What Skills Does a Senior Business Consultant Need to Succeed and Thrive?

Management consultants are essential to organizations, providing objective advice and expertise to help them solve problems, create value, maximize growth, and improve business performance. Consulting firms come in all shapes and sizes, from comprehensive solutions to more specialized niche firms. To become a successful senior business consultant, employers often value experience and skills as much as qualifications. Gaining relevant work experience is key, and this could include part-time or volunteer work, extracurricular activities such as being a member of a club or playing team sports, or working in society. Professional qualifications can also be obtained while working, with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) offering the Level 7 degree in Professional Consulting.

This is available in three levels: award, certificate, and diploma. The Management Consultancies Association (MCA) also offers courses, workshops, and seminars for consultants at all levels. These range from writing a business proposal for junior consultants to high-level presentation skills for partners. To succeed and thrive in the workplace, senior business consultants need to have a range of skills. We've identified the top skills based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on.

These include:

• Team-building
• Business knowledge
• Financial knowledge
• Organizational skills
• Analyzing and improving retail businesses
• Starting a consulting company

One of the best ways to learn these skills is to take online courses to advance your career. Udemy and Coursera both offer courses that can help you become a successful senior business consultant. In addition to the above skills, senior business consultants should also have excellent communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and the ability to think strategically. They should also be able to work independently and as part of a team. Finally, they should be able to manage their time effectively and be able to work under pressure.