5 Areas of Consulting Explained

Consultancy is a diverse and interesting career which will enable you to use your area of expertise to help others to achieve their business goals and aspirations. 

If you are skilled in problem-solving, want a career with a variety of job prospects and want to use your skills to help others, then a career as a consultant could be for you. 

Consulting services advise and guide clients on the best course of action to take to help them achieve their business goals. You can be a consultant in a variety of areas, helping clients with marketing strategies or financial management, and the area of consulting that you enter will depend on your skills and interests.

There are several avenues to becoming a consultant, and the qualifications and experience you will need will depend on which of the different types of consulting you want to go into and where you work. You can work in consultancy firms such as Accenture or McKinsey, or you can work in the public sector such as in healthcare. 

Some employers require university qualifications, whereas others allow you to build the career ladder through internships or other practical work experience. There are a variety of consultancy courses available online which can provide an excellent basis to begin your consulting career, help you develop the skills you have further and allow you to demonstrate your expertise to prospective clients. 

Consultancy requires a diverse skillset, and in order to succeed, you will need to be able to demonstrate your competencies to clients who might want to use your services. Analytical skills, communication skills and project management skills are all key to consultancy, and online courses can help you develop these transferable skills to make finding consulting jobs much easier and help you get into the consulting industry.

Marketing consultancy is a career which often comes with ample job opportunities and great pay, as businesses all over the globe seek out the advice of marketing consultants to help meet their business goals. Marketing consultants advise businesses on how to carry out productive marketing strategies which help grow the business without paying over the odds. Types of marketing consultants include:

Marketing consultants will usually need a degree in marketing or business management. If you do not have a degree, or you want to develop key consulting skills to increase your chances of landing consulting roles, then you can always study marketing courses online. These courses can teach the fundamentals of marketing, as well as specialised areas such as digital marketing and global marketing strategy. 

Cyber security is a key element to any business that uses IT in any aspect of their business management, which is nearly every business in the modern world. Cyber security consultants advise businesses on how to secure their digital data, protect against cyber threats and train their staff in digital safety and security. 

In order to become a cyber security consultant, you will need expertise and experience in the field of cyber security. Often this comes from studying a related degree in the field of IT, computer science or software engineering, followed by work experience. You can kick-start your career and secure cybersecurity consultant jobs by completing cybersecurity courses, which can help you build up your practical experience and theoretical knowledge.

Business consultancy is a great investment for many entrepreneurs, new businesses and small business owners, as business consultants are trained professionals who know how to make a business succeed. As a business management consultant, your role would be to provide expertise in a range of areas of business to help with business strategy, such as marketing, sales, finances, IT, or supply chain management. 

Business consultants will usually need an accredited business management qualification such as a business management or business studies bachelor’s degree. If you do not have a degree or have a degree in a different field, then you can explore accredited business management courses online and study a range of courses, including certifications, bachelor’s degrees or postgraduate qualifications in business. Online courses can also help you land graduate jobs and help you find full-time work.

Human Resources consultants are professionals who recommend strategies to improve HR, highlight issues or challenges within the HR department and assist in employee training. HR consultants are key to helping a business build positive employment relations and create a positive working environment through constructive employee recruitment, training, management and relations. 

HR courses are a great way to learn about HR consultant jobs, gain an in-depth understanding of HR strategies and how to work as an HR consultant for small businesses. HR consultants often have a degree or another qualification in Human Resources or Business Management, and these are also achievable online, allowing you to obtain qualifications affordably and flexibly. 

Financial consultants offer clients a thorough analysis of their financial situation, provide insight and advice on how to improve their finances and help them put together a financial plan to help them reach their financial goals. 

Financial consultant jobs are often available with businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals to help them organise aspects of their finances, such as tax and assets, as well as achieve their financial aims.

Financial consultants need a thorough understanding of financial services and business finance and, therefore, will have a degree or higher qualification in finance, accounting or mathematics. 

Having an understanding of strategy consulting can be a fantastic way to upskill your resume in this area, as a financial consultant works to help develop financial strategies, and therefore an education in strategic consulting can be incredibly useful. Online finance courses can help you learn about all areas of finance, including taxes, investment, asset management, debt management and financial management. 

Consultants are always going to be highly sought after, as businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals all around the world will need the help of experts for important strategic decisions. 

Alongside the different types of consultants mentioned above, additional job titles include technology consulting and legal consultant, and through online courses, the consultancy career path has never been easier.