business operations. Most importantly, the mindset has to be of a problem solver and someone who spots the gaps and the opportunities with ease.

With the rise in layoffs during the pandemic, many people who lost their jobs donned the hats of consultants and started offering their services. For some, this meant a serious attempt driven by their purpose or calling, while for others, it was a stop gap opportunity till something better came along their way.

Many consultants might have thought this was an easy route but did not imagine that thousands of others would have the same idea.

Business consulting career

Individuals who want to make a career in business consulting can pick one of the two paths. They can either work for a renowned consultancy firm and learn how to conduct research, and analysis or they can work as an in-house business consultant for a particular organisation.

Several businesses (especially those operating on a large scale) find it beneficial to build an in-house business consultancy team to stay up to date with the industry trends and seek the team’s advice on subjects like fresh projects and expansion.

Qualifications required

If you want to bag a seat in a reputed management firm as a business consultant, you need to have a bachelor’s degree followed by an MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree from a recognised private or government institute.

While pursuing your degree, it is highly recommended that you seek out internships in reputed consultancy firms. It will give you an idea of what your work environment would be like in the future, not to mention the invaluable experience you gain working alongside the experts.

Since most consultancy firms prefer to hire candidates who have some prior experience, you will find it much easier to land a job at your dream firm.

Skills needed

Besides having the right educational qualifications, you would also need to possess a certain skill set to increase your chances of getting hired.

First, you need to have a thorough understanding of the business ecosystem and you should be up to date with market trends.

You also need to have strong interpersonal and communication skills.

There will be a lot of times when you will have to explain novel ideas to your clients. Unless you have a strong command of your communication skills, you won’t be able to do so. Proficiency in two or more languages is a bonus.

You also need to have an analytical mindset and should be comfortable working with tight deadlines. Time management and organisational abilities inevitably come into play a lot when you’re a business consultant, juggling several tasks at the same time.

Business mindset

A go-getter attitude is something that companies specifically look for when hiring business consultants. To succeed as a business consultant, you should become habitual in working with minimal supervision.

Nowadays, several technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Blockchain are being utilised extensively to conduct research and find patterns, to build more resilient business strategies. If you invest some time to learn about these technologies, it will pay off in the near future.

Being a business consultant means that you are responsible for the growth trajectory of the organisation. It is an important role that you should prepare yourself for.

My belief is that the best consultants operate with a D+C+I mindset.

The D stands for depth, they have the necessary experience in the industry they represent.

The C stands for certification, that they have the desired certifications to preach what they do and lastly the I stands for intention, that they come out with the intention to truly help the organisation they consult and put the organisation and the people over and above themselves.

All in all, this is a great career choice and one that will see great growth and will also reward all those that check off the right boxes.

(The author is the founder of a business training institute)