Management consultant

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a partner in a management consultancy, work freelance or set up your own consultancy firm. You could work in all areas of the public and private sector.

You might also apply to become a chartered management consultant, which gives you industry recognition of your skills and expertise.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

• excellent verbal communication skills
• business management skills
• analytical thinking skills
• to be flexible and open to change
• the ability to use your initiative
• customer service skills
• the ability to use your judgement and make decisions
• the ability to work well with others
• to have a thorough understanding of computer systems and applications

Related subjects

Most relevant

• Mathematics - Management consultants collect and analyse large amounts of data to identify problems and recommend solutions. They use statistical analysis, financial modelling, and quantitative reasoning daily to build business cases and test whether proposed changes will actually work.
• Business - Management consultants need to understand how organisations operate – from strategy and marketing to operations and supply chains. This knowledge helps them quickly diagnose what's going wrong in a client's business and recommend practical improvements.
• Economics - Management consultants advise organisations operating in competitive markets and need to understand factors like supply and demand, pricing, market structures, and economic trends. This helps them assess a client's position and recommend strategies that make financial sense.
• English Language - Management consultants write detailed reports, prepare client presentations, and communicate complex recommendations clearly to senior leaders. Being able to structure an argument persuasively and adapt their language for different audiences is essential to getting their ideas accepted.

Also relevant

• Accounting - Management consultants regularly work with financial statements, budgets, and cost analyses to understand a client's financial health. Being able to read a balance sheet and interpret profit margins helps them identify where an organisation is wasting money or missing opportunities.
• Computer Science - Management consultants create computer models to test possible business solutions and increasingly work on digital transformation projects. Understanding how software systems, databases, and algorithms work helps them advise clients on technology-driven improvements.
• Psychology - Management consultants spend much of their time interviewing staff and managers to understand workplace issues, and then persuading people to accept change. Understanding human behaviour, motivation, and group dynamics helps them manage resistance and get teams on board with new ways of working.
• Modern Foreign Languages - Management consultants often work with international clients or on projects that span multiple countries. Being able to communicate in another language is a genuine advantage in this career, especially at firms with a global client base.
• Sociology - Management consultants analyse how organisations function as social systems – looking at hierarchies, workplace culture, and how groups of people interact. Understanding these dynamics helps them spot inefficiencies that aren't visible in the financial data alone.