In today’s globally competitive market, corporate strategy is often intertwined with technology solutions. To respond to customer needs, management consulting firms increasingly seek tech professionals with business knowhow to help their clients.

“The vast majority of work relating to consulting is technical in nature,” says Tom Rodenhauser, president of Consulting Information Services. “That trend will continue. The future bodes well for techies.”

Management consulting firms specialise in niche areas. Some are information technology shops like IBM, while others are strategy specialists like McKinsey. But all consulting companies, from major players to niche firms, expect most employees to have solid IT knowledge, if not in-depth tech expertise, say experts. “The demand has moved towards people who have the business experience coupled with the technology experience,” says Eileen Raymond, director of talent acquisition and management at BearingPoint.

Rodenhauser puts it this way: “Understanding technology and how it affects business processes is fundamental to both sides.”

Quick-witted

Techies who think their technical skills are the ticket to a management consulting job will likely be disappointed. Consulting companies, especially those specialising in strategy, seek candidates with top-notch educational credentials, a record of achievements and excellent communication skills. They want smart people who are quick learners.

The candidate interview process at many consulting firms reflects this — they want to assess a candidate’s analytical skills. Kurt Salmon Associates, a global consulting firm specialising in consumer products, retail and healthcare industries, uses a business case set in an IT environment to get a sense of how a person thinks, rather than his or her specific technical expertise.

Team player

For BearingPoint, Raymond says she looks for well-rounded candidates who have proved their leadership through internships and other activities. Because consultants work with a variety of clients, being able to work on a team, write well and handle presentations is crucial.

“We have found that you can train a smart person to fix a widget, but it’s more difficult to train someone in people skills,” says Dena Rafte, president and CEO of Rafte & Co, a consulting company specialising in legal technology. Solid academic credentials are crucial. Major strategic consulting firms continue to seek consultants from the Harvards and Stanfords of the world, notes Rodenhauser. Other firms look for candidates who are among the top students at their schools.

Low-tech

IT-specific consulting firms are more likely to value tech experience over academic pedigree. But even positions emphasising technical expertise require an outlook that extends beyond .NET and Java. “We look for people who have an understanding of business, an appreciation of the finer points of office culture, a focus on people and process rather than simply hardware and infrastructure,” says Rafte.

On the move

Consulting firms readily concede that consulting life is not for everyone. Consultants often travel three or four days a week, says Cox. “It’s a difficult life to adjust to,” she says. Consultants may work on multiple projects for a variety of clients, requiring them to switch gears without much notice. And while an in-house staffer might see an initiative through several phases, consultants often leave projects behind for others to implement. These considerations are among the reasons why it is difficult to break into consulting from another industry unless you are bringing in-demand industry expertise.