How To Start A Career In Consulting In Your Twenties? (5 Tips To Follow)

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By Jacob Maslow

Consulting is an innovative way of expanding a business. And acquiring business goals through consulting is not everybody’s cup of tea. But can twenty-year-olds take this as their first job? Can they pull off consulting career in the first go?

Most industry professionals consider a career in consulting a wise choice. It requires you to provide expert advice to businesses and organizations. 20-year-olds generally have good problem-solving skills helping them analyze situations, advise changes, or even give clients a certain amount of training.

So we’ve shortlisted a few facts and figures to ignite your journey towards building a successful consulting career in your twenties! 

  1.  Set up a professional goal
  2. Develop leadership skills
  3. Be flexible
  4. Establish your presence
  5. Develop good communication skills

Here in this article, we have provided you with an overview of the basics required to be a consultant.

Why are 20-Year-Olds A Good Match For Consulting Career?

The work of a consultant can largely depend on the organization and different businesses. A few consultants may be attached to particularly long-term projects, while a few may work on more short-term projects with their clients. 

They must also specialize in specific fields, such as marketing, human resources, or information technology. The options are limitless when it comes to consulting because you can be an expert in any field and provide expert advice to your clients.

5 Tips To Follow To Advance Your Career As  A Consultant

Here we will provide you with many ways to optimize your career as a consultant. One of the prominent options is to be an expert in a particular area; let’s take, for instance, marketing or human resources. If you are inclined to start a consulting career, here are a few basic things you need to do. The pivotal step is to achieve appropriate skills and experience. This may require completing an undergraduate or graduate degree in business or may even require to achieve a gaining work experience in a related role. 

Here we will be starting a list of ways to optimize your career as a consultant while you are in your twenties:

#1 Set Up Your Professional Goals

When you’re commencing your journey in your career as a consultant, it’s pivotal to set some very rigid professional goals. And ask yourself s primary group of questions. What are the goals that you want to gain in your consulting career? What do you want to become? Is it a manager or lead consultant? Or is it that you want to initiate your own business? No matter your goals, you must be sure that they are specific and achievable. Don’t set unrealistic goals that are very difficult to achieve.

When setting goals, remember that it will always help keep you focused and motivated, and it will aid you in staying on track for your career to reach heights.

#2 Develop Leadership Skills

Being a consultant, it will often be your charge to lead projects and teams. This implies that you need to build strong leadership skills. Leaders are the people who have the quality to motivate and inspire others, and they also can make tough decisions when required.

If you have set a goal to become a successful leader, you must start by practicing these master skills on more straightforward projects or teams. You must always be open to feedback and have that accepting quality to learn from your mistakes. Remember that leaders always learn and have the zest for learning in every situation. Hence, don’t hesitate to continue developing your skills throughout your career.

#3 Establish Your Presence

Being a consultant, it’s always advisable to propagate yourself as a pro in your field. This certainly requires networking with other professionals and leaders and securing your place as a thought leader. You can quickly achieve this by writing articles, being an orator at events, or participating in online platforms.

As you build your presence, there will be various new clients you will be able to attract and expand your network.

#4 Be Flexible

One of the critical skills you need as a consultant is flexibility. You may be asked to work on various projects with different teams as a consultant. You need to adapt to new situations and changes in several directions.

If you can master these skills, you’ll be well on your way to a successful career in consulting.

#5 Develop Good Communication Skills

This is yet another essential skill that is required of all consultants. It is often seen that one of the primary roles of a consultant is to communicate well and communicate personally with clients and stakeholders.

If you have the skills to communicate effectively, it will make your job easier as you’ll be able to explain your recommendations in a crisp and to-the-point manner. And if you fail to do that, it will be very tough for you to build a career as a consultant. Not only that but having brilliant communication skills is also a compulsion. Your nature and mind must also be problem-solving and critical thinking. These are a few sets of skills that will help you reach your career goal as a consultant.

Final Verdict

Now that we have come to the article’s conclusion, you must already know the essentials to start your career as a consultant. Ask yourself a few basic questions. This will help you determine if consulting is the right job for you. And if you feel it is, then be sure to achieve the appropriate skills and experience to achieve your goals and succeed in this field.

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