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your work will be evaluated inconsistently
I don't believe in most of the business measures anyway, so impartial. You have done a good job if you achieve something and make a lasting positive impact. Solve the problems and move them forward.
and you will be expected to perform miracles with no time
Sounds like university, though that was self imposed. Less time works better for me.
sufficient tools, or information resources available.
On the other hand, this sounds like the consulting company needs some consulting.
Plus, you need a specialization. You can't just wake up one morning and be a "management consultant." Most have worked "X" amount of time in one or more vertical markets/industries to obtain the experience they need to be of value to firms implementing similar projects in future time periods.
I thought this too, but for some reason people tell me to apply, and people with business degrees tell me I have a better chance of getting a job with a Physics and Electrical Engineering degree than they do.
I've worked in the IT industry since 1994, and held every job in it there is to hold. In my years as a techie, I have been outsourced as a management consultant to companies that needed qualified staff for purposes of staff augmentation during the implmentation of large projects. Most of my work as a management consultant has been within the insurance industry. It was nice to have a change of pace when gigs like this showed up, as I got to flex my business analyst skills and perform analysis on the fly in meetings. But, it soon lost its charm as the volume of the work and the breakneck scedule were all too familiar, and the pay was not any different in my case.
Yeh, I've been looking for a challenge with more variety than science research and maybe more opportunities. I was thinking it would be a good way to learn more about business also, without having to go back and study. The losing its charm part probably is the most important for me. If it gets repetitive and boring, its only a matter of time till I'm over it.
PROS: You learn alot quickly, and pay is reasonably good.
CONS: You work your ass off and have ZERO job security.
I like the learning part and am not too worried about job security, because I have old bosses who will re-employ me and I seem to jump to new interests after a year or so anyway. If the working my ass off is during work time, I don't mind. I like to feel I've contributed to whoever is paying me. If it takes over too much personal time after work hours, it probably won't end well.
You have to be resilient. You have to be able to deal with all kinds of people, and keep smiling, no matter what.
I'm okay at this one.
You have to be bale to bullshit like a professional from day 1, or it's over. Dressing well helps, you will be received better by clients. You need to be creative. You need to be able to do good work quickly while not knowing a whole lot about whatever it is you have been assigned to do. You must be able to write very well. You must be able to apply top down AND bottom up analysis and design techniques to quickly create or reverse engineer business processes.
Top down is natural. Am good at outputting plans in bottom up terms, but not really working bottom up. The bullshitting people would probably get to me. I like clarifying things and shared knowledge. Seems counter-productive to send them down the wrong track. I suppose I could fulfil the dressing part, but would prefer to impress with the actual work.
What would make you sink in this field? Not being able to handle stress. Not having "thick skin" as you will get criticized for all kinds of things. Not being able to handle change rapidly and often. Not being comfortable working on things you are not well versed in. Not having good social skills, especially in meetings would be a hindrance too, I think.
Okay on all of that.
Lots of spewing around meaningless bullshit...
I hate jargon with a passion. So this could be a problem.
I'm not sure any of the posts so far have inspired me to rush out and become a management consultant
. I was looking at companies like "BCG", "Bain", "Accenture", etc. Is it possible to be a management consultant and just give good honest service. Look at the problems in depth and really solve them? Or is it set up so you are always too run off your feet to ever look at things in that much depth? I have to say I know little about the business world and this career option seems sort of insane to me, but it's been suggested by everyone from consultants we've worked with, to a careers counsellor, to a former lecturer, to random people I've chatted with and was sort of hard to ignore, and not look further into.
