Inquiry Regarding the Suitability of My 2-Year IT Engineer Experience in Rural Development for Consulting

Hello,

People go into consulting from all walks of life. Given the range of problems that consultants engage with, a wide range of professional experience and skills are valuable. Your background sounds like a good fit for consulting - the key questions to address will be 1) what roles you go for; and 2) how you position yourself.

To answer your specific questions:

In your experience, how do consulting firms typically view candidates with a background in IT engineering for rural development? Is this considered a valuable profile?

It's all going to depend on the questions I outlined above (what roles you go for; how you position yourself). Of course, IT engineering doesn't seem as directly applicable to consulting as, say, a strategy position. However, there are plenty of skills that will be valued and transferrable (e.g., developing technology-driven solutions, assessing what challenges specific communities face). You should explain clearly what those skills are and why you are interested in consulting with your background.

Are there particular consulting specialties or sectors where my experience might be particularly advantageous?

Not sure what region you are in, but something along the lines of Engineering and Construction or Digital and IT would seem to be a good fit. Most major consulting companies have practices that specialize in various industries.

What skills or competencies from my current role could be transferrable and beneficial in a consulting career, and which ones might require further development?

This is a very broad question - we don't know how well you are performing in your current job, what your strengths and areas of development are, and what your precise skillset is. I think you'll get a better sense of this by learning more about what the consulting job involves day-to-day.

Are there any recommended steps or resources you could suggest for someone in my position who is interested in exploring a career in consulting?

Networking is going to be the crucial next step for you to learn more about the industry and get your foot in the door! If you haven't done so already, do some research and figure out what firms and roles you would be interested in applying for. See if they have events you can attend, or try reaching out to people that work there on LinkedIn. A natural connection might be alumni of your university, or people who do similar work to what you might be interested in.

Hi there,

1) In your experience, how do consulting firms typically view candidates with a background in IT engineering for rural development? Is this considered a valuable profile?

If you are an experienced hire with background in engineering, the profile could be suitable for consulting. It depends also on (i) where you studied, (ii) the brand of your current/past employers and (iii) the exact things you have done in your current/previous roles.

2) Are there particular consulting specialties or sectors where my experience might be particularly advantageous?

If you want to apply as a generalist, you should be able to target any company. If you want to focus on projects for developing countries, you might want to consider companies specializing on that such as Dalberg or Bridgespan.

3) What skills or competencies from my current role could be transferrable and beneficial in a consulting career, and which ones might require further development?

Anything related to problem solving, leading teams or managing stakeholders would work well.

4) Are there any recommended steps or resources you could suggest for someone in my position who is interested in exploring a career in consulting?

You can check the following link for general tips:

▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there!

It's great to have this aspiration. And your background shouldn't be a limitation, but an asset. 

The most important thing to have in mind is that consulting firm assess your skills in the recruitment process, not your knowledge. 

So they don't care as much that you did rural development, but rather what sort of skills have you developed while working in this area. Sharing with you a guide below that gives a deep dive into what consultants do and what skills are required:

• Free Guide: What Do Management Consultants Do? 

In your case, I suggest 3 steps:

1. Find yourself a mentor / coach who can help you refine your story and value proposition to make you eligible for consulting. 
2. Develop an application strategy for your transition into consulting. You can use this guide as a starting point: Free Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy
3. Begin networking with consultants in your target firms. You can use this guide on how to conduct these conversations: Free Guide: How To Handle Networking Calls and Get Referrals

Hope you will find all of these helpful!
Cristian

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Hi there,

First of all, please get networking! Not only is this going to shed a lot of light on these topics for you, but it will also open up doors.

Given your background, any development consultancy (like Dalberg) is a good fit. Additionally, any IT/tech consultancies are as well (BCG Platinium, McKinsey Digital, Monitor Deloitte, etc.)

I also think you could immensely benefit from a career/case coach! Based on your questions + starting point, you're likely to “Waste” a lot of time + energy as you figure things out…investing in a coach is going to save you SO much headache and prevent you from going down the wrong path!