One club related to your field is the Future Business Leaders of America, a nationwide club that likely has a chapter at your school. If it doesn’t, you can start your own chapter. In fact, this organization has clubs that run from middle school to university level. [1] X Research source Take concurrent classes. If your school doesn’t offer business classes, see if you can take concurrent classes at a local community college. Talk to your guidance counselor about concurrent classes.
While at university, find the local chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America. Joining your local chapter can help you gain experience and meet other people who want to go into your field. Most management consulting firms today, excluding IT consultants, require an MBA for employment.
Some specialties you might consider include sales, management, administration, and human resources. You might also look at IT systems, accounting, finance, projects, and organizational and corporate. Some people focus solely on marketing, as well. To help determine your specialty, consider taking classes in the areas you’re interested in. That way, you can see what you have a passion for.
If you’re looking at a specialty, try to find a program that lets you specialize in that area. Many programs have a master’s degrees in very specialized areas or ones that will let you focus on a more general degree.
Having this type of background is especially important if you plan to work for a major consulting firm that works with Fortune 500 companies.
You can get a more general certification. For instance, the Institute of Certified Business Consultants offers a certification as a general business consultant.
Often, the exam will take a good chunk of time, such as half a day or more, so you will need to set aside time to take it. Both the course and the exam will cost a fee, set by the organization.
Certification usually requires that you complete the course and take the exam in a certain amount of time. For instance, the National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants wants you to finish the course and the exam within 90 days.
Start by learning the basics of critical thinking. For instance, it’s important to learn to ask questions and don’t make assumptions about the problem. If one solution has always been seen as the only solution, ask why. Think about other ways you could approach the same problem. Use evidence. When you’re thinking critically and problem solving, you need to have data and evidence to make a decision. It’s not about just pulling a decision out of thin air. Spend time using your critical thinking skills in everyday life. For instance, when you’re looking at a news story, take time to evaluate the source of the story. Look at the data. Are they skewing it to make a point?
It’s also important to to take communication classes in college, such as speech, debate, or business writing. They can help you develop your communication skills. Make a point to work on your communication in everyday conversation. For instance, pay attention to how fast you’re speaking and try to speak slowly. Also, make sure you are enunciating your words and speaking at an appropriate volume in any group you’re in. If you’re not sure what you sound like, consider recording yourself and listening to the recording. It’s also important to actively listen in any given communication. If you’re listening, you can respond to what the person is actually saying, which makes the person feel important, a quality you want when you’re trying to sell yourself or your business.
One way you can improve your leadership skills is to run for leadership positions while you are in college and high school. Go out for student council. Run for a leadership position in Future Business Leaders of America. These positions will help teach you leadership skills.
One way to be organized is to use the tools at your disposal. Email organization, online calendars, and other project management tools can be a big help. [6] X Research source Another way to work on organization is to develop your own systems, so that your files are organized in such a way that you can always find them.
Going to college is actually fairly good preparation for working on a deadline, since you must manage several classes at once and turn in your work on time. However, when you get out in the world, your job will often depend on you making those deadlines.
This position will also usually require you to travel because most of the time, you won’t just be working with businesses in your area. Because much of your work is done with the client at their place of business, you’ll need to travel to where they are.
Check with your school to see if they know of any internships in the area, as businesses often contact local schools. You can also look for internships on traditional job search websites.
Attend local meet and greets in your area for young entrepreneurs. You should also attend meetings and social events held by your local chamber of commerce. As you meet people, strike up conversations. When you find someone you click with, ask for their contact information. Be sure to follow up with them later. For example, you can shoot them an email talking about your meeting, saying something like, “Hi Josh, It was great to meet you the other day at that networking event. I was glad to find another Sooner fan in the area. There aren’t many of us! Call me if you want to have drinks sometime. "
You can also use job listings associated with any clubs or national organizations you belong to. Don’t forget to hunt down specific firms. Sometimes, they will list postings on their sites first.
Of course, part of the job interview process is showing how your skills are a perfect fit for the position. One way to show how you’re perfect is to tailor your resume and cover letter to the position you’re applying for by highlighting your relevant skills and experience.
Before opening your own business, know that opening a consulting business before gaining actual experience can be difficult, since experience translates into credibility a client’s mind. You may want to gain experience and a reputation first before going out on your own. When setting up your business, consider all the things you do for someone else, such as writing a mission statement, creating a website, making a marketing plan, and creating a business plan. [12] X Research source Decide on the legal aspects of your business. You can open a limited liability business, where your business is partially separated from your personal finances when it comes to responsibilities for debt. A sole proprietorship is easier to set up, but you are personally responsible for any debt the company accrues. Pay for the help you need. If you need legal advice about how to set up your business, hire a lawyer. If you don’t understand business accounting, hire a CPA. Don’t forget to check your local laws to see what licenses you need to own your own consulting business.
Marketing and selling is not a paid activity; only consulting brings in revenue. You will need to estimate how many hours you will actually work (and be paid) in a year to establish your billing rate. Your billing rate must be competitive with other consultants that may have a higher ratio of work to marketing hours. Be prepared for the fact that some clients will want to set unrealistic deadlines. If you’re on you’re own, you’ll need to be realistic with the client, as telling them you can meet a deadline you can’t isn’t good for either of you. If you’re in a firm, ask about company policy for deadlines. It may be that the company will back you up if they have a policy in place about how short a deadline can be set.
Another way you can sell yourself is to show you can save them money. That is, if they bring you in when needed, they don’t need to hire a full-time analyst in their company. You might also be hired to help train employees and management in certain skills or figure out why sales aren’t going up. Make sure you are putting your name out there through a marketing plan. You should have a web presence, including a website with testimonials if possible. It also doesn’t hurt to cold call businesses. That is, visit businesses in the area and greet the people who work there, letting them know your services are available should they need them. [15] X Research source
