Here’s What You Need To Know About Working In Business Technology And IT (Hint: A Tech Degree Isn’t Always Required)

Every successful company specializes in something—but being an expert in one area doesn’t make them an expert in all areas. This is especially true when it comes to technology. Executives across all industries need help deciding which tools work best for their companies, and that’s where business technology and information technology (IT) professionals come in.

What does Business Technology and IT mean?

This industry spans everything from your in-house IT support team to the Chief Information Officer (CIO)—and there’s plenty in between. Network Architects, Systems Engineers, Business Tech Analysts, and Project Managers all play a role in a company’s IT strategy.

Working internally in one of these positions, you’ll be making decisions about what kinds of technology your company purchases, which software packages best suit the needs and values of your firm, and the installation and maintenance of this infrastructure.

One of the reasons this is such an important element of business—aside from the obvious necessity of having at least some technology—is the efficiency that can be achieved by having the right technology. This is huge. Efficiency is time, and time is money. This is why firms often turn to Business Technology and IT Consultants to make sure they get it right.

The Advantages Of Working As A Business Technology IT Consultant

Consultancies with a focus on business technology are becoming increasingly important as technology evolves and grows. That’s why traditional management consultancies like Accenture have formed such tech-dedicated offshoots like Avanade—the leading digital innovator, focused on driving results for their clients through the power of people and the Microsoft ecosystem.

One of the benefits of working as a consultant in this field is the superior professional challenge, and rich employee experience. Because these consultancies are solely focused on crafting the best business technology solutions, their employees have the opportunity to innovate for a variety of companies across a multitude of industries.

If you’re someone who loves the hustle and bustle of activity, another benefit of being a Business Tech Consultant is the opportunity to travel for work. At a company like Avanade, which works in more than 20 countries around the globe, your services can be called upon nearly anywhere. You’ll fly out to meet the client on-site and start working out of their office while you and your team craft the solution that’s right for their business needs. This can make consulting in this field an excellent choice for recent grads looking to expand their horizons.

How To Start A Career In Business Tech And IT

While it’s obvious how having a degree in computer science or engineering could provide useful knowledge for one of these roles, those aren’t the only ways in. Firms look for any number of qualifications, many of which revolve around business sense, intelligence, and problem-solving ability.

“We’re not focused on the degree. It’s more about the skills and technical mindset,” says Avanade hiring expert and head of North America Campus Recruiting, Lisa Kochert. “It’s about critical thinking and problem-solving.”

So, you might be a physics major, but your exposure to data science and programming in labs could make you a great fit for the role. Or perhaps you’re a political science major who has exposure to statistics and digital problem-solving—there are plenty of tracks that prepare you to perform in a technical role without having a specific IT or computer science degree.

At companies like Avanade, you’ll also receive a ton of training and professional development—more than 80 hours a year. As long you can show that you’re a proactive problem-solver with a passion for technology, you can possibly start a career in the field right out of school (or do an internship while you’re still an undergrad).

If you’ve got the technical mindset and a voracious appetite for creating and delivering solutions, then check out opportunities at Avanade. They’re hiring on WayUp!

Here’s How You Should Answer Common Recruiter Interview Questions

The core skills you need to succeed in recruiting—leadership, self-management, resiliency, and being detail-oriented and quick-thinking, among others—have remained consistent over the past few decades. But how you use them has changed markedly thanks to technology.

So, where does that leave you when you’re interviewing for a Staffing Recruiter firm as a job?

It depends on a number of different factors, including your work experience and familiarity with the industry. That said, most early-career candidates will not have recruiting experience going into the interview.

And that’s fine!

Just remember that the questions will be broad enough to allow you to demonstrate these fundamental skills in a way that wows your interviewer and leaves a lasting impression.

Recruiting expert Casey Weickgenannt from Apex—one of the premier staffing and recruiting agencies in the country—opened up about her experience hiring for these roles. What are the most common interview questions she asks? How should you answer them? How do you follow up appropriately?

