Consultants can be found in virtually every type of work setting imaginable, but unless you've either worked for one or had one work for you, you probably couldn't say exactly what they do. Yet as companies and government agencies strive to keep up with a rapidly changing world, while simultaneously keeping staffing costs down, they find that consultants can help them meet both needs.

Consultants are especially useful to management. The U.S. Department of Labor, in the 1998 Occupational Outlook Handbook, defines the work of management consultants as follows:

"Management analysts and consultants analyze and suggest solutions to management problems. For example, a rapidly growing small company may need help in designing a better system of control over inventories and expenses and decides to engage a consultant who is an expert in just-in-time inventory management. The work of management analysts and consultants varies with each client or employer and from project to project. Some projects require a team of consultants, each specializing in one area; at other times, consultants work independently with the organization’s managers. In general, analysts and consultants first collects, reviews, and analyze information. They then make recommendations to management and may assist in the implementation of their proposal." (P.66)

· Administrative Services · Finance and Accounting · General Management
· Government Management · Human Resources · Purchasing
· International Operations · Manufacturing Administration · Marketing
· Materials Management · Packaging · Logistics
· Information Technology/Systems · Organizational Development · Research & Development

Unique knowledge or experience: A company which has developed a new consumer product and has no experience selling such a product may retain a marketing consultant to help design a marketing program and approach.

Trusted independent judgment: Top executives may have differences of opinion on an important decision. Someone whom they all respect and trust may be retained to study the issue and render an independent recommendation on which way to go.

Need for a catalyst, to get action: Perhaps an organization’s leaders recognize their own failings in procrastinating or really don’t have time to do things they know are important.

Research: An organization may be weighing the pros and cons of venturing into a new market. But it does not have the staff to perform extensive research into all the factors involved: potential customers, manufacturing and distribution methods and costs, current and potential competitors’ products.

To help reorganize, downsize, cut costs: Making drastic changes to organization relationships and severing employees involves strong emotions that can stand in the way of clear thinking.

Management analysts and consultants often work with little or no supervision, so they should be self-motivated and disciplined. Analytical skills, the ability to get along with a wide range of people and strong oral and written communication skills, good judgment, the ability to manage time well, and creativity in developing solutions to problems are desirable qualities for prospective consultants. They should also have a passion for ideas, passion for client service, passion for people, ability to generate trust, determination and persistent entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and problem solving ability.

From an educational and experience standpoint, a master's degree and approximately five years' specialized experience are required for jobs in the private sector. However, some firms, Andersen Consulting being a prime example, will hire college graduates from a range of academic backgrounds and train them quite quickly to become consultants.

Firms providing consulting services range in size from single practitioners to large international organizations employing thousands of consultants. Among the most prominent are:

· Accenture · Booz Allen & Hamilton · Ernst & Young
· Deloitte Consulting · Price Waterhouse Coopers · American Management Systems

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that employment for consultants will grow faster than average through the year 2006 as industry and government increasingly rely on outside expertise to improve the performance of their organizations. In 1996 management analysts and consultants held about 244,000 jobs, 45% of these workers being self-employed. Most of the rest worked in financial and management consulting firms and for Federal, State and local government.

The Institute of Management Consultants
(Offers the Certified Management Consultant designation to those who pass an examination and meet minimum levels of education and experience, this is not required but may give competitive advantage).
521 5^th Avenue, 35^th Floor, New York, NY 10175

The National Bureau of Professional Management Consultants
(Certification programs and promotes MBA programs in management consulting)
3577 4^th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103

Consulting Scene
www.scenemaker.com/anon/s7cover.dhtml

"So you want to be a Management Consultant?" Question & Answers
www.studentcenter.com/inside/bea/bea9610.htm

"The Institute of Management Consultants Times" An on-line magazine
www.imcusa.org/imcnews.html

Consultant News, Kennedy Information
www.kennedyinfo.com/mc/

USA Today Career Center (search jobs in Consulting & Professional Services)
http://www.findjob.usatoday.com/search.html

Smart Business Supersite (A "how to" business information site)
www.smartbiz.com/sbs

Stern School of Business at New York University

Practice Case and Interview Workshop for Consulting
www.stern.nyu.edu/~cfombrun/caseint.html

Publications:
Cohen, William A. How to Make it Big as a Consultant
Bermon, Hubert. How to Become a Successful Consultant in Your Field
Edwards, Paul and Sarah, and Douglas, Laura Clampitt, Getting Business to Come to You

Career Services Office http://careers.cua.edu
The Catholic University of America 
202 Pryzbyla Center
careers@cua.edu
(202) 319-5623

Last Updated: May 22, 2003