Typically, consultants work on a variety of projects that range in length from a few days to several months, performing a range of skills for their clients. This may sound as if consultants have no strictly defined job description, and in many respects this is true. Consultants restructure business processes, research new technologies, design databases, solve technical problems, debug programs, design user interfaces, write business proposals, share knowledge, attend meetings, give demonstrations, manage projects, take training classes, execute test plans, and write tomes upon tomes of documentation. Good consultants are constantly redefining their roles and searching for new opportunities. Sometimes consultants get to see the immediate results of their work, while other times they need to be content knowing that they ve contributed to a larger process.
Consultants often put in long hours, but they are usually well-compensated for their efforts.
Many consulting firms welcome applicants with varied backgrounds. A Cognitive Science degree also provides a great background for a career in consulting. My interviewers seemed especially interested in the fact that I had a good understanding of how the mind works. As I started to work on various projects, I kept seeing familiar concepts pop up in unexpected places. While teaching my firm s 12-week Information Technology training course, I was able to draw on my knowledge of how people learn and acquire new skills.