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What Is Management Consulting? | Role Of A Management Consultant | A Day In Life Of A Consultant

According to the expert, she defines management consultation as the professionals who helps the organizations and business to eliminate the problems to give new innovations and to lay the steps for them so that they can move forward successfully. She describes management consulting life as really interesting since one has to travel the whole day to meet clients from different countries but involves exhausting work for next straight 7-8 hours. Overall, the life of management consultants is really happening if one can fit in the routine.

Others Jessica Gourdet Management Consulting Senior Analyst

In this video, the expert’s gives an overview on management consulting what is it, what is their life and on what job roles does a consultant plays in an organization. Before we move on to talk about what is management consulting and a management consultant’s life! Let, see the life of our expert and how she started her career as a management consultant.

 

What’s a day in the life of a consultant?

The expert, is 28 years old, she went to Spelman College in Atlanta where she student psychology as her major and minored in Spanish in year 2013. Just after her graduation, she moved to China to teach English in north eastern China for about a year. Later, she started working on social media marketing services by hoping to an internship program through which she ended up in Duke University business school where she studied a 10 months program for master studies. Well, she didn’t have any professional experience but she took the core MBA classes and a few electives through which she got recruited by Accenture as a management consultant. As, she had a bit of experience on social media and marketing which made her the right fit to be a management consultant and it’s been almost three years for her to be a management consultant with Accenture.

 

What is consulting definition?

According to the expert, the consulting definition can be stated as a helper who solves problems for an organization that can lead to a final solution. When a business is facing problems, or they need a innovation, or they are looking to start a project, a management consultant comes in to play their role on laying out all the steps, the potential risks and to whom the authorities should be delegated to perform a work.

 

How is a day of management consulting life?

As, management consultant’s life, the expert’s day to day routine differs on if she I working on traveling project or on an office project. Well, she basically works on travel projects so, so her typical day starts by if it is Monday, the experts wakes up by 4:30, she gets ready and dressed fast to catch an uber or rental car so that she can catch the fight by 7:30 to Washington DC.

Normally, she arrives to the Washington airport by 9:30 where her client’s site resides. Immediately, once she researches the place the expert hopes in a rental car or uber to reach to the client’s office. Normally, she starts the day at the office by meetings by 10 or 11 in the big conference room of client’s site, the discussion takes place on what has to be done throughout the day or throughout the week. After this, the team members have the lunch together once the meeting is over. Well, usually the expert works in the time frame of 1 to 5, that all depends on the deadline and work, which sometimes make her working schedule stretch up to 7 to 8.

After this, once the work is completed the expert has the dinner with the whole team. Later, to feel a bit relaxed the expert head to the gym. At the end of the day, the expert prepares for the next morning by relaxing a bit by watching movies or any of her favorite chores and she sleeps by 11 so that she can start her next day with energy. So, this is the typical day of a management consulting life.

 

How is travelling as a consultant?

As a consultant travelling has double aspects, on one way it’s quite fun for a person who likes to drive, to stay in new places and explore new people. As, a young gun the experts finds it really interesting to travel for work from one place to another there is no responsibility on head.

Though on the down side, travelling can really make one tired due to jet lag as one really on two flights every week. So a person who has just started travelling it can be quite tough in the first month, as one does not get enough sleep and also one is working for 8-9 hours. It can be quite challenging to travel, but if one likes to travel and is fun spirit, travelling can be really fun which can be balanced out any day.

 

What is the role of management consultant?

A role of a management consultant depends on the industry one is working on, as expert has worked on commercial case where she was leading the corporate finance department. Her job was to make sure the data gets on translated from the targeted company correctly to the acquirer. The role as a manager consultant in commercial case was to strategies the problems in ways that can come up with a solution.

 

The other roles a management consultant has to follow are as follows:

  • A management consultant has to be highly knowledgeable
  • A management consultant must know their position in their respective jobs.
  • One must be open to critics
  • A management consultants has to be flexible on their roles
  • Management consultants must be open to adapt feedback from a client and must be adaptable to make the changes if needed.

 

 

What is Management Consulting?

The speaker in the video is a Management Consultant in Accenture, and according to him management consulting is a practice to help the organization. Sometimes it is simple – no expertise required. At the same time management consulting have very much mere strategy as you are making the changes to make your decision better, more profitable for the organization. In this process, you have to be careful with the organization's existing expertise and strategy. According to the speaker Management Consulting is the broad sector combines all the Major area of Consulting like Risk in Insurance, Tax consulting, Accountancy consulting and also Strategy Consulting, etc. in Management Consulting technology is a huge part to do to make organizational effectiveness. It is not like you are making building some strategy and doping it – it is more than that as you have a large team to work. There is development testing acceptance production etc. and that's how you are merging with people and culture of the organization. In this manner, Management Consulting is different diverse with a remarkable strategy with very heavy in technology at the same time you are a practitioner with your senior.

