Management Consulting Jobs with an Engineering Background
The world of consultancy has a number of branches. Two of them are engineering and management consulting. Both professions provide advice on business dilemmas. However, they work on different projects because of their respective expertise.
Engineering and Management Consulting Projects
Engineering consultants focuses on sharing their expertise on design and construction. For instance, if a company that’s planning to construct a stylish but environment-friendly building, the owners may consult engineering firms for professional assistance. Aside from infrastructure, engineering consultants also work on projects related to manufacturing, automotive, landscapes, electronics, roadways, etc. Huge engineering firms cover all these services but the small ones focus on a few areas.
Management consulting, on the other hand, focuses on resolving organizational concerns and generating plans for business improvement. If a company plans to launch a new laptop, the executives can ask management consultants to analyze the current market and determine if the product will be a hit or not. Like engineering consultancy, this field is also wide. Services include product development, pricing, market segmentation, corporate strategy, human resources and so on. Global firms cover all these areas but boutique consulting firms focus on a few services.
Do Management Consulting Firms Hire Engineers?
Management consulting firms consider applicants from different backgrounds, as long as they have the factors that enable them to perform their job well. McKinsey is noted for hiring engineering graduates. In fact, they have a three-day seminar called, Insight Engineering & Science. In this fully-paid activity, post-doc engineering students and graduates will be given an overview of consulting, workshop on case studies and introduction on the duties of consultants.
Nicolas D., an expert principal of McKinsey, said that his lack of business knowledge didn’t hinder him from being successful in management consulting. He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in France, had his masters in chemical engineering at Stanford University, and had good times at Silicon Valley. At first, he felt insecure of becoming a consultant but when he got employed, he appreciated the way the firm enhanced his innate skills. Currently, he is grateful to use his knowledge and abilities on his important projects.
Why Are Engineers Hired for Management Consulting Firms?
The following skills are being considered by recruiters when hiring engineering graduates for management consulting:
- Quantitative Ability – Engineers have a high level of mental math. Because they are comfortable using numbers, it is easy for them to analyze and interpret quantitative data, a critical phase of the project.
- Indicator of Determination – Engineering programs are difficult to finish. The school requirements are tough and the licensure examination afterwards is quite challenging. Hence, an impressive GPA indicates hard work and strong commitment, two values consultants must possess.