what is a consultant?
Designer suit, smartphone to your ear, seen everywhere is that how you imagine the role of a consultant? There’s more to it than that. In consulting, it’s about tackling challenges, managing crises, seizing opportunities, optimising processes, and driving change. The demands on organisations are high. They need to achieve their set objectives to stay competitive and successful. As a consultant, you help them improve, revitalise, or reorganise. You support them so they can reach their goals quickly, efficiently, and sustainably. Your areas of work are diverse, whether in management consultancy or as a partner during digital transformation. To be a successful consultant, industry specific expertise is essential. To breathe new life into a company, you need to be skilled in analysis, troubleshooting, and developing strategies. Only with a passion for the profession will you excel as a consultant. If the role of an advisor appeals to you because it matches your skills, then keep reading to learn more about the tasks, competencies, and qualifications involved.
consultant jobsworking as a consultant.
Are you curious about what a consultant actually does? Primarily, you provide advice and find solutions. But there's more to your role than that.
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your area of responsibility
Your specific responsibilities depend on the role you have as a consultant. Generally, your tasks as a consultant include the following:
- Project management: As a consultant, you lead many short term and long term projects. In doing so, you tackle numerous challenges and identify opportunities.
- Communication: You regularly meet with the company's management team or other clients to identify their requirements.
- Data collection: You gather all the data you can get. This helps you to understand your clients and the industry. To do this, you use interviews, surveys, reports, or annual financial statements.
- Analysis: To assess a problem or the market, you need to analyse data and situations. Essential: you draw the right conclusions from them. A thorough analysis allows you to recommend strategies and measures.
- Presentation: You present and explain your results and the resulting recommendations to the management team or other clients.
- Advice: If the management team hesitates and isn't quite sure what the best course of action is, you provide guidance. In doing so, you explain which solutions are most suitable for achieving the objectives and fostering further development.
- Implementation: Your client has decided on a strategy. Now, you define the measures, create a project plan, and oversee the implementation.
- Rating: As a consultant, it is your responsibility to regularly assess the situation. Are the optimisations effective, or do adjustments need to be made? You do everything necessary to ensure the successful completion of the project.
- Expand your expertise: In your role as a consultant, your specialised knowledge is your livelihood. It’s essential for you to stay up to date at all times. Only then can you support organisations effectively and productively.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on where you work as a consultant, you'll be dealing with different colleagues. You'll encounter professionals in various roles. This makes your job exciting and diverse. You'll work alongside excellent analysts, precise accountants, innovative engineers, or forward thinking managers. Depending on the industry, you might also work with specialists such as doctors or scientists.
types of consultants.
Consultants have the opportunity to specialise. Some of the most well known types of consultants include:
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Business consultant: As a business consultant, you provide expert support in problem solving. Whatever the business question, you optimize processes, improve performance, and develop strategies. In short, you assist the management team with advice and practical help, guiding them to make the right decisions.
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Personal consultant: You provide expert advice on all personnel decisions. Whether the company is looking for skilled workers or management staff, you browse platforms and utilise your networks. But that’s not all: you also review personnel strategies, including training and development programmes.
- IT consultant: Your role as an IT consultant is to assess the company's information technology systems for functionality and to analyse potential threats. You develop customised IT solutions, which you install and maintain.
salary as a consultant.
Your gross salary as a consultant depends on various factors. In particular, the company you work for has a significant influence on your monthly pay. Additionally, your expertise and professional experience play a major role. The more specialised your knowledge is, the higher your salary tends to be. As a specialist who provides substantial value to organisations, you will earn more than a generalist. Your starting salary as a consultant average around £66,000 per year. Broken down monthly, that’s approximately £5,500. Find out more about your gross earnings as a consultant.
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how much do i earn as a consultant in a permanent position?