 

Role Of A Consultant

The speaker in the video briefly explains the role of a consultant. A management consultant has diverse characters as they work with varieties of the team like an analyst, technical person, and business strategy team. So the speaker finds the role more impact, energetic and they give the customer/ client the solutions which also beneficiary to the organization. And also the work-life balance of a Management Consultant is well-balanced. The speaker finds his work as a management consultant very unique and fun. He enjoys his job as he is doing the technical part, sharing business thought, making the decision, and coming with the result with no issues to satisfy both customer and the organization itself.

 

Typical Day Of A Consultant

The speaker in the video explains in his way a typical day of a Management Consultant. He catches the eyes 1st coming to the office when he opens his laptop goes through with his schedules like whether he has any client meeting or internal decision making, any meeting, presentation during that day. Most of his day spent with a variety of project. He is making his analyst come with the expected result what he needs for organizational aspect. The work mentioned above is what he used to do in 1st 2 hours of his day, and then he comes with his test list. He has 30- 35 minutes of call or Skype video regarding projects and some sensing session. He also allocates time for Business Development which helps an organization to bring more money. Also, he assists in some business research and products. He finds it very encouraging, energetic work. The speaker usually shut down his laptop at 5:36 pm. If he comes across any terrible issues what have to fix, then he has to go for a second thought.

 

 

 

Management consulting what is it; a management consultant is more like a guide to the company. The consultant identifies the issues faced currently by the company and offers them a practical solution. 

Usually, the solutions could be simple like research in the market or for complicated issues like the restructuring of the company. It lies for work that is required for the betterment of the business to make profits. 

They also take crucial decisions like whether the company must merge with another company or restructure. Hence, individuals wanting to become a management consultant should not only have a managerial qualification but knowledge in marketing, finance as well as information technology. 

 

How to become a consultant?

It is not surprising to note that graduate and post-graduate students are keen on applying for consulting jobs. Recruiters find themselves scurrying through piles of applications for a management consultant.
Why this craze for everybody wanting to take a shot in the management consulting career. Even universities have clubs where they provide students with the ability to initiate educational activities to enable prospective students to be able to get their dream job. 

Management consulting brings a sense of fulfilment for the prospective candidate. Companies do not hire a management consultant for a trivial reason. They have to hire them because they need them to help them save their company. 

A management consulting life has a barrage of challenges in front of them and has to come up with robust solutions to tackle the problem. Apart from that, the package received by the management consultant is something of envy.

Though consultants have to work very hard, in some cases, they have to put in 70 hours a week; they are eligible for receiving signing incentives, performance bonus, relocation allowance, and also other benefits. 

The chances of being stagnated in a management consultant position stand low. The tasks and roles played by the individual are incredibly dynamic. As a management consultant, you are assigned projects in several industries. 

 

What is the management consultant interview format?

Interview questions for a management consultant position are usually not similar to other regular interviews. You can expect to be drilled and tested. The management consulting interview questions typically consists of questions that target your analytical capabilities, ability to analyze the problem and give out practical solutions, and excellent communication skills. 

The interviewers are usually managers and individuals with decades of experience in the field. Hence, you will have to come up with excellent answers and wise quotes to impress them. 

  • Analytical capabilities : Your analytical capabilities will be tested in cases. Hence, you might want to refer to a casebook to help you out, with this. You can also practice by having mock interviews with your friends or colleagues to get an idea and feel of it. 
  • Ability to analyze a problem and come up with practical solutions : The approach to solving a complicated case is what will be seen and tested then your ability to solve the problem. Since your strategy might be different from others, you need to make sure that your efficient approach the challenge to create a positive impression on the interview panel. 
  • Good communication skills: Your interpersonal skills will be tested here, and you must appear confident and positive in your tone and presentation. The best way to attack this issue from the right angle would be to practice relevant questions when you are all by yourself. You could be in the shower or when you are alone in your room or going to retire to bed. A little bit of storytelling is excellent and works for your benefit. It is also imperative that you have a reliable and updated management-consulting resume. 

Unlike other job resumes, which usually contain the general matter, the resume of a management consultant needs to be able to grab the attention of the interview panel. So, go through it several times and add relevant content only. 

You can also benefit immensely by reading the consulting behavioral interview questions. They have come up with substantial interview questions, which are often asked. You cannot go wrong once you have spent time with their questionnaire. 

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