Two young beautiful ladies were walking down the road. They saw a frog. The frog said, "Kiss me and I will become a Consultant". One lady bent down, picked up the frog and kept it in her bag. The other lady enquired, "Why didn't you kiss the frog?" The first lady replied, "Consultants are available a dime a dozen but a talking frog is rare".

 Amused or shocked! Much depends on which side of the table you sit. There may be hundreds of jokes in the corporate jungle or on the Internet about the consulting profession but globally consultancy is the most sought after career by the management students. And it is growing rapidly.

 Who is this consultant? A consultant is an expert or advisor who is hired and paid by a client to achieve a certain goal. Peter Block terms him as, "a person in a position to have some influence over an individual, a group, or an organisation, but also has no direct power to make changes or implement programs".

 Newer and specialized areas have been emerging for professionals to jump onto the management consulting bandwagon. Traditional avenues for management consultants are: Marketing, Finance, Systems, HRD, Operations, International trade, Organisation structure etc. Any young professional can choose to enter consulting through large multinational consulting firms, Management advisory services of major accounting firms, small and medium-sized consulting firm, Special technical service organisation, consulting division in management institutions, Become internal consultant in a large corporation, Carry out the consulting profession while teaching in a management institute, Create or join a small firm of consultants or be an Independent practitioner of consulting.

Because of downsizing and outsourcing activities that have traditionally been conducted internally, companies are creating an unprecedented need for consultants. After all, the corporate workload doesn't diminish even when the number of employees left to deal with it does.

Typical situation where companies need consultants are:

Inadequate in house technical knowledge and expertise, limited resources or resources committed else where, need to get opinion/advice/intervention of a more/broader experienced professional. Need to get on objective/impartial appraisal, need to gain assurance, guidance or counseling for new markets/business, stimulation/training from the specialized trainer, desire to introduce change/usher new attitudes through a consultant who can provoke/facilitate etc.

 The Consultant-client relationship can take place in four kinds of situations:

1. When a consultant is thrust upon a client. - e.g. The Managing Director of the company likes a person and asks him to start advising his company even though the need for such advices is not felt.
2. Clinical situation - Where just like a patient-doctor relationship, the client expects the consultant to use his expertise to examine the problem and recommend solutions. Later, the client follows the prescription of the consultant.
3. Engineered situation - Where the client is very clear about what to expect from the consultant and defines the parameters within which the consultant must operate. For example, project the sales volume of particular region over the next 5 years.
4. Collaborative situation - Where the client knows the in's of his organisation and the consultant knows the in-out's of various organisations and both join hands to work towards a common goal.

 Getting into employment of any consulting organisation is like any other job. The kicks are different if you intend to set up your own shop. Many people have done it very successfully but a majority still shudders to take such a risk. Prior work experience always helps to set up your show but in few of the emerging areas like IT, web technologies etc. your latest skills matter the most. By and large, the experience does matter. The more gray-hairs you have in India the better are the chances to succeed as a manager-on-daily-wages or as a manager-on-lease. Consider the following 'pros' and 'cons' to take your decision.

 Management Consulting:

• Offers the chance to be on your own.
• Eliminates getting mired in company politics, red tape, bosses and bureaucracy.
• Requires minimal capital investment (e.g., assume home office).
• Allows you to control your time, both in terms of amount of work and schedule.
• Provides opportunity for variety and travel.
• Carries no mandatory or customary retirement age.
• Offers potential for high annual income.

 You have to guard yourself against:

• Intense competition, particularly in fields hard hit by corporate layoffs.
• No built-in support system.
• Lack of any organizational authority to implement your solutions or ensure that your recommendations will be carried out as intended.
• No set schedule or routine.
• Blurred line between work and leisure time.
• Irregular cash flow.
• Sporadic work flow.

 The following questions can help to examine your readiness: -

• Do you regularly read a number of publications or other material in some area that is of special interest to you?
• Have you assembled a library on the topic?
• Do you associate with people who are active consultants or authorities in your field of expertise?
• Have you already tested the field?
• Have you ever tried consulting on a no-fee basis, as a hobby or avocation?
• Did you ever consider your own personal traits and interests to see how they might serve you as a consultant?
• Have you ever thought seriously about what it would be like--and what it would take--to commit two or three years to develop a consulting practice?

Management Consulting is a profession where the entry and exit is very quick. People with narrow focus cannot sustain themselves. To be a success, you will need to have:

-          High intellectual abilities

-          Ability to understand people and work with them

-          Ability to communicate with and persuade the clients

-          Intellectual and emotional maturity

-          Personal drive and initiative

-          High integrity and adherence to ethics. The Institute of Management Consultants of India and the Consultancy Development Centre have already adopted the ethical practices, which members have to comply with.

-          Strong physical, and mental health to cope with occasional excessive pressures.

 Today we hear about all types of consultants in the corporate world. They may be giving support in secretarial, administrative, security, housekeeping etc. Please note. They are not the consultants. They are independent contractors who are generally not expected to be expert in their field. A contractor is hired to work in tandem with a client's full-time employees who are doing similar, or even identical work. Since the client generally expects output or production, rather than advice or strategic direction, contractors are often hired for repeatable, ongoing tasks rather than the more complex and conceptual projects associated with consultants. Indeed, at the very top or highest level of practice, consultants are usually associated with a specific belief system or body of intellectual work, which forms the core of their uniqueness as well as providing a foundation for their work and relationships.

 If, after honestly examining yourself, you still believe that consulting represents a sound career option for you, the best next step may be to get in touch with established consultants, particularly individuals who work in your field or a related area. Ask them what it was like to start their businesses, what skills and experience they found most valuable, and what, if they were to start all over today, they would do differently.

 People still believe in the old definition of a consultant i.e. a consultant is the person who takes your watch to tell you the time and keeps the watch as his fee. And next time if you ask him the time, he will get into a retainer ship with you. Well, these are perceptions only. Ask some successful managers. Many would hold a hidden desire to become consultants one day.

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