I am a BComHons student with financial management as my main subject and I’d like to start working as a consultant next year. What companies could I look at, besides Mckinsey. Are there any consulting companies in Bloemfontein?

Although it’s a popular company, you don’t have to restrict yourself to McKinsey, or any of the bigger management consulting firms. Your field of study is a requirement in many industries.

Consultants are generally people companies hire to provide advice about how to conduct business. There are many kinds of consultants out there; technical consultants give advice on technological issues, financial consultants advise on money and mining consultants advise on how to maximise returns on mining expeditions. But management consulting tends to be the biggest division – so your trade may be sought after in any industry.

Management consultants are typically organised into teams, specifically chosen for a given project. Each team is hired by an external firm to conduct a project, and is constructed internally by the consulting firm. The average team comprises three to six people, depending on the job specifications and the clients’ needs – so your preference for size of company can also serve as an indication of the size of team you’re most likely to be working in.

There are other firms such as www.quantonline.co.za, which deals with advice on derivatives, quantitative analysis and education related to the more technical side of share trading. Grant Thornton (traditionally an accounting firm), now employs advisers to help answer those fundamental questions for a range of organisations around the world.

Deloitte Consulting is one of the fastest growing consulting businesses in the world, with more than 800 globally connected professionals on board – also worth taking a look. But your best bet is to join the Institute of Management Consultants of South Africa.

The Institute is the professional body representing management consultants. It sets and maintains standards for the profession in South Africa, and can put you in contact with all member companies, from which you can learn about the options available to you once you graduate.

But don’t limit your options – unless there’s a really important reason you have to be in Bloemfontein, apply anywhere! The discipline of management and finance advice is subject to economic factors and can thus be practised anywhere in the world – the closer you are to the major markets, the easier you tasks are, due to limitless resources.

Check out: www.quantonline.co.za

www.gt.co.za

www.monitor.com

www.deloitte.com

www.mckinsey.com

www.imcsa.org.za