Check out her answers to these and other pressing questions below.

What are your strengths?

This question, while standard to most every interview, actually has a few specific right answers when it comes to recruiting.

According to Weickgenannt, there are many questions hiring managers are looking to answer. “Are you money-motivated? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment? Can you multitask?” This question gives you an opportunity to show that you are all of those things—and more, she says.

Emphasize your ability to multitask even in a hectic setting. Talk about how you build relationships and are a quick learner. And don’t just say what you are, show them. Speak eloquently and confidently to prove to the recruiter that these are among your many, many strengths.

Do you have leadership skills/experience?

This is one of the more concrete questions in a recruiting interview, which means answering it should be a little more straightforward. This is the time to talk about any clubs or teams you’ve started or belonged to. Specific experience works, too.

Talk about a time when you took the reins on a group project or organized others to accomplish something. Leadership means different things in different settings, so think about your own experiences and how it applies.

Do you like working with people?

This question is key when it comes to recruiting. “Our product is people, and people are very unpredictable,” Weickgenannt says.

That means you need to understand how to work with all kinds of people. So, to ace this question, communicate that you not only enjoy being a service-oriented team player, but also are skilled at handling the twists and turns of working with a range of personalities.

At the end of the day, Weickgenannt stresses, the most important qualification for a Staffing Recruiter boils down to essentially one quality. “We’re looking for somebody who has very strong interpersonal skills,” she says. “That’s definitely the most important qualification for us. Someone who’s able to connect with others and have strong communication.”

What would you do if…?

These types of behavioral questions—during which your interviewer will present a scenario and ask how you’d handle it—are very common for Staffing Recruiter interviews.

First, don’t panic.

The important thing to remember is that you will receive a lot of training once the job begins, so it’s more important to show that you’re resourceful, clever, and smart. Don’t perseverate on the fact that you’re unfamiliar with the specifics or tactics you’re presented with.

Weickgenannt also recommends researching common behavioral questions. “There are plenty available online,” she says. Yet no matter what, always make sure you:

Practice beforehand.

Polished answers will demonstrate your public speaking skills and sales skills.

Engage with the interviewer.

Make sure you’re actually engaging with what the interviewer is asking. This way you can learn about the position and better prepare for later in the interview process.

Ask thoughtful questions.

Do your research beforehand so that you can ask an informed question when the interviewer turns the tables. Additionally, you should think of a question based on something the interviewer either said or asked. And avoid topics like benefits, vacation time, or salary. Those can be ironed out later.

Follow up!

“A candidate who can stand out in the application process is someone who’s being responsive,” Weickgenannt says. “Following up, keeping open the line of communications—that’s really memorable.”

These interviewers are handling a ton of applications for a variety of jobs. Following up by thanking them for their time and reminding them of your strengths is a great way to ensure you’re going to be top of mind when decision time comes around.

Interested in a career in recruiting? Apex is hiring on WayUp now, so check out their open roles and apply!

5 Signs You’re Perfect For A Job In Recruiting

Recruiters are an essential part of the business world. But what skills make an ideal candidate? According to recruiting expert Casey Weickgenannt of Apex—one of the country’s premier staffing and recruiting firms—recruiting is all about people.




Strong Social Skills

Here’s something that all successful recruiters know: Recruiting is a lot like matchmaking.

You have to pair the person with the position in a way that makes both your client and your candidate happy. Otherwise you’re not getting the job done.

This means you’re basically making two sales at the same time. To pull that off, you need equal parts intelligence and social grace. That’s why social butterflies with a knack for making compelling arguments will find themselves uniquely prepared for this role.

Weickgenannt agrees. “The best candidates are well-rounded and have very strong interpersonal skills,” she says.

Multitasking And Quick Thinking

Recruiting is incredibly multifaceted, which means you need to be, too.

“There really is no average day,” Weickgenannt says. “There’s a lot of variety.”

