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consulting

Let's face it – there's no one-size-fits-all answer to the question, 'What's a typical day in the life of a consultant?' In fact, it's one of the telltale signs that someone is new to the world of consulting. When candidates ask me to describe a consultant's daily routine, it's not because they're clueless; it's because they're curious about what makes consulting such a unique and unpredictable profession.

So, why is it such a challenging question to answer? Well, that's because consulting, at its core, is about diving headfirst into the unknown. It's about tackling problems that companies can't crack on their own – whether due to time constraints, limited resources, or a lack of specialized knowledge. If there were a straightforward playbook for solving these challenges, the consulting profession as we know it wouldn't exist.

To thrive in consulting means to embrace the excitement of navigating uncharted waters, relishing the ever-changing landscape, and thriving under the intense pressure that comes with it. It's about growing, evolving, and becoming more adept each time you find yourself in the deep end of a complex problem.

If you're still here with us and haven't been scared away, stick around. In the following sections, we'll break down the various roles you might find yourself playing as a consultant. We'll also share a few real-life examples to paint a clearer picture of what 'a day in the life' might look like, especially if you're new to the world of consulting.

The Various Roles Consultants Play

At its simplest, consultants are problem solvers. While there are many types of consulting firms, each with particular areas of specialization, they all share this fundamental characteristic. In this article, we'll focus on the commonalities across consultancies, rather than delving into the specifics of various specialties. Summarizing a career in consulting into a few key roles, would look something like this:

Problem Solver

Every day, as a consultant, your main job is to help your client with their problems. Sometimes, you even find problems they didn't know they had. In all my time as a consultant, I've never met a client who knew exactly what was causing their issues. Usually, a client hires you to fix something specific, like a project with a deadline, a budget, and a goal in mind.

What makes great consultants stand out is their ability to see beyond what the client initially asks for. They can spot hidden problems that could make a project fail and provide advice on how to deal with these risks. Let me give you an example:

Imagine Client A hires your team to set up a new computer system to help them manage their customer relationships better. You've talked to the client, signed a contract, and are ready to start the project. But as you look into the client's existing way of doing things, you find out that their sales team doesn't follow a standard process, and they've stopped using their current technology.

The sales team is supposed to use the new system to keep track of their interactions, opportunities, and customer relationships, but they don't have a reason to do it. If this problem isn't fixed, the whole project could fail because the data from the sales team is crucial for the system to work.

As the consultants, you need to come up with a solution for this issue. You'll work with your main contact at the client's company to explain the problem, make a plan, and agree on a way to solve this big risk so that the project can launch successfully.

Mediator

As a consultant, you can create connections between different parts of a company. Unlike regular employees, you don't carry any personal issues with you, so you can bring leaders, teams, and groups together to work better. But sometimes, this can mean dealing with disagreements.

The best consultants can handle these situations well. They stay fair and build good relationships across the organization to find solutions that help everyone. I've worked with leaders who didn't get along with their peers, serving as a trusted advisor for both sides. As an effective partner, one of the skills that will set you apart, is the ability to improve collaboration between leaders and departments for the success of the program.

Organizer

Working under tight-deadlines to deliver incredibly challenging projects requires serious time-management and organizational skills. More often than not, the client team has their day job in addition to the project they're supporting, and you the consultant, are taking in years of information in a timeframe of a few weeks to successfully deliver a program in a fraction of the time. All of this information has to be captured in a logical, cohesive way and your client is looking to you for that. There is no room for error on consulting engagements, if things go wrong, the consultancy is often the first to take the fall. Organization is key to any consulting team, the most organized ultimately being the most successful. Every member of the consulting team is expected to be self-managing and organizing. Your client will not give you direction day in and out on what they need from you, they expect you, the consultant, to know what needs to be done to get the project over the line. Additionally, if you are partnering with members of the client team, it is generally expected that as the consultant, you are instructing members of the client team as appropriate to ensure the program stays on track. Every project will have its differences depending on your project team and client team makeup but know that one thing always remains true - clients expect consultants to bring a level of expertise, professionalism, and ability that is commensurate with the premium they pay for these resources. 

