High School
High school courses that will give you a general preparation for this field include business, mathematics, and computer science. Management analysts and consultants must be able to clearly and effectively share their findings through written or oral presentations, so be sure to take English and speech classes.
Postsecondary Training
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement to become a consultant, although some employers—especially major firms such as McKinsey & Company and Bain & Company—prefer to hire consultants with an MBA or at least a bachelor’s degree and several years of appropriate work experience. Attending an Ivy League school or a college with a top-rated MBA program will increase your chances of landing a consulting job.
Many people believe that you must earn a business degree to prepare for a career in the consulting industry, but this isn’t true. Firms are increasingly seeking applicants with a variety of educational backgrounds and life experiences. While many consultants do have business degrees, a growing number have degrees in economics, finance, computer science, information technology, accounting, statistics, engineering, education, communications, medicine, human resources management, marketing, supply chain management, and architecture and environmental design. Degrees and concentrations in consulting are offered at a few colleges, including the University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Notre Dame, and the College of William & Mary.
Regardless of their background, management consultants must continue their education throughout their career to keep up with industry developments and best practices in their field. They routinely attend conferences and take part in educational programs.
Certification
Georgetown University, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Wisconsin at Madison, and other colleges and universities offer consulting certificate programs. Contact these and other schools to learn more. Programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats.
The Association for Talent Development offers a Consulting Skills Certificate program online and in several U.S. cities. Visit https://www.td.org/education-courses/consulting-skills-certificate for more information.
Other Education or Training
Many professional associations provide continuing-education opportunities to management consultants. The Institute of Management Consultants USA (IMC USA) offers a Mastering Management Consulting fundamentals course for those just starting a new consulting practice or re-focusing an existing one. Educational opportunities are also available in face-to-face seminars and online webinars, at its International Consult-Con conference, and through other media. Contact IMC USA for more information.
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