That variety includes anything from meeting with candidates and following up on references to strategizing with your team and extending offers. Sometimes it can even mean helping with on-boarding for the candidates who accept the job.

And all the while, you’ve got more positions to fill. If you’re someone who looks at a mountain of tasks and thinks, “I’ve got time for that and maybe a couple of other things, too,” chances are you would thrive as a recruiter.

Leadership Skills

“Leadership” is one of those vague terms that seems like it simultaneously applies everywhere and nowhere—usually, that is.

But when it comes to recruiting, you actually need to lead people. It’s like being the president of a club, except your goal is to get everybody in the club the perfect job. That means helping people put forward the best version of themselves and their skill sets—and matching them to positions that you’re tasked with filling. (And then trying do that again and again and again.)

That can be challenging at times. “Our product is people, and people are very unpredictable,” Weickgenannt says.

That’s when the whole leadership thing comes into play. Gifted leaders are inherently more capable of driving people toward a common goal.

Think of it this way. If your candidate or your client can’t get behind your plan, then you’re not effectively doing your job. But if you’re someone people turn to for advice, then you’re probably the kind of person they would trust to get them the right job.

Money Motivation

What’s the most rewarding part about recruiting (beyond the satisfaction of helping people better their lives and advance their careers)?

“Compensation,” says Weickgenannt. “It’s a very lucrative career.”

Recruiters are incentivized based on job performance. That means the more successful you are, the more money you can make—and the higher you can climb up the corporate ladder.

If this kind of success lights a fire under you, then you’re sure to be excited by a competitive recruiting career.

Flexible Backgrounds

If you’ve made it this far and you’re thinking, “Well, I’ve got these other skills, but I’m not a business major,” then you’re in luck.

The range of successful recruiters includes people with a ton of different educational backgrounds. “There’s not one major that we look for,” Weickgenannt says. She adds that some of the more common ones include communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, and psychology.

So, long story short: If you’re an entrepreneurial, charismatic leader, there’s a great chance that you can find your place in recruiting.

Interested in a career in recruiting? Apex is hiring on WayUp now, so check out their open roles and apply!

What Does A Staffing Recruiter Do?

First, let’s talk about recruiting.

So, you want to know what a Staffing Recruiter is? Well, before we dive in, let’s make sure we’re covering our bases and addressing what a Recruiter does.

There are many different types of Recruiters, but they all perform essentially the same function: They help companies find and hire qualified candidates for open positions.

Recruiters typically work either in-house for specific companies or at staffing firms like Apex, which recruits for a range of businesses and clients.

What unites all Recruiters? They have to be willing to work hard, learn a lot, and project a confident, level-headed image to both clients (businesses) and candidates.

To dive into the topic, we talked to Casey Weickgenannt, a Corporate Recruiter at Apex, one of the country’s premier recruiting firms. She sat down with WayUp to nail down what it means to be a Staffing Recruiter.

What do Staffing Recruiters do?

Staffing Recruiters work at staffing agencies. They match qualified candidates with the right position that aligns with their background. They work across multiple verticals and are great problem solvers. The ideal Staffing Recruiter is able to assess a situation and make a decisive decision.

What are the challenges?

As a Staffing Recruiter, you need to be able to build relationships with candidates in order to best understand where they’ll make the biggest impact.

This can be incredibly rewarding—you’re helping people start or further their careers—but it’s not just the candidates you’re trying to assist. At the end of the day, you need to make sure your firm’s clients—the businesses who have hired you to fill positions—are getting the types and quality of candidates they’re looking for.

According to Weickgenannt, that means on any given day you can be “at meetings keeping each other accountable, generating leads, cold calling, following up with candidates, checking references, and seeing who’s the best match.”

What are the rewards?

Apart from the satisfaction of helping people advance their careers and better their lives, Staffing Recruiters enjoy many other perks. Chief among them, Weickgenannt says, is competitive compensation. “It’s a very lucrative career,” she stresses.

