Junior Management Consultant
Occupation overview
Management consultants provide business advice to public, private and not-for-profit organisations. This usually involves helping them solve a challenge of some kind, such as how to grow their business, how to make it more efficient or how to organise and structure itself in a different way. Some specialist consultancies have a particular focus – for example, how to write proposals for new work, or how to change an organisation or how to develop their workforce. Others are more generalist and you could work across several different types of project. Working on client site away from your office is a possibility, while hours are varied and often depend on the project.
Tasks can be varied. You might be involved in conducting research, analysing and interpreting data or be responsible for organising the logistics of the project. As you develop and progress, you might be involved in contributing to report writing which uses statistical evidence to support recommendations and conclusions, or support the creation of slide decks to deliver key messages to clients. You might also become more focused on a particular type of service offering (financial, strategic, operational, etc.) or industry (financial services, public sector, telecommunications etc.).
Skills
Speak and write clearly, influence others, actively listen, question effectively and structure conversations. Support or run meetings and clearly present a point of view to audiences. Communicate appropriately through a variety of channels and platforms
Work effectively within a group environment made up of different personality types. Be aware of one’s own and other people’s emotions and use this understanding to guide decisions
Use a range of tools and methodologies to help analyse an organisation (such as SWOT analysis). Undertake qualitative and quantitative research
Build rapport and trust, maintain relationships once they are built and be able to repair them when they are damaged
Manage time effectively and prioritise workloads. Take time to reflect on project successes and learn from failure. Maintain good health and energy through a work / life balance
Plan, organise and manage resources in order to achieve set goals. Help create objectives at the start of a project, support the development and implementation of project plans and help monitor progress. Proactively identify risks and issues and help create action plans to address these.
Be able to assist in the creation of reports, word processed documents, spreadsheets, slide decks for presentation and software for project management. These are the most prominent, though there are others depending on the consultancy
Help produce reports that clearly present recommendations for change using a range of qualitative information and numerical data
Knowledge
Know the different industry sectors, the types of organisations within these sectors, and how a management consultancy can support their needs
Know how a consultancy typically works, how it manages relationships with its clients, and understand the ethical considerations it operates under
Know key financial ratios and performance indicators (such as balance sheets and cash flow forecasts) that are necessary to effectively assess an organisation’s financial health
Know how a project moves through its lifecycle of planning, design, development, testing, deployment and evaluation. Know what risks and issues are and how to report and monitor them to project and client teams
Behaviours
Reflect the expected behaviours of the organisation, project and client teams. Be tactful and discreet with sensitive information and protect confidentiality
Frequently seek and act upon feedback, reflect on performance and have a desire for learning
Be flexible to the needs of the project (working times and locations). Be open minded and able to work with a range of different people
Work within legal and ethical frameworks to protect all stakeholders, including the client, from reputational damage
Entry Requirements
Individual employers will identify entry requirements in terms of previous qualifications, training or other criteria. Most candidates will have Level 2 Maths and English (equivalent to GCSE grade C or above), ideally as part of 5 GCSE A-C grades or other comparable qualifications. Apprentices without English or Maths at Level 2 must achieve this prior to the completion of the Apprenticeship.
Duration
It is anticipated that the Apprenticeship will typically last 24 months, depending on prior qualifications and relevant work experience and at the discretion of the employer.
Professional Qualifications / Recognition
There are no set qualifications that must be completed to become or progress as a management consultant. However, firms often support the continuous development of their consultants and may provide sponsorship.
Originally published on Gov.uk, this information has been re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence.
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