Management consultants are usually hired by organizations to improve their profitability and efficiency. Consultants are expected to identify the problems (and solve them) and sometimes they help in streamlining certain procedures to help their employers save some money from their day-to-day operation. Alternatively, their role maybe broadly defined and might include reorganizing a multinational corporation or giving expert advice in creating new jobs and eliminating some.
Management consultants are expected to be accomplished analysts in order to excel in this field. Also, they must be tactful communicators and great listeners. They must be able to think on their feet and they must have that convincing power to get people to change if it is needed.
Depending on the projects that they are handling, consultants may visit their employers’ site on a daily basis so they can get a feel on how the business is being run and so they’ll become more familiar with the existing processes. They maybe also asked to talk to management staff and their subordinates to get a clear picture of the problem or areas of opportunities.
There are no specific academic requirements for people who are aspiring to become management consultants. However, nearly all employers are leaning towards hiring those people who have at least a college degree in mathematics, business, computer science, economics, and logic. They also prefer those people who have already proven track record in this field and who have attended numerous relevant trainings. Obviously, these organizations will not settle for anything less as they would want to get great value for their money.