Additionally, being part of a team that comprises charismatic salespeople has its social rewards. “It’s a work hard, play hard environment,” Weickgenannt adds.

There’s also the satisfaction that comes from a job well-done. Recruiters often get to extend employment offers themselves. That means you’re going to have a lot of people who are very grateful and excited to be speaking with you.

Interested in a career in recruiting? Apex is hiring on WayUp now, so check out their open roles and apply!

What’s A Day In The Life Of A Recruiter Like?

Wondering what the day-to-day work of a Staffing Recruiter looks like? The truth is, no two days are exactly the same.

Staffing Recruiters have the challenging and rewarding job of recruiting amazing candidates to work for their clients. They’re involved in the entire candidate recruitment process from start to finish. They make sure everyone they work with has a great experience—whether or not they get the job.

To get a better sense of what a Staffing Recruiter does throughout the day, we talked to top staffing services firm Apex.

Morning Team Meeting

Staffing Recruiters at Apex kick off each day with a team meeting where everyone shares their daily goals. The purpose? To hold everyone accountable for their work (and provide support if needed).

Time For Calls and Emails

After their morning meeting, Staffing Recruiters at Apex get to work. This includes cold-calling potential candidates and following up with existing candidates by email or phone. They’ll also check professional references for candidates in the final stages of interviewing.

Meeting With Account Managers

Account Managers learn their clients inside and out and work together for a team with Recruiters, though they have individual goals. The more Account Managers know, the more effective they are at exceeding their customers’ business needs. That, in turn, enables them to better inform their Recruiters on what kinds of candidates would be the ideal fit for those businesses.

Onboarding Activities

Discovering that a candidate you’re working with got the job is one of the most exciting parts of being a Staffing Recruiter. When that does happen, you’ll get to help prepare the offer letter and oversee any additional paperwork—and of course celebrate your success!

Connecting with Past Placements

Relationship-building is at the heart of being a Staffing Recruiter. Because of this, your job doesn’t end once you place someone in a role. To make sure their clients are happy and thriving, Staffing Recruiters might check in via phone or schedule lunches and/or coffee dates to stay in touch.

This is just a sample of the day-to-day experiences you’ll have as a Staffing Recruiter. Depending on where you work, you might also spend some time in trainings to improve your soft skills and learn more about the industries you’re recruiting for. Recruiting may be a competitive field, but it also offers room for personal and professional development.

Does this sound like a job you’d be excited to do every day? Well, you’re in luck: Apex is hiring on WayUp now!

Here Are All The Recruiting Terms And Titles You Need To Know

So, here’s the deal: Recruiting is a great field that offers awesome pay and advancement opportunities. But it’s not exactly the best-known industry among college students and recent grads.

The great news? There are many majors that prep you for this type of work. These include communications, business administration, public relations, advertising, marketing, psychology, and finance.

And that’s just the start of it.

If you’re interested in recruiting, you’re in luck. We talked to top staffing services firm Apex to get their insider knowledge on some of the important terms and job titles you need to know.

Staffing Recruiter

Let’s tackle this one first. You might hear the word “recruiter” and think that this role falls within Human Resources. But it’s more related to sales than HR.

That’s because Staffing Recruiters “sell” amazing candidates on a specific company and role. To help their clients fill specific high-priority positions, staffing recruiters post job listings, find and reach out to qualified candidates, and manage the candidate experience throughout the recruitment process.

That’s why thriving in this role requires, among other qualities, strong relationship-building skills.

Account Manager

While Staffing Recruiters focus on building relationships with candidates, Account Managers build relationships with clients. These clients turn to companies like Apex to help fill open roles. It’s the Account Manager’s job to ensure all clients are getting the candidate results they’re looking for.