As a consultant, you typically earn between £60,000 and £130,000 gross per year. That’s roughly £5,000 to £10,800 per month. The median salary is around £75,000, which works out to about £6,250 a month. The more experience you have, the higher your earning potential. The consulting world offers a flexible career path. You can work full time, part time, or on a project basis. If you’re engaged as a full time consultant, the project takes centre stage. This often means working more than 40 hours a week, including evenings and weekends. You’ll also be frequently on the move. In return, you usually receive additional benefits such as a company car and performance based bonuses. Besides the company you work for, the region also influences your salary. In Bern, Zurich, and St. Gallen, you tend to earn more than in Basel.
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in which industry do i earn the most as a consultant?
Your salary primarily depends on your area of expertise. An attractive monthly pay awaits you as a consultant in the ICT industry and the financial sector. The public administration tends to pay a bit less. The lowest salaries are found in the service sector and healthcare. The actual gross salary you receive in these industries is influenced by your additional benefits.
training and further education as a consultant.
To kickstart your career as a consultant, you need an academic qualification. The usual route is through a university master's degree, a bachelor's degree from a university of applied sciences, or a higher technical examination. For your foundational studies, subjects like business, IT, or engineering are suitable. During your studies, you should specialise in a consulting focus such as leadership, management consultancy, or organisational consulting. Gaining work experience is best done through internships. Alternatively, specialised courses like a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master of Advanced Studies in Business and IT Consulting are also good options.
positions as a consultant.
Your chosen specialisation determines the industry you will work in after your studies. For example, you could find yourself working with top consulting firms, technology companies, or in the financial sector. Consultants are particularly in demand in the IT field as well. As a management consultant, you mainly advise clients in manufacturing or the public sector. Since you typically deliver your consultancy services on site, the role involves travel. It’s up to you whether you prefer to work locally or internationally. Are you looking for an attractive position as a consultant? You can find current vacancies on this page.
positions for career changers as consultants.
With an excellent degree, you have the best chances of becoming a consultant. However, as a career changer with professional experience, you are also in demand. Ideally, you come from related fields such as Chartered Accountant (HFP) or Organisation Consultant (HFP). Any gaps in knowledge regarding analysis and methodology can be filled through relevant courses.
career opportunities and development potential as a consultant.
Are you passionate about working as a consultant but looking for new opportunities? Typically, you start your career as a junior consultant. After gaining a few years of experience and successfully completing projects, you can progress to senior consultant. If you stand out through passion, dedication, exceptional achievements, and further training, you might consider becoming self employed. Working for a top consultancy, you can establish yourself as an Associate through your successes. Want to develop further as a consultant? Check out our tests and tips.
competencies as a consultant.
A good consultant has an excellent academic qualification. Important skills and competencies also include:
- Communication skills: As a consultant, you need to listen attentively in order to understand your clients' concerns. Together with your conversation partners, you discuss what the issue is and where the path should lead. Your strong communication skills will support you in this.
- Empathy: During your consultancy, you build a relationship with the client. You respond to all their wishes and needs. Thanks to your empathetic approach, you can put yourself in your clients' shoes. You understand the motivation behind their requirements.
- Problem solver: Sometimes a consulting assignment involves more potential for conflict than expected. It’s then down to you as the consultant to bring issues to the table and find a solution.
- Creativity: The best way to solve problems is by thinking outside the box. This makes it easier for you to come up with unique solutions. Creative thinking helps you to resolve issues as they arise.
- Flexibility: As a consultant, you need to constantly adapt to new situations. This could involve new tasks, changing industries, or different clients. You are adaptable and easily adjust to new requirements.
benefits of working as a consultant at randstad.
There are many good reasons to work at Randstad as a consultant:
✓ exciting jobs at well known companies
✓ a reliable point of contact whenever you need one, personalised advice matters
✓ attractive employment conditions and good social benefits
✓ further education courses and personal development opportunities
✓ clear information in the myRandstad app
✓ do you have a fixed term contract? Often, there’s the opportunity to secure a permanent position afterwards. Many well known companies also recruit their staff directly through Randstad.
your training budget as a consultant at randstad.
