“What does a consultant do?”

Engagement Managers Blake Moore and Cameron Nelson of Cicero Group posed that question recently to a room full of students at the David Eccles School of Business. Moore and Nelson, along with faculty members, Quantitative Analysis of Markets and Organizations majors, staff members, and Assistant Dean Ruchi Watson participated in the first-ever Management Consulting Bootcamp.

Moore and Nelson explained that, “In a nutshell, a consultant provides external advice for organizations that require specialist expertise or an objective outside perspective on their business.” The Cicero Group is a premiere consulting company headquartered in Salt Lake City which boasts 250 employees who serve 47 countries and speak 14 languages. The Cicero Group is a prime example of the need for consultants across cultures and industries.

Nelson used an experience he had while consulting for a company in Singapore to break down the role of a consultant with the attendees. He walked the students through the important questions he used to help the company. Were there still market opportunities available for the company, or was the market the problem? Was their product the problem? Was it a competitive product? He explained how working through each question helped solve many of the company’s cost and structuring issues. The organization found new partners, reduced costs, secured new manufacturers, and looked at customer feedback to successfully institute changes to customer service processes.

Assistant Dean Ruchi Watson discussed the qualifications required to go into consulting. “At the end of the day, this is client service,” she said. “You have to be able to take the insight you gain and express it in a way it matters to the client—and in a way that they will want to implement it, see it work, and then come back to you.” There are other important considerations as well. Consultants work long, hard hours, and Watson stressed that having an absolute fire in your belly for this kind of work was necessary to being successful and satisfied in the role.

Danika Li, a senior in Economics who is experienced at case studies, introduced students to the consulting career preparation process. During her most active period of consulting preparation, Li was participating in ten cases a week. “You need to learn how to do them by having tons of exposure… It also helps to give cases,” Li explained.

Li, along with fellow QAMO student Colby Judd, demonstrated a case study for attendees. The two stressed the importance of creating a strong framework which structures the process of thinking through a case to attain a solution. They also offered pointers that would help the students solve cases under grueling time constraints.

Finally, students were given the opportunity to practice their new knowledge by working through a case study in small groups. They were grateful for the opportunity to receive hands-on experience guided by field professionals. Preston Griffall, a Business Administration senior, noted, “The camp really opened my eyes to management consulting, as well as how competitive the field is. The bootcamp also helped me to see how important it is to get a jump start on my career.”

Article and photos by Eliza Randall and Oakley Miller — Corporate Outreach student ambassadors