CONSULTING CAREERS
Consultants are a valuable resource for organizations seeking new ways to build creative strategies, solve challenges, increase productivity, and reduce operational costs. By calling upon extensive industry knowledge and leveraging data and analysis techniques, consultants are able to make unbiased recommendations that can determine an organization’s future success.
Now more than ever, a global perspective can be the key to making better strategic decisions as a consultant. With the online Master of Global Business Administration (GBA) program from The Fletcher School, you can develop the concrete analytical skills and contextual intelligence that will help you differentiate your skill set and advance your career.
HOW THE GBA CAN HELP YOUR CONSULTING CAREER
Fletcher’s online GBA program will prepare you for a consulting career by developing skills that go beyond international strategy and foundational business skills commonly taught in an MBA program. The GBA provides broad contextual knowledge that will help you discern the long-term global challenges companies face—the economic, legal, security, and social externalities that impact all organizations, but are rarely understood. This combination of business skills and global awareness will help you stand out.
As a student in the online GBA program, you will take courses designed to help you develop key consulting skills—communication, strategic decision-making, analysis, problem-solving frameworks, and more—while broadening your understanding of strategic challenges and industry trends.
By mastering these skills needed for consulting, you can develop essential expertise that will help you thrive in your current role or prepare for career growth across sectors.
CONSULTING CAREER PATHS
The Master of Global Business Administration will prepare you for a range of consulting careers by helping you develop an unmatched analytical skill set and understand the political, legal, and economic factors that impact business strategy.
Strategy Consulting
Strategy consulting roles help those at the highest level of an organization make decisions about the direction a company will take. From new products to new geographies, strategy consultants consider the broadest strategic frameworks to help steer organizations in the right direction.
Political Risk Consulting
Political risk consultants examine the political climate and social conditions of targeted countries, regions, or markets with the goal of forecasting risks and opportunities. Using their findings, they make investment or strategic decisions on behalf of clients to try to minimize potential risks.
Business Intelligence Consulting
Business intelligence consultants help organizations understand key external competitors, people, investors, and partners to facilitate better decision-making. They combine knowledge about key parties with the business landscape to make informed decisions about strategies and investments.
Development Consulting
Governments, international agencies, and nonprofits hire development consultants to advise on investment strategies, project efficiency, program evaluation, management support, and more, with the goal of improving social impacts and outcomes for vulnerable and poor populations. These roles often require regional or topical knowledge specific to global issues.
Sector-Specific Consulting
Often, consultants are hired to support the work of specific industries, such as pharmaceuticals, technology, manufacturing, or other sectors where companies have complex global operations. Sector-specific consulting jobs demand a global understanding of the industry, as well as the foundational business knowledge to make strong recommendations.
Boutique Consulting
Careers in boutique consulting involve working at a small firm with a relatively segmented client base and focused expertise. Consultants at these firms will often develop regional expertise and a specific skill set.
Though the types of consulting careers vary, it is common for consultants to follow a similar progression as they gain experience across these sectors.
- Analysts and associates are entry-level consultants, responsible for research and analysis, data collection, and communication of key insights.
- Project leaders manage teams of analysts and synthesize findings into cohesive analysis to be communicated with senior leadership.
- Principals manage client interactions, oversee projects, and inform executives of progress.
- Partners manage multiple case teams while also bringing in new clients in need of services offered by the firm.
CONSULTING SALARY
Salaries vary widely by job title, the firm you choose to work for, and amount of experience, among other factors. Private sector organizations are often able to offer a higher salary than their nonprofit and public sector counterparts. You may be able to earn a higher salary with advanced experience or a graduate degree.
Many consultants move between sectors and take on different roles throughout the course of their careers. Regardless of your path, developing strong communication skills, the ability to think both analytically and critically, and a depth of contextual knowledge can help you progress.
ARE YOU READY TO ADVANCE YOUR CONSULTING CAREER?
Take the next step today. Request information to learn how Fletcher’s online GBA program can help you build the skills to succeed in consulting.