Delivery Manager

One thing Account Managers do not do is manage and support Staffing Recruiters. That is the responsibility of the Delivery Manager. This role is tasked with equipping Staffing Recruiters with the tools they need to be successful with clients. That can include things like training, helping allocate which positions they work on each day, and facilitating team and one-on-one meetings.

Corporate Recruiter

At Apex, Corporate Recruiters connect with hiring managers across the country to hire Staffing Recruiters—for Apex’s own team.

So, remember this: Staffing Recruiter = recruiting talent for Apex clients. Corporate Recruiter = recruiting team members for roles at Apex.

Headhunter vs. Staffing Recruiter

In the past, the term “headhunter” had a far more negative connotation. Today, you’ll hear these two terms used interchangeably in many places. That said, they’re aren’t necessarily the same thing. A headhunter could refer to someone who identifies candidates before finding positions that perfectly match them. That distinguishes them from Recruiters, who know the position before they find the ideal candidate.

Employment Agency vs. Staffing Agency

Many people think these are the same thing, but they’re actually pretty different.

Employment agencies typically focus on temporary employee placements with faster turnaround times. For example, if a company needs someone to fill in for six months while the full-time employee is on leave, it would likely use an employment agency.

Staffing agencies, on the other hand, place employees in long-term, (often) full-time assignments. Because of this, the process is a bit more consultative and strategic.

Feeling better equipped to navigate the world of staffing and recruiting? Great! Apex is hiring on WayUp now.

What Is Supply Chain Management?

If you’ve ever heard of supply chain management, you might be wondering exactly what it is and how it fits into other areas of business. To find out the answer, we recently sat down with Dr. Cynthia Kalina-Kaminsky. She’s the president of Process & Strategy Solutions, and she gave us some great insights into supply chains and how they impact the economy.

Here’s what she had to say about working in supply chain management.

What exactly is supply chain management?

Supply chain management is not a new concept. But it’s definitely a concept that has changed in recent years. At its core, it boils down to satisfying customer demands and finding the most efficient ways to get a product from the manufacturer to the consumer. For example, when you buy a phone, a supply chain is responsible for manufacturing that phone and for all of the steps involved in getting it delivered to you.

In recent years, supply chains have become more complex, and this has led to new challenges. “Companies used to think they had basically one supply chain,” Dr. Kalina-Kaminsky explains. “Now, because there is such an abundance of supply, we create supply chains to satisfy what customers value.”

What this means is that companies require more processes in order to serve their customers better. The good news? With increased demands come increased opportunities for employment and career development.

What types of jobs are involved in supply chain management?

Supply chain management includes everything from data analysis to transportation management. The key to finding a role that’s a good fit is knowing where your interests lie. You then have to develop skill sets to match them.

Dr. Kalina-Kaminsky recommends doing this by identifying what you’re passionate about. “What do you find yourself coming back to?” she asks. Whether that’s working with data, developing processes, or working closely with other people, supply chain management involves all sorts of career options that could work for you.

Is supply chain management a cross-functional industry?

Because a supply chain has so many moving pieces, working in supply chain management absolutely involves some degree of cross-functionality. Although there is some variation depending on the role you pick — for example, a data analyst will likely have a less cross-functional position than a transportation manager — most roles in the industry do rely on team-oriented processes to deliver results.

Is supply chain management a good field for recent grads?

“Globalization has opened up more competition, leading to increased supply chain requirements,” Dr. Kalina-Kaminsky explains. As a result, there are now increased demands that can’t be met by the existing older workforce. “Baby boomers are leaving the workforce and few are being trained to take their places. On top of that, many were or are in legacy jobs that need to be updated for today’s realities,” she emphasizes. Because of these gaps, there is an immediate need for fresh talent to enter the field, not only to fill existing positions but also to help create new ones.

Working in supply chain management is an exciting chance to learn about the processes that power a consumer-driven economy. It’s also a great opportunity to participate in a field that is rapidly changing and evolving to serve a new generation of consumers. If turning that opportunity into action sounds like an exciting prospect, then supply chain management might just be for you.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as Top 10 Things You Should Look for In a Company and find answers to common interview questions such as Are You Willing to Travel?

