Consulting roles are usually required by businesses to provide an expert and external opinion. The idea is for consultants to be able to propose solutions to problems or issues within a business that they have observed with an unbiased and independent overview. Consultants are hired across nearly every industry in the world, and while they are usually external, you may find some are hired in house to tackle complex and ongoing issues within a business. While graduate jobs in consulting do not require any specific degrees, business, economics, finance and STEM subjects are viewed favourably during the selection process. The consulting sector has seen steady growth since the 1960s, with attractive perks like travel and high salaries, and it is expected to remain a safe sector to join in the future as well.
Consultants can literally specialise in just about any industry, in just about anything business-related…
…which is why there’s no one, ‘best’ degree subject for graduates to have studied.
The most important attributes for a skilled consultant to have include flexibility, problem-solving ability, attention to detail, and the trust-building, ‘listen-first’ interpersonal skills needed to get clients and colleagues immediately on side.
The best consultants aren’t intimidated about speaking truth to power, either, since they deal closely with C-level executives, often having to hold difficult conversations about project details and findings.
