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Careers
in Consultancy
PMSelect
enable talented senior project professionals to secure positions
in project management consultantancy
Project professionals are recruited into consultancies at
all stages of a project management career. They can work as
independents and as associates to large practices. Interim
managers often act as project managers and executives on a
contract for services.
Many project
professionals prefer to work on a contract basis, working
in a project manager role and are also referred to as consultants.
Some examples of the roles project managers
- Reviewing
projects and project organisations
- Training
and development of project staff
- Investigating
and reporting
- Facilitating
organisation change
- Operating
project/programme offices
- Conducting
surveys
- Technical
audits
Global
Consultancy firms
Some large consultancies see a turnover of consultants in
the 30/40-age range, of people looking to widen their career
experience. There they find the opportunity to develop skills
as a consultant and mentor and to experience project management
as practiced across businesses and sectors. Consultancies
deploy project professionals in this way to use their talent
and to build the network of contacts across sectors. A proportion
stay on as consultants, becoming account managers and practice
partners.
Some of
the most accomplished project professionals move to supervising
and mentoring less experienced project managers (rather than
manage projects directly)' as well as managing programmes
at a senior business level (Portfolio). This experience prepares
them well for working as a consultant.
Consultants
are people who are often more fascinated by management as
a process than in occupying an executive role. They enjoy
the variety offered by consultancy, the networking and the
opportunity for innovation and selling. The work is well paid.
Other
opportunities
Project management consultancy is a growing industry and there
are many practices employing 10-100 consultants, as well as
retaining associates on their books. Some consultants will
also set-up to work on their own as sole traders.
People
who choose consultancy
A consultant must be expert in their subject and, as an adviser
and trainer and mentor, know how to share this specialist
knowledge. They need also to be people who like to work independently
and to regard selling their services as a matter of routine.
They need to be accomplished communicators. To survive, they
must be able to read the politics of an organisation and able
to judge the most appropriate tactics to deliver the benefits
required.
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