Types of Public Sector Consulting Jobs

Working in public sector consulting presents an opportunity to help citizens stay safe and ensure they have access to the government services they need. Your work may impact organizations ranging from defense to intelligence to civilian and military health. If you have a passion for technology, business, and doing good, odds are there’s a way to channel it into a career in public sector consulting.

The challenge is deciding what career path is right for you. To help, here are some common jobs within the public sector consulting space.

Technology Consulting Analyst
Technology Consulting Analysts work alongside clients to help identify challenges they’re facing and create strategic solutions that fit within that client’s existing business strategy and goals. You will also be focused on optimizing the systems development lifecycle by educating your client’s’ IT team on the improvements and best practices your team puts in place. The most rewarding part? Since you’re working within the public sector, many of your technology solutions will have a direct impact on citizens.

Financial Management Analyst
In this role, your work will touch the entire lifecycle of a client relationship. You’ll help with the financial management of contracts for your company’s clients and make sure the needs of both your clients and your company’s finance team are met. Responsibilities of a Financial Management Analyst include: ensuring teams are in compliance with contract terms, making sure contracts are paid in full, and forecasting revenue based on your company’s sales pipeline.

Intelligence Analyst
In this role, you will likely have four core responsibilities: First, identifying opportunities for a client to improve their business by researching, interviewing, conducting workshops, and using analytics tools. Second, identifying changes a client must make to take advantage of these opportunities. Third, working alongside your clients to design and plan how to implement new business processes and tech requirements. And finally, providing guidance so company leaders, employees, and customers adapt to the new way of doing things.

Software Engineer Analyst
As a Software Engineer Analyst, your job will largely consist of designing, coding, and testing business applications. You will use cutting-edge technologies and processes to help solve some of the most complex technology challenges facing your clients. Your work will have a wide-reaching impact on client success, from initial analysis through implementation of solutions.

Security Analyst
In this role, you will be responsible for using innovative approaches like AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics to stop potential cyber attacks before they happen. Your work will help clients adapt to the constantly changing threat landscape and may span a range of services, including security and risk, cyber defense, digital identity, application security, and managed security. Many entry-level Security Analysts get exposure to each of these areas with the opportunity for future specialization.

If you’re interested in a consulting job within the public sector, you have a wide range of career paths to choose from. Whether you’re looking to work in finance, software engineering, or something else, there may be a position that’s right for you.

What is Public Sector Consulting?

Consulting generally refers to the practice of helping companies increase their efficiency and profits. Consultants do this by identifying and addressing major operational or strategic challenges those companies are facing. Public sector consulting specifically refers to achieving these goals for government agencies at the local, state, or federal level and other non-profit entities.

What jobs are available in public sector consulting?
There are a wide range of opportunities available within public sector consulting, depending on your background and interests. You’ll find that many of these job titles are similar to those at a private-sector consulting firm (with a few big differences, which we’ll get to in a bit).

For example, you may work as an Intelligence Analyst, researching and designing plans for implementing new business processes and technology requirements for clients. Or, you could work as a Financial Management Analyst, forecasting revenue and helping manage contracts to ensure the needs of your clients and your company’s finance team are both met. You might also work as a Security Analyst, using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and predictive analytics to stop potential cyber attacks before they happen.

How is public sector consulting different from private sector consulting?
While there are certainly similarities, public sector consulting work isn’t just about doing private sector work for government entities. One of the most rewarding aspects of a public sector consulting job is the wide-reaching impact your work will have. Public sector consulting work helps keep citizens safe and ensures they have access to the government services they need. Your work could impact organizations ranging from defense to intelligence to civilian and military health.

The other major difference between the work of a private sector and public sector consultant is the scale of your work. For example, in the public sector, you might be consulting for the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which reaches far more people than a single healthcare provider. Imagine working with the VA to improve their IT system. That’s an enormous (and enormously impactful) undertaking that has the potential to improve medical services for American citizens around the world.

