Management Consultant Jumps to the Top of 2008's Best Jobs
Ever wonder what you can do with a business degree? There is one career within the field getting a lot of attention in the New Year.
It is a job that offers variety, travel options, generous salary and great opportunities for career advancement. One week you may be working with a leading automotive company and the next you will be off to visit with music executives at a record company. To top it all off, this exciting profession has recently been ranked among the top 31 Best Jobs in 2008, by the U.S. News and World Report. So what might this famed position be?
Management consulting is a career receiving high marks on the prospective employment charts of 2008. However, this profession offers many more appealing benefits, beyond job availability, to newly graduated professionals or those individuals looking to break into the field from a different discipline. In most cases, consulting firms are less concerned about a candidate’s degree type (i.e. finance, business) than with their academic record and the caliber of the institution in which he or she received the degree. The keys to this business are the ability to think critically about management strategies and effectively communicate this information into an organized, achievable set of goals. After all, management consultants are brought in by large corporations and business in order to assist in the development of new project, offer advice on pending business ventures and recommend available turn-around tactics for struggling organizations. Therefore, potential employers are looking for candidates who are intelligent, business savvy, confident and show self-initiative.
In many cases, the age of management consultants is surprisingly low. It is not uncommon for a twenty-something professional to be hired into a large management firm. New consultants are often sent immediately into the field because companies have strong research teams and senior staff members working to create a strong database of resources and information about clients. Therefore, new employees are able to immediately get their feet wet instead of spending several months getting to know clients and proper procedures.
Another fortunate benefit of this career is the pay rate. It would not be unreasonable for a new hire to break the six-digit range within a few years of his or her employment. More experienced consultants can increase their pay into the mid-six digit range with the support of a respectable reputation and accomplished career. The average salary for a management consultant is approximately $138,000.
As mentioned previously, management consultants tend to come from a wide range of academic backgrounds. However, many professionals consider additional academic credentials an enormous factor in career advancement. As another advantageous asset of the job, many consulting firms are willing to finance individuals return to higher education, particularly if he or she desires to pursue a master’s degree in business administration. With the advances of distance learning, management consultants can earn their business degree online while maintaining all job responsibilities at the firm.
If interested in learning more about business management and consulting, check out the following accredited, online business degree programs.
Article Source: http://www.usnews.com/features/business/best-careers/best-careers-2008.html