Deciding where to start your career is intimidating. Which industries offers the best professional development and mentorship? Where can you gain valuable work experience? How can you learn as much as possible every single day?
If you need help, applying for a business analyst position in consulting may be your answer. Below are five reasons why consulting is a great place to start your career, no matter where it takes you.
(And if you’re intrigued, here’s a bonus: McKinsey, one of the most highly regarded consulting firms in the world, is hiring entry-level business analysts in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Denver, Minneapolis, and Cleveland on WayUp right now.)
1. You Get Exposure to Different Industries and Functions
By taking a job in consulting, you get a crash course in how a company or industry works in a short amount of time. Consulting firms like McKinsey have many industry experts who work internally on their projects. You’re able to learn from the best of the best in any field. From day one, you are able to gain valuable mentorship from professionals you admire most.
And because business analysts work in a variety of industries on diverse projects, there are numerous opportunities to get exposure to how different teams and companies work.
2. You Work with Clients to Solve Tough Problems
As a consultant, you and your team will take on many roles to solve a client’s toughest issues. You will work with clients and your teams to collectively use your problem solving ability, expertise, and capabilities to create change and drive lasting impact.
You may be a trusted advisor to top management one week and the next be a hands-on coach to front line employees. Either way, you will be solving tough problems that will challenge you and help shape your future experiences.
3. You Develop Valuable Transferable Skills
Not sure which industry you want to go into after graduation just yet? One of the best parts about working in consulting is that you gain transferable skills that you can take to any job in the future, making you a valuable job applicant and employee across the board.
What are some of the important skills business analysts pick up in the world of consulting? Here are three critical ones:
- Problem Solving: Consulting is all about finding the best solution to a client’s problem. You will be pushed to think outside the box, build hypotheses, and determine the right answer for a given situation.
- Communication: As a consultant communication is key. You will learn how to work and develop solutions with many different clients, front line and c-suite positions included.
- Project Management: As soon as you start, you are given responsibility to own and drive pieces of the solution with your consultant team and your clients.
4. You Get to Travel
If you don’t like staying in one place for too long, starting off in consulting gives you the opportunity to travel around the world visiting clients and figuring out their needs. Consultants typically travel Monday through Thursday so you’ll have the opportunity to learn about different cities and feel like a local without committing. You’ll also be able to rack up those highly coveted hotel and airline points!
5. You Work in a Team-Oriented Environment
As a consultant, you’ll work with a number of other people to find the best solution for the problem you are trying to solve, so there’s a unique opportunity to gain formal and informal mentorship and guidance. The relationships you forge during your first years are critical. They’re ones that you’ll lean on for years to come.
In addition to learning how to work on a team within a consulting firm, you’ll also learn what it means to work on a team with clients, another important skill that’ll serve you well no matter what field you go into.
Regardless of what you want to do, consulting is a unique opportunity to obtain valuable skills, work with experts, travel, and gain mentors. Sound like a great option? Now is your chance to join the field: McKinsey is hiring entry-level business analysts in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Denver, Minneapolis, and Cleveland.
