Requirements to become an organizational consultant may vary depending on the location and individual company, but the majority of corporations usually require that you have the minimal of a bachelor's degree, several years of experience, and certification in the field. Although the minimal degree to enter this profession is generally a bachelor's degree, most students opt to obtain a master's degree in order to significantly increase their career options. You should research various job descriptions in order to determine the educational path that you plan to take. This is a specialized profession and not all universities will offer the necessary coursework to become an organizational consultant, so you will need to explore course descriptions and program details at several universities.
The educational foundation of this profession is a mixture of business and psychology, and your chosen degree program should reflect both fields. Many students choose psychology as their main focus and select business courses that are directly related to this profession. Aside from the necessary prerequisites in your undergraduate program, you may want to consider enrolling in courses such as introductory psychology, developmental psychology, human resource management, organizational theory, and various business courses that are based on organizational behavior. Some universities offer internships in this field, and in order to become an organizational consultant you will need to gain experience in the field.
Once you have successfully completed your bachelor's degree program, you should explore various industrial/organizational psychology master's degree programs. Coursework in these programs are focused specifically on this profession, and coursework may include applied industrial psychology, applied organizational development, workforce training and development, applied cross-cultural industrial/organizational psychology, and psychological research methods. Most of these programs take at least two years but provide you with an intensive inside-view of the industry. Research projects, volunteer work, and internships may provide you with the appropriate experience needed to become an organizational consultant.
In addition to an extensive amount of schooling and experience, you will need to possess a specific set of personality traits. It is imperative that you have excellent communication skills because the primary basis for this profession is client relations. Analytical skills are also important to become an organizational consultant because you will need to assess a company and rearrange or organize anything that will increase operational proficiency. The Internet is a superior resource to find employment in this field, and there are a large number of firms that specialize in organizational consulting.
