A degree in business administration, marketing, economics, engineering, or a similar area is often the minimum requirement for becoming a business consultant. Major business consulting firms often require a master's degree. Most consultants have a bachelor's degree. If you're not sure which degree is best, consider a business degree.
This field of study is broad enough to cover many topics. Most employers require consultants to have at least a bachelor's degree specializing in accounting, business, finance, marketing, management, or a similar area. In addition, the often delicate or “political” nature of a consulting task requires a certain maturity. While employers don't always require a master's degree, many prefer a consultant who holds a master's degree in business administration (MBA) or a similar field, such as accounting, finance, or management.
Becoming a consultant requires that you be someone who enjoys the volatility and challenges it imposes. Typical admissions requirements are listed below; however, students should always check with the admissions office of the school they wish to attend for a detailed list of what they will need to provide. Some companies and, in particular, some government agencies may require that the consultants they hire have a graduate degree. The management consultant job description below provides an example of the skills, education, and experience needed to be hired as a management consultant in a consulting firm or for strategic functions within an institution or corporation.
While certification is not mandatory, it can demonstrate to employers that a consultant meets the certification agency's standards for education, training, and experience. The work of a management consultant varies from project to project; some projects require an entire consulting team, and each person has specialized knowledge in one area.
Management consultants
are not required to have certain credentials to carry out their work; however, the field is competitive, which means that every advantage counts. The basic certification requires a minimum of three years of management consulting experience, five satisfactory client evaluations, and a bachelor's degree or five years of additional work experience.As such, the market is currently employer-driven for many positions and consultancies tend to have very specific requirements for positions. Experienced consultant certification requires ten or more years of experience along with the rest of the basic certification requirements, and management certification is for high-level managers who have 20 or more years of experience, three of which require direct consulting with clients. As an entry-level management consultant, you'll typically be required to possess a certain skill set, consisting of technical and soft skills.
