Jobs, Careers and Occupations

Consulting Jobs, Occupations and Careers

Consulting

Consulting companies provide advice and assistance to other companies in such areas as strategy, business practices, technical and human resources issues.

Consulting occupations include management consultants, policy advisors and personnel working for management consulting firms. Does not include consulting and contract positions in information technology, which are listed under Computers.

As business becomes more complex, companies are continually faced with new challenges. Firms increasingly rely on management analysts to help them remain competitive amidst these changes. Management analysts, often referred called management consultants in private industry, analyze and propose ways to improve an organization’s structure, efficiency or profits. Companies hire consultants to develop strategies for entering and remaining competitive in the new electronic marketplace.

Firms providing management analysis range in size from a single practitioner to large international organizations employing thousands of consultants. Some analysts and consultants specialize in a specific industry, such as healthcare or telecommunications, while others specialize by type of business function, such as human resources, marketing, logistics or information systems. In government, management analysts tend to specialize by type of agency.

The work of management consultants varies with each client or employer, and from project to project. Some projects require a team of consultants, each specializing in one area. In other projects, consultants work independently with the organization’s managers. In all cases, consultants collect, review, and analyze information in order to make recommendations to managers.

Both public and private organizations use consultants for a variety of reasons. Some lack the internal resources needed to handle a project, while others need a consultant’s expertise to determine what resources will be required and what problems may be encountered if they pursue a particular opportunity.

To retain a consultant, a company first solicits proposals from a number of consulting firms specializing in the area in which it needs assistance. These proposals include the estimated cost and scope of the project, staffing requirements, references from a number of previous clients, and a completion deadline. The company then selects the proposal that best suits its needs.

Consulting Related Industries

• Computers
• Human Resources