How to Get a Job as a Management Consultant

Joe Weinlick
Posted by in Management & Business


As the name implies, a management consultant advises a company or organization on the best ways to manage and operate based on the company's individual needs. These consultants advise on a number of business concepts such as strategy and operational techniques as well as skills like time management. While you must find your own path in this field, you still need to follow some basic steps to get into the field of management consulting.

As the first step in your career, you must understand what management consultants do. Many people hope to get into this field without an adequate understanding of the field or its competitiveness. A management consultant must dig deep into a company's inner workings to find its strengths and weaknesses in order to help emphasize the strengths and determine the best way to fix the weaknesses.

A management consultant must also have expertise within a particular field or industry. In some cases, credentials such as a master's degree within a field like international business, financial management or human resources exemplify your expertise. With educational credentials, you have standing with recruiters who work with the top Master of Business Administration programs to find the most well-prepared and well-trained consultants. However, if you have work experience as executive or other senior personnel within a specific field, your experience counts as your credentials and helps you get a position if you decide you want to go into private practice or work with a consulting firm.

If you do not have access to recruiters who work with business schools or do not have a known reputation in your field, you have other avenues in job seeking, such as directly applying to a business seeking a management consultant. Many smaller boutique firms do not have the same ties to the larger schools and may open their doors to unconnected, but talented candidates. You usually may apply directly to these firms through their websites.

If necessary, work with a headhunter or a job placement firm to let you know when management consultant opportunities open up. Many companies and organizations work with people they already know, so you must find a connection within the field. In fact, networking plays a crucial role in helping you find a position in management consulting. While MBA job fairs give you a lead on contacts, going directly to the source establishes a relationship between you and the firm where you hope to work.

While the right educational credentials and experience matter when looking for a job as a management consultant, who you know has just as much bearing on whether or not you find the right position. This highly competitive field requires you to have the right skills as well as the right connections in order to get your foot in the door.



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