A management consultant helps an organisation solve business problems and make decisions. Working as part of a consulting team, they analyse evidence, speak with stakeholders, develop recommendations and present a proposed way forward.
If you are considering strategy consulting, that definition is a starting point. The more useful question is what the work looks like in practice: what a junior consultant actually does, how projects differ and whether the role suits your interests. A conversation with someone doing the job can make those points much clearer than a job title alone.
What does “management consultant” mean?
In plain English, a management consultant is an external adviser who helps an organisation’s leaders address a problem or opportunity.
For example, a company might ask:
- Should the business enter a new market?
- Why has growth slowed?
- Which customer groups should receive more attention?
- How could different parts of the organisation work together more effectively?
- What should the company prioritise over the next few years?
The consultant’s role is not simply to offer an opinion. The team gathers information, tests possible explanations and builds a recommendation supported by evidence.
Management consulting is a broad category, and strategy consulting is one part of it. If you are exploring a career in strategy consulting, check what a particular firm or team actually does rather than relying on the word “consultant”.
What does a management consultant do day to day?
The work varies by project, client and seniority. As a junior consultant, your day might involve several of the following activities.
| Activity | What it can look like in practice |
|---|---|
| Research | Reading industry reports, company materials and competitor information |
| Analysis | Examining data to understand trends or test an explanation |
| Interviews | Preparing questions for clients or other relevant stakeholders |
| Team discussions | Reviewing findings and deciding what to investigate next |
| Presentation preparation | Turning analysis into clear slides and recommendations |
| Client meetings | Sharing progress, asking questions and discussing conclusions |
You would usually own a defined piece of a larger problem rather than advise a senior executive independently from day one.
For instance, on a market-entry project, you might research competitors while another team member examines customer needs. More senior colleagues connect those findings and discuss the implications with the client.
The less visible part of the job
Job descriptions often emphasise problem-solving and impact. They may say less about revising slides, checking assumptions, requesting missing data or reworking an analysis after feedback.
Those tasks matter because consulting involves making complex information understandable and useful. A recommendation needs to be both well supported and clearly communicated.
A useful question to ask a professional is:
“Could you walk through a recent working day, without sharing anything confidential?”
That often produces a more realistic picture than asking whether consulting is “interesting”.
Management consulting versus strategy consulting
The two terms overlap, but they are not exact synonyms.
Management consulting can cover a broad range of organisational and business challenges, including operations, organisational design and implementation. Strategy consulting concentrates more specifically on questions about where an organisation should compete, how it should grow and which choices should take priority.
The distinction is not always neat. A strategy project may include operational questions, and a recommendation may lead to further work supporting implementation.
For your career research, the practical lesson is to investigate the team and its projects. Two people with similar job titles can have quite different experiences.
Questions that help clarify the difference include:
- What types of projects does the team most often handle?
- How much work involves setting direction versus supporting execution?
- Do junior consultants work across industries or specialise early?
- What responsibilities does an intern typically receive?
- How does the work change as a consultant becomes more senior?
What skills would you need?
Strategy consulting typically draws on several skills, but you do not need to infer everything from recruitment language. Conversations with professionals can help you understand how those skills translate into everyday tasks.
Structured problem-solving
Consultants break a broad question into smaller questions that can be investigated. In recruitment, case interviews help assess this ability.
Ask an insider how structured thinking shows up on actual projects, including how teams respond when the evidence challenges their initial assumptions.
Analytical judgement
The role involves interpreting information, spotting gaps and deciding which findings matter. Being comfortable with data helps, but analysis is useful only when it supports the decision at hand.
You can ask what distinguishes useful analysis from work that is detailed but does not help the client make a choice.
Clear communication
Consultants need to explain their reasoning in a way that colleagues and clients can follow. Your writing, speaking, listening and presentation skills all matter.
Ask how junior consultants receive feedback on their slides and explanations, and which communication habits new joiners often need to develop.
Teamwork and responsiveness to feedback
Project work involves coordination and frequent revision. As you explore the career, ask how feedback works, how responsibilities are divided and what good collaboration looks like for a junior team member.
Curiosity about businesses
An interest in how organisations operate can help you stay engaged with unfamiliar sectors and problems. Speaking with consultants is also a way to test whether that curiosity extends to the everyday work, not just the career’s reputation.
How to find out whether consulting suits you
A definition explains the role. An informational conversation helps you discover whether the work appeals to you.
Rather than asking a professional to decide whether consulting is the “right career” for you, gather concrete evidence about the experience.
Ask about the work
- “What did a junior consultant contribute on a recent project?”
- “Which tasks take up more time than applicants usually expect?”
- “What makes a piece of analysis useful to the team?”
Ask about the working environment
- “How does the pace change across a project?”
- “How much visibility do junior team members have over their schedule?”
- “What support is available when someone is new to a task?”
Workload, travel and staffing arrangements can vary. One professional’s experience is valuable, but avoid treating it as a universal description of the sector. Where possible, compare perspectives from different teams or offices.
Ask about entry routes
- “What should a student understand before applying to this team?”
- “What distinguishes a well-prepared internship candidate?”
- “How should candidates balance case practice with learning about the firm?”
- “Which public recruitment resources are worth reviewing?”
These questions keep your conversation practical without turning it into a request for privileged information or a hiring guarantee.
How to use a 15-minute conversation well
A short call works best when you have a clear purpose. Trying to cover the entire profession, recruitment process and interview preparation in one conversation usually leads to shallow answers.
You can use this structure to keep the discussion focused:
| Time | Focus |
|---|---|
| First 2 minutes | Brief introduction and reason for exploring consulting |
| Next 7 minutes | Two or three questions about the role and daily work |
| Next 4 minutes | One or two questions about preparing for applications |
| Final 2 minutes | Summarise your main takeaway and thank the professional |
Before the call, review the professional’s profile and prepare questions relevant to their experience. During the conversation, follow-up questions are often more useful than rushing through a long list.
A strong follow-up might be:
“When you say junior consultants take ownership early, what would that responsibility look like on a typical project?”
Afterwards, send a short thank-you message mentioning one useful insight and the action it prompted. There is no need to make an immediate request for a referral.
Turn the conversation into a practical next step
After your call, note:
- One aspect of the work that appeals to you.
- One aspect you want to investigate further.
- One action to take before applying, such as reviewing a recruitment resource or preparing an example of teamwork.
This helps you turn career research into a more informed internship search rather than simply collecting conversations.
Common misunderstandings about management consulting
“Consultants only give advice”
Recommendations are central to many projects, but producing them involves research, analysis, discussions and repeated testing of ideas. Ask about the balance between advice and implementation in the team you are considering.
“Every consulting job is the same”
A title alone does not reveal project mix, team culture, client exposure or junior responsibilities. Explore those subjects through specific questions rather than assuming that every role offers the same experience.
“A prestigious firm name explains the whole experience”
The firm matters, but so do the office, team, project and people involved. You will learn more by asking about actual responsibilities than by relying on reputation alone.
“Networking means asking for a job”
Your first conversation can focus on understanding the work and preparing thoughtfully. It does not need to include a referral request.
Explore strategy consulting through a conversation
Move beyond the definition with CallanInsider, which connects you with professionals doing the jobs you want to understand. Calls are free and last 15 minutes, and the insider calls you at the agreed time.
You gain access to the insider directory once two members sponsor you. Insiders choose 3 to 5 topics they can help with, so you can look for a relevant conversation. You can also explore community-answered interview and career questions by sector.
Visit CallanInsider and prepare a few focused questions about strategy consulting, the daily work and your next steps towards an application.