Question…
I am an international undergraduate student looking for jobs in consulting firms and investment banks in USA. I am double majoring in Psychology and Economics and wanted advise on skills I need to have to apply for both these jobs, thank you!
Mandy’s Thoughts
First – you need to consider what what type of position are you looking for. Specifically, you want to determine what type of “Consulting firm” you mean – that is a very big category that includes general business, training, technology delivery, technology administration, human resources, accounting, and many other areas.
If your plan is to be a consultant (of any kind, really), remember that the main job of a consultant is to listen and then help solve the underlying problems presented. To be effective a consultant must analyze the current situation from a variety of perspectives, compare with the client’s desired outcome, and find an acceptable process for bridging the gap.
Any consulting position is going to require experience as well as a strong written and verbal communication skill set.
Consider volunteering with local organizations or working through an online “virtual” service (like Upwork) to focus on growing your experience bank.
For the communications piece, work on creating and delivering messages in multiple formats (written short form, long form/essay style, video, audio and walk through tutorial).
It is important to keep track of your work, building a “portfolio” of consulting projects to refer back to in the future. This will help when you are connecting with new clients, marketing your services, and developing your resume.
“Asked & Answered” is a compilation of questions presented by coaching clients and friends.