If you are preparing for a career in business consulting, the best possible start is with education and experience. Participating in a consulting internship and a consulting certification course simultaneously is ideal. When resumes are reviewed by most human resources departments or qualifications are studied by prospective clients, the first things most people look for are education and experience. Internships are mutually beneficial. They help students get the experience they need in the field, and they provide quality labor to the employer at little or no cost. Finding an internship with a successful consulting firm is an excellent way to learn the business.
This benefit is multiplied exponentially when the intern is taking a training course at the same time as the business consulting internship. Business consulting certification courses are marked by their applicability. Students can take the skills and methods they are learning from the program and see them put into practice right away. The core fundamentals of business, or management, consulting curriculum are the best practices of the field. These include the methods, models, processes, and formulas that have been proven by many people over a long period of time to be most effective and efficient. The courses also deal with the operational knowledge of business consulting.
One of the major benefits of a business consulting internship is seeing how a successful firm structures systems and day-to-day operations. A training course will also cover these areas. The double exposure helps students to learn them more fully. In addition, firms may be successful even though they are not using the most efficient processes. Training in how to structure the consulting assignments and consulting delivery models will give the students an opportunity to see several methods and decide which will work for them. Many consultants are self-employed, choosing not to work for established firms. Training courses can also show how this can be structured differently from a firm with many consultants.
A great business consulting internship and a great business consulting course will have at least one thing in common: ethical business practices. Though management consultants are focused on streamlining the business and increasing the profit line, they are professionals who should never recommend unethical methods or illegal actions. Toward this end, all good courses will include ethics considerations and guidelines in the curriculum. Pairing a solid business internship with an excellent certification training course results in an impressive resume and a certification credential.