I am doing my MBA and I would like to make my career in consulting , what all knowledge do they look for,?

Question

what all knowledge do they look for, I am trying learn softwares which might be helpfull, I am already brushing up on my Excel skills, ms project skills , any other ideas?? i am also looking for Visio, and prosim?? I just havr 1 yr of work experience , so i am looking for the post of associate consultant

Answer 1

In consulting, they look for business knowledge. I assume you will gain this by graduating with an MBA. However, one year experience will be somewhat difficult to find a good job after you graduate. Normally, full-time MBA students have 2-4 years of full-time work experience.

The software that you need to learn varies on what industry of consulting you are interested in and job function. I can assure you that all applications in MS Office (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Access) are all important skills-wise. Take classes in those that you need to improve on. Visio is good for work flow charts.

Also, consultants may also need to do some programming. Programming macros in Access or Excel may be needed. Take a class in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Statistical analysis or data mining may some of the job duties...Be sure to take a class in SPSS or SAS (for statistical programming/analysis) and another in SQL (data mining/queries).

Good luck.

Answer 2

It's tough to be a consultant in any field without having experience in that field. The kind of knowledge needed depends on what field you would like to consult in. I am assuming that since you're getting an MBA, that you would consult in business administration/management...with an advanced degree you should probably get a position (mid level management) in a company that is in the field that you would like to pursue...and get some actual experience behind you to support your consulting career.

Answer 3

Most of the management consulting companies have profiles that they are looking for matches for. They look for over achievers with almost model-like appearances. They like to offer minimal starting salaries and then work you to the bone (70 hour weeks with lots of travel.)

They look for people with above average social skills. My understanding is that they will train you on the specific technical skills if you fit all of the other criteria.

Answer 4

It depends on what you're going to be consulting on... labor law, taxes, what? There are endless possibilities. Become an expert in one field and then be a consultant in that field.