Want to be a Consultant in Singapore? These Are the Skills You Need
For jobseekers with many years of experience under their belt, consulting is a great career move that will enrich their professional life. Its very foundation is a "pay it forward" mentality that will share expertise through experiences and hard-earned wisdom. It can also be lucrative as every industry requires the assistance of a consulting firm at one point or another.
If you're interested in making a career move, here's everything you need to know about applying to a consulting firm.
What do consulting firms do?
Every business either needs something fixed or improved. That's where consulting firms come in. These firms are composed of professionals trained in solving problems with data-driven analysis. Poor performing companies hire consulting firms to turn things around, while companies performing well hireto further improve their practices. In short, there is always demand for consultants and consulting firms, particularly in times of crisis, like this pandemic.
The typical image of consulting firms is to give valuable advice to corporate clients, but it's much more than sage wisdom and guidance. Consultants dissect the nitty-gritty details of how a company functions, and then they get to business: from reorganising structures, improving operational methods, and increasing profits, to optimizing productivity and efficiency, and much more.
Which industries make up consulting firms?
Consulting firms are part of the professional service industry, but they cater to almost every industry out there. These include healthcare, manufacturing, education, financial services, and more. Some consulting firms specialize in specific sectors, like financial consultants, but all consultants work behind the scenes to help other companies uplift their industries.
What qualities do I need to become a consultant?
- Expert knowledge. Consultants must be seen as experts in their respective fields. After all, why would anyone seek their advice?
- Up to date. They must also keep up with current industry practices and the demands of the ever-changing market to assist your clients.
- Goal-oriented. Consultations are often time-bound, so they must organise concrete and measurable steps to reach what they were hired to do.
- Determination. To reach those goals, consultants must persevere through challenges. For example, this high-pressure situation to gain results may cause resistance from company employees who are experiencing sudden changes.
- Intelligent business moves are backed by data, so consultants should be efficient in analysing information and relating it to the context of the company.
- Problem-solving. The core function of consultancy is to come up with a plan of action.
- Creating thinking. Some problems will prove to be more troubling than others, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every problem.
- Teamwork. Consulting firms often hire out their consultants to client companies. This means consultants often need to work with new people regularly. A consultant cannot solve a company's issues by themselves. They must get everyone on board for their solutions to work.
- Communication. Teamwork isn't possible without communication, which is an essential quality for goals to be achieved. Consultants must be clear and transparent with their intentions and plans.
What preparations do you need to join a consulting firm?
Aside from expert knowledge and industry insights, consultants ideally should come prepared with a valuable industry network. Connections are almost as valuable as expertise, and you can prepare for this by networking and broadening your horizons.
Another way you can prepare for a consulting firm is by finding a mentor in the same field who can show you the ropes. Learn the tricks of the trade, helpful insights, and ways to communicate your lessons with clients. But overall, your many years of experience in the field should be enough preparation to help you pass on your wisdom to clients.
Do consultants make a lot of money?
Yes, they do. Consultancy is not an easy undertaking, and as a consultant, your experience and connections should be enough for a high-paying position. On JobStreet's job portal, there are some postings offering anywhere from $6,000 per month to $110,000 per month. The possibilities are endless when you're a consultant, so update your resume now and find your dream consulting firm now on JobStreet.
At JobStreet, we believe in bringing you #JobsThatMatter. As a Career Partner, we are committed to helping all jobseekers find passion and purpose in every career choice. And as the number 1 Talent Partner in Asia, we connect employers with the right candidates who truly make a positive and lasting impact on the organisation.
Discover Jobs That Matter. Visit JobStreet today.
About SEEK Asia
SEEK Asia , a combination of two leading brands JobStreet and JobsDB, is the leading job portal and Asia's preferred destination for candidates and hirers. SEEK Asia's presence span across 7 countries namely Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam. SEEK Asia is part of the Australian Securities Exchange-listed SEEK Limited Company, the world's largest job portal by market capitalisation. SEEK Asia attracts over 400 million visits a year.
About SEEK Limited
SEEK is a diverse group of companies, comprising a strong portfolio of online employment, educational, commercial and volunteer businesses. SEEK has a global presence (including Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, South-East Asia, Brazil and Mexico), with exposure to over 2.9 billion people and approximately 27 per cent of global GDP. SEEK makes a positive contribution to people's lives on a global scale. SEEK is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, where it is a top 100 company and has been listed in the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies by Forbes.
