Overview of the consulting sector
Consultants come into play in order to identify, analyse and provide solutions for client issues. Typical clients of consulting firms include small and large corporations, investment firms (e.g. private equity firms and hedge funds) and governments. You may be wondering why businesses hire consultants, here are a few reasons...
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- To gain an outside perspective on issues in the business - usually, people working in the business can't spot solutions or best ways to solve an issue as well as someone with a fresh pair of eyes.
- The business needs specialist skills to solve a specific problem.
- Need an extra pair of hands to focus on a problem. Some businesses hire consultants on a temporary basis, especially if they have an issue that needs to be solved timely. If you want a more in-depth look at what consultants do, have a read of this article.
Learn why a graduate career in consulting is for you.
Typical types of consulting
There are a number of different types of consulting open for bright graduates to carve out a successful career. Each offering different challenges and a unique set of skills to excel. Here's a quick overview of the types of consulting you could get into...
Management consulting
Management consultants work with businesses to improve their performance by providing expert advice to solve problems and encourage growth. The management consultant will often be filling in for a skills gap a business has. It can be much cheaper to source external help than hiring new individuals or even a team to manage a project or task. Learn what it's really like to be a management consulting.
What is Management Consulting?
Research consulting
Research consultants conduct specialised and targeted research on behalf of a client and produce a final analysis of key findings. They are normally experts in a particular field, sometimes scientific, who can provide reports in areas the company's full-time staff cannot.
Strategy consulting
Strategy consulting is a type of management consulting. Strategy consultants advise organisations on high-level decisions in an unbiased fashion, using deep industry knowledge to deliver the best results.
Transport consulting
Transport consulting is concerned with the movement of people as the population increases and more concern is resting on air pollution and global warming. You could be working with clients who are looking to rethink how they deliver transport services and shift to low-carbon modes of transportation such as trains, buses and bicycles.
An insight into Transport Consulting
Leading employers in consulting
Learn more about the leading graduate employers in consulting and what they offer you.
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Skills you need for this sector
- Teamworking
- Commercial awareness - signup to Bright Network's weekly update to stay in the loop.
- Attention to detail
- Organisation
- Problem-solving
- Verbal communication skills
Learn about 11 key skills consulting firms look for.
Where can you go to learn more?
If you want to learn the ins and outs of this exciting sector, Bright Network's career path guide on consulting is a great place to start. We have everything from consulting lingo you need to know, what you can expect from the consulting recruitment process and consulting salary expectations.
If you want to kick-start your journey into consulting but don't know what to include on your CV, use our handy CV template just for consulting.
Ready to kickstart your career in consulting? Browse available graduate opportunities and take the first step towards a rewarding career in this sector.