Management Analysts and Consultants

The reference departments of most libraries include business areas that will have valuable research tools such as encyclopedias of business consultants and "who's who" of business consultants. These books should list management analysis and consulting firms across the country, describing their annual sales and area of specialization, like industrial, high tech, small business, and retail. After doing some research, you can contact these firms and ask for more information.

For more general business exploration, see if your school has a business or young leaders club. If there is nothing of the sort, you may want to explore Junior Achievement, a nationwide association that connects young business-minded students with professionals in the field for mentoring and career advice. Visit https://jausa.ja.org for more information. Also consider joining Business Professionals of America, a membership organization for middle school, high school, and college students who plan to or who are currently pursuing careers in business management, office administration, information technology, and other related fields. Visit https://bpa.org for more information. Other student business organizations include DECA (https://www.deca.org) and Future Business Leaders of America (https://www.fbla.org). Some organizations—such as DECA—offer business and finance competitions.

A business teacher can arrange for you to have an information interview with a management consultant. During the interview, ask the consultant questions that will help you learn more about the profession, the responsibilities of the job, and the continuing education required for a long-term career. Perhaps you could even job-shadow a management consultant to learn even more about the field.