Strategic Consultant

Often commissioned by big companies, strategic consultants put together strategic studies on a given sector, suggest ways of solving strategic issues and help managers smoothly introduce new processes.

The life of a strategic consultant...

Strategic consultants help company bosses develop their strategies and business models. They also contribute to introducing strategies in terms of growth and competitiveness. They offer their clients a realistic vision when it comes to sales and acquisitions. Put simply, they help managers decide whether new processes, sales or acquisitions under consideration will actually be good for the company.

They offer a wide range of advice to all manner of companies and organisations, including:

• growth strategies

• markets and business opportunities

• optimising business portfolios

• positioning at competitive prices

• development proposals

• planning

• market entry strategies

• investment advice

How strategic consultants operate

Strategic consultants always work as part of a team. As a result, they need to have exceptional interpersonal skills, the ability to easily convey information whilst listening to others, whether colleagues or clients. Involved in all different kinds of industries and projects, consultants can quickly expand their areas of expertise. They need to be true coordinators, offering a variety of different skills and expert advice according to the needs of each individual client. Strategy is therefore a profession that is rarely practised solo.

Recruitment procedures at strategic consultancy firms

Strategic consultancy firms usually have very specific, selective and particularly demanding recruitment procedures in place. Their interviews are different from traditional ones in that they normally include highly challenging role plays and case studies. It’s a way of testing candidates on practical problems they may actually face due to the sheer diversity of the profession, involving a wide range of free-format discussions with examiners. The recruitment process generally consists of several rounds of 1 to 3 interviews each, meaning candidates should expect to attend between 6 and 8 interviews before being offered a job.

Required skills and profile

Education: graduate in advanced business or technical studies

Skills: strategic consultant must be able to quickly analyse complex information in an orderly, diligent and reactive way. They also need to be comfortable speaking and able to offer relevant solutions in a clear, precise and succinct way. 

Opportunities: there are a significant number of opportunities available to good strategic consultants. Indeed, today’s major corporations and public administration bodies rely heavily on consultancy firms for a wide variety of support and diagnostics. With several years of experience behind them, strategic consultants can expect to become managers and lead their own teams of consultants. 

Typical salaries for strategic consultants 

In their first three years on the job, strategic consultants can expect to earn between €30k and €40k.