Learnings From The Career Edge Fellowship | Decoding Consulting Challenge | Careers In Consulting.
On 25th August I attended the first live session of the Career Edge Consulting Fellowship, wherein Mr. Yatin Chopra spoke about careers in consulting. It was an enlightening session, wherein we learned the following-
1. Background Agnostic: Often we find ourselves in a cycle of education and employment. Before joining the fellowship, I was in the same pickle. I was stressed about my degree and a lack of MBA to succeed in consulting, however, the CE fellowship session, helped me reassess my priorities. You can have your undergrad degree in social sciences, hotel management or medicine, consulting firms seldom hold it against you. If you are willing to work in the field, and have an affinity for problem solving, pursue consulting. Don't let the lack of degree stop you!
2. Consulting Categories: For the longest time I was confused between management and strategic consulting. To me both of the terms meant the same thing. However, during the session, I got to learn the difference between different consulting careers, such as management consulting, strategic consulting, tech consulting, social impact consulting and the like. Strategic consulting is fundamentally rooted in suggestions, whereas, management consulting typically involves even implementation. The clarity in these terms have made my path towards a future role clearer and helped me organize my thoughts.
3. Work-Life Balance: I have often cited long hours for minimal pay as a reason to pivot to consulting. This session clarified certain ambiguities concerning consulting hours. While consulting does require long hours, the pay makes up for it. Furthermore, it is possible to block your weekends and take time off after a workday. While consulting does require more hours than a traditional job, your projects will keep you satisfied. Moreover, your workplace will play a role in your working hours. It is imperative to choose the right fit for you.
The learnings from the first CE consulting fellowship have helped me decide on a future path, and help me decode certain consultancy myths which is vital to understand and succeed in the field.
Looking forward to welcoming more Certified Consultants to our network!