Excellent communication skills are a core requirement for a wide range of different strategy consultant jobs. A strategy consultant provides expert advice, reviews business strategy, and works with top level executives to improve their strategic planning skills. This is not a position that can be achieved immediately upon graduation from high school or even university.
In order to qualify for different strategy consultant jobs, you will need a minimum bachelor's degree from an accredited university, but a master's in business administration (MBA) is preferable. Additional courses or certification in strategic planning, long-range economic forecasting, or industry specific executive training can be very helpful in this career. In addition to the formal education, many years of business experience are required to become a consultant.
The primary purpose for engaging a strategy consultant is to gain access to their expertise. Working closely with the senior management, the consultant is responsible for learning about the current challenges and concerns the organization is facing. He or she typically meets with representatives from the different areas of the business, ranging from client services to production line staff. Discussions center on perceived weaknesses, room for improvement, and strengths. A skilled consultant may identify issues that upper management had not included in its list of known challenges.
After these meetings, the consultant may speak directly with clients, financial backers, industry associations, and other relevant sources. The final product is a recommendation report with suggested changes in strategy, long-term planning considerations, and known risks. This type of work is the most common of all the different strategy consultant jobs.
A shorter engagement for this type of consultant is a review of current business processes and to provide advice on the strategic direction, risks, and recommended changes to meet future needs. This type of engagement usually involves workshops with executives to identify their primary focus, concerns, and areas of strength. It is quite common for people to be more open and direct in their communication about a company's issues with an outside consultant, instead of upper management. This type of exercise removes the concern about reprisals and encourages honesty.
Strategic planning is an important part of the job at the executive level. This subject receives a significant amount of attention in master's level business programs, but the transition from theory to application can be difficult. Coaching is one of the most effective ways to help executives learn how to plan strategically.
All these different strategy consultant jobs are typically made available through either a professional consulting firm or extensive business contacts. The compensation that is available at this level is quite high, but is typically lower than the salaries the consultant was able to obtain as a full-time employee at the executive level. Although travel is often required, it is typically limited to short assignments of less than three months.