If you work as a production worker for Randstad, you have access to training courses. As part of the TempTraining programme from swissstaffing, you can attend training sessions. You will be reimbursed for the course fees later, provided you pass the course exam. Your Randstad advisor is there to support you if you have any questions. This way, you can gain additional language skills or job specific knowledge all during your working hours as a consultant.
application tips for consultants at randstad.
Have you found your dream job as a consultant? It’s not just qualifications and certificates that determine the success of your applications. Careful, error free, and personalised documents will definitely help you in your job search. Here are a few useful tips to optimise your chances:
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1. find a position as a consultant
Search through Randstad job vacancies. If you can't find a position that’s a perfect fit, you’re still welcome to get in touch with us personally without any obligation, or you can create a Randstad profile.
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2. applying as a consultant
The job advert continues: apply online, give us a call, or send us an email.
Make sure your documents are complete.
✓ CV with photograph
✓ work references & DiplomasYou don't have a CV yet, or only an outdated version? Create a new layout using a free online template.
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3. preparing for a job interview as a consultant
A good preparation will help you stay calm during the interview as a consultant. Here you’ll find tips for your job interview.
frequently asked questions.
Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions about working as a consultant.
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what does a consultant do?
As a consultant, you advise and support companies across various areas. Whether they want to improve, revitalise, or reorganise, you help them do so. It’s up to you to ensure they achieve their goals quickly, efficiently, and sustainably. You might work as a management consultant, IT consultant, or HR consultant. Curious? Read on to find out more about what it’s like to work as a consultant.
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how much do i earn as a consultant?
Your gross salary as a consultant ranges between 70,000 and 150,000 CHF per year, with a median salary of around 92,000 CHF. A significant factor is where and for whom you work. Years of professional experience will increase your pay. Additionally, you benefit from various perks such as a company car and performance based bonuses. Find out more on this page about your gross salary as a consultant.
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is being a consultant a good profession?
If you're looking for a varied career with constantly new challenges, you'll find happiness as a consultant. The Swiss consulting sector is a growing market. As a highly qualified graduate, you'll be pleased with numerous entry opportunities. Your expertise is in demand across all sectors and companies, especially if you've completed a degree with a technical focus. The ongoing digitalisation and the trend towards greater sustainability are new, lucrative fields for consultants. Want to find out more about what awaits you as a consultant? Keep reading here.
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is it difficult to be an IT consultant?
In your role as a consultant, you are constantly adapting to new situations. Overtime is part of the job, and you spend a lot of time on the move. This leaves little time for a private life. If your work as a consultant is your vocation and you are a true team player, the exciting challenges will bring you fulfilment. Even as a newcomer, you will learn a great deal from your mentor, both professionally and personally. Strong communication skills and a lot of dedication will help you progress. To find out what makes the profession of a consultant unique, visit this page.
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do you need experience to become a consultant?
If you’re already gaining industry experience during your studies, it will help you when starting out as a consultant. If you’re switching careers and entering the consulting role as a career changer, several years of professional experience are actually a requirement. If you lack a specific qualification, you can simply acquire it through courses. For example, some employers support employees in pursuing an MBA or a PhD. Read more here about what you need to become a consultant.
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what requirements do I need to meet to become a consultant?
As a consultant, you primarily need an excellent university degree and some initial practical experience. Many large companies also require foreign language skills, particularly in English and French. Depending on the company and industry, knowledge of Chinese can be a real advantage. Additionally, you should be flexible and resilient. Today, employers are looking for communicative, analytically minded consultants who understand their clients. Discover our current vacancies for consultants here.
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how do I apply for a vacant position as a consultant?
Your application as a consultant is straightforward. Create a Randstad profile and browse our job board for available positions nearby. Have you found an interesting opportunity? Then send us your cover letter, CV, and certificates straight away. Need help with your application? Our tips will guide you to craft a compelling application.
