The consulting industry in general has evolved over the years. Gone are the days where MBA grads desire jobs working for top investment banking or management consulting firms. Today, they prefer to find the hot new startup, the next Google, or anything related to social media. As a result, finding consulting talent – good talent – takes more time and effort as the demand clearly outweighs the supply.
So with that, what do I look for in a consulting candidate who wants to work at Citisoft? The most obvious answer is someone with strong consulting skills that align with our service offerings, and has significant experience working within the investment management industry. But that’s the easy part, as all candidates that walk through our door bring resumes that demonstrate our required skills and domain knowledge. What separates one person from the next? How do we determine if a candidate is a Citisoft consultant or not?
Here’s what I look for when I have a chance to meet them:
- Confidence – Does the individual display confidence in his/her responses to questions? I want a consultant who is borderline arrogant but in a subtle way that says “I’ll get it done because I can do anything”.
- Personable – Consultants will be thrown into many different client cultures, and with the start of each project, will be viewed as the outsider. A good consultant will gain the confidence of the client who may initially be threatened by your presence. How well you interact with your client will go a long way at establishing a strong working partnership with them where your job is to make them look good.
- Communication Skills – I’ve always believed that consulting is all about communication. How you communicate with your client is just as important as what you communicate. I’ve seen many consultants do a wonderful job at problem solving and developing solutions for clients, but ultimately fail with the client because they don’t know how to get the message across to the client.
- Perceptive – Put another way - a good listener. I want consultants who listen and understand what the client is saying and how they are saying it. Being perceptive allows you to adjust your approach to interact with the client in the most affective way to be successful. No two clients are the same so the consultant must quickly adapt to the client – not the other way around.
- Problem Solver – You need to understand that your job as a consultant is entirely about solving problems. You need to embrace and be passionate about solving problems.
- Thick Skinned – There’s a great line in The Godfather where Michael Corleone says to his brother Sonny “….this isn’t personal Sonny, this is business”. Nothing can be truer in consulting. A good consultant needs to separate personal issues with clients from business issues. A good consultant can roll with the punches, ignore the criticisms and stay focused on adding value to the client. Nothing is ever gained by picking a fight with a client, but much is lost.
- Team Player – Good consultants must demonstrate that they’re willing to work and learn from others. It’s critical to establish a strong collaborative working relationship that is based on trust and respect for each other.