Entertainer

This is the part that some consider the fun part of the job. While it's not always a daily or even a weekly event, there is an element of relationship building outside of work that can be critical to developing a rapport with your client. Every client is unique, and have rules of engagement when it comes to entertainment expenses, which will shape these activities. Regardless, whether a happy hour or a self-funded lunch, building a connection with your client that is not solely focused on work is an important element of the role, especially as individuals progress in their consulting careers. Why is this? Because human connection and interpersonal relationships are vital to a successful partnership in the workplace. As consultants, you don't have years to build the relationships that develop naturally within organizations over time. Just like the work itself, relationships are accelerated, translating into lunch, happy hour, or team-building events that allow both the client and consulting team to better understand one another.

Seller

For many, this is the most feared element of a job in consulting. The good news is, at most firms, there is no expectation to sell when you first begin in consulting, this is a skill that is nurtured and developed over time. As individuals progress in their careers, sales targets will grow and eventually the time spent developing new business can outweigh the time spent delivering. This may seem daunting, but think back to the example I shared earlier where we identified a client with a significant blind spot that could derail their entire program. A strong consulting partner is able to both identify this opportunity and turn it into a potential sale. This is one approach to selling that consultants at all levels can use, finding opportunities to further help their clients while serving on an existing project. For those more senior, you may be selling to a first time client, pitching a solution and proving why you are the right partner for the role. The expectation to grow the business is necessary at any firm, but it will come more and more naturally over time. Finding a good mentor within the consultancy will be invaluable as you work to develop this skill, emulating someone who makes this element of the job seem effortless. 

A Day In the Life - At the Client Site

A working day on the client will vary depending on what phase of the project you're on and the role you're playing. For example, if you join a team in the first month of the project, the team may be in the midst of their discovery effort, gaining an understanding of the client landscape, and gathering data to shape the final solution. Even junior consultants have a role in discovery. From capturing detailed notes in client interviews, to helping to craft PowerPoint decks that summarize the information, discovery is fast and furious, and all hands are needed on deck. Ultimately, flexibility is key, much of a consultant's day is shaped based on a combination of delivery commitments and the client's needs. It's not uncommon for the client to ask consultant's to pivot to another task that they feel is more pressing. These are the types of situations that need to be run by your engagement leader as they are organizing the program as a whole and have the responsibility of managing client expectations should requests to change direction arise. 

There are a variety of roles junior level management consultants might play, without a niche skillset, this is most often an analyst or business analyst role. You will gain exposure to a variety of technologies, industries, and departments in this role as it can support any engagement. The key is to be open to learning, and to identify mentors both within your project and across your firm. Projects can differ greatly depending on the type of engagement you are supporting, and the expectation for the consulting team is to be ready to roll up their sleeves, formulate a plan to deliver, and carry the project across the finish line.

A Day In the Life - The Not-So-Secret Work Outside of Client Work

Outside of client work there is still plenty to do when you're a consultant! Whether you're "on the bench / beach" meaning, you aren't currently on a client project or not, you are expected to contribute to your firm beyond your day to day project delivery. The volume of project work and internal work to balance will grow as you develop in your consulting career but the early days tend to lean more towards one or the other. Efforts you may find yourself supporting outside of client work could include:

• Client/industry research - research to support business development efforts, identifying and summarizing key data points
• Offering development - supporting the development of new offerings to be sold to clients, this could include sales material, delivery templates, or tools to accelerate program execution
• Training development - creation of training content for consultants on offerings, skills, and other relevant topics
• Marketing efforts - supporting the creation of marketing material to support business development efforts
• Interviewing and recruiting - participating in the interviewing and recruiting process for candidates as an interviewer, shadower, or representative of the consultancy
• Contracts - supporting the drafting of consulting contracts, including Statements of Work (SOW) and change orders (CO)
• Sales pursuits - providing support to the pursuit team in an open opportunity, whether creating content for presentation to the client, contract efforts, or working on requests for proposal (RFP)
• Other internal initiatives

These are just a handful of examples, but they can give you an idea of how you, as a junior consultant, can participate beyond client delivery.  These are activities that leaders as responsible for, in addition to their client delivery responsibilities, so early exposure can help you feel more comfortable and knowledgeable about what lies ahead.

This is a small preview into the day of a life of a consultant. Let us know what other consulting experiences you'd like us to share in an upcoming blog post!

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