What are some projects I might work on as a public sector consultant?
You’re likely already familiar with many of the clients that public sector consulting firms work with. For example, Accenture Federal Services worked with the National Park Foundation to develop immersive digital tools aimed at attracting younger visitors to the parks. They’re also working with the US Department of Education to improve the experience of taking out and paying back student loans. Public sector consultants might also work to improve daily life in cities across the country, or even work with the United States Department of Defense or Transportation Safety Administration.

Public sector consulting—and consulting as a whole—is a field that will keep you challenged and present endless opportunities to learn and grow. If you have a passion for technology, business, and contributing to society, odds are there’s a way to channel it into a career in public sector consulting.

What is Consulting?

Being a consultant is an exciting opportunity to learn the ins and outs of running a business in an effective and profitable way. Regardless of your major, if you’re a creative problem-solver who is interested in different types of business models, then being a consultant might just be for you.

Here are some of the key things you need to know about working in consulting.

What is consulting?

Consulting is a fairly broad term that can have a variety of meanings depending on the industry it refers to. For example, you can work as a marketing consultant helping companies create and optimize their marketing campaigns or as a software consultant, designing software systems for an organization. However, although the term has many applications, it’s generally used to refer to management or strategy consulting, the practice of helping companies increase their efficiency and profits by addressing the major operational or strategic challenges they’re facing.

What do consultants do?

Consulting roles can vary greatly depending on the type of consulting firm you work for and the companies you work with. For example, if you work for one of the large management consulting companies (such as McKinsey, Bain or Boston Consulting Group) you’ll be following a fairly structured career path, starting off as a junior consultant and moving up to a senior consultant role within two to three years. Working at one of the larger consulting firms also means that you’re more likely to be a generalist in your early years since you typically only become specialized in a particular vertical, industry or type of work after working in consulting for several years. At smaller consultancies or boutique firms, you’ll generally focus on a particular industry from the beginning (such as healthcare or technology) and work exclusively within that industry.

What are the challenges of working in consulting?

Being a consultant is an exciting career path but it does have its share of challenges. One of the main ones is traveling. Although many other careers require travel (e.g. sales), few are as travel-intensive as consulting. In fact, it’s not uncommon to hear of consultants who travel four out of five days of each work week, meaning that your non-travel time will usually be limited to weekends. Additional challenges include long hours (12-hour days are standard) and working closely with a new team every few months. Although these factors might take a little getting used to, most consultants adapt to them fairly quickly and are able to thrive in their roles.

What are some of the benefits of working in consulting?

One of the main benefits of being a consultant is having the opportunity to learn about multiple industries and business models. In fact, this knowledge will serve you well throughout your consulting career (and beyond), allowing you to quickly spot operational and managerial problems and come up with creative solutions to solve them. And although travel can be a challenging part of the job, it can also be an exciting one, giving you the opportunity to see new parts of the country (and helping you build up some frequent flyer miles in the process!). Consulting will also improve your presentation skills, teaching you how to build impressive presentation decks and communicate your point effectively to any type of audience.

What is a typical consultant salary?

One of the other benefits of being a consultant is the high earning potential. In fact, consulting is one of the most lucrative professions around and it offers great salaries for recent graduates. Entry-level salaries for management consultants typically start at $63,000 (including bonuses), though this can vary depending on the size of the firm you work for. Consulting salaries increase significantly with each year of additional experience and can go up to $250,000 for a project leader or even $500,000 and above for a partner.

Although consulting is certainly a challenging field, it’s also an exciting one that presents many opportunities for recent grads. The best way to find out if being a consultant is a good fit for you is to intern at a consulting firm and get a hands-on feel for the role and the culture of the industry.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How to Handle Back-to-Back Interviews and find answers to common interview questions such as Tell Me About Yourself.