What Type of Consultant Should I Be

How it works

Good at something and thinking of selling the advice? Press the button for a kind of consultant, from management and IT to trial and theatre consulting, each with the work clients bring to it.

Read the full guide

Start from what you already know

A consultant sells advice in one area of specialization, so the field often follows a first career: a nurse can become a legal nurse consultant, a pharmacist a consultant pharmacist.

Then look at how the work is won

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says most management analysts work as consultants on contract. Those on contract may write a proposal and bid for the job against other firms, and analysts usually divide their time between their own office and the client’s site. Ask someone in the field how they won a first client.

A title can be regulated in one country and open in the next: immigration consultant is a regulated designation under some governments, not all.

Questions and answers

What are the different types of consultants?

Some advise on strategy and money, such as management, tax and economic consultants. Others advise on technology, on people and careers, on law, politics and media, or on buildings and the environment. This list holds 32 kinds, each with a line on the work.

How do I know what type of consultant I should be?

Ask which problems people already bring to you, and whether you would rather advise companies, courts, campaigns or one person at a time.

What does a management consultant do?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics describes management analysts, often called management consultants, as people who recommend ways to improve an organization’s efficiency. It gives a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level requirement, with several years of related work experience.

Does a consultant have to be an expert?

Not always. The Institute of Management Consultants USA puts a consultant’s value in diagnosing an often ill-defined problem and turning it into a workable solution, and adds that some experts are good consultants, some are neither and few are both.

All 32 kinds of consultant

Strategy and money 7

Consulting actuary Measures and manages risk and uncertainty, often for insurance companies.
Economic consultant Runs economic and statistical analysis for court cases, regulators and companies.
Executive search consultant Seeks out and recruits candidates for senior and executive jobs.
Interim manager Takes a senior role for a set period, often during a crisis or a big change.
Management consultant Advises organizations on how to improve their performance.
Market-entry consultant Helps a company begin sales or manufacturing in a new market or territory.
Tax consultant Uses advanced knowledge of tax law to keep a client’s tax low and within the rules.

Technology and science 5

Biotechnology consultant Advises biotech organizations on their research and production methods.
Consultant pharmacist A pharmacist who gives expert advice on the safe use of medications.
Engineering consultant Does engineering for clients, from product design to specifications and costing.
IT consultant Advises organizations on how best to use information technology to reach their goals.
Statistical consultant Advises on the design of studies and on collecting and analyzing the data.

People and careers 8

Consulting psychologist Assesses and advises individuals, groups and whole organizations.
Educational consultant Helps students and parents plan for college and graduate school.
Human resources consultant Advises on human resource management tasks and decisions.
Image consultant Advises on appearance, behavior, communication and presentation.
Immigration consultant Assists people moving to another country with the process and the documents.
Lactation consultant A health professional who specializes in the clinical management of breastfeeding.
Process consultant Works on how the people in a group or an organization work together.
Wedding consultant Helps with the design, planning and management of a client’s wedding.

Law, politics and media 6

Creative consultant Consults on a film or television screenplay, proposing and editing story outlines.
Employment consultant An expert witness who advises courts on earnings and the labor market.
Legal nurse consultant A registered nurse who helps attorneys read medical records in legal cases.
Media consultant Drafts press releases and prepares clients for interviews with the media.
Political consultant Advises and assists political campaigns, from advertising to voter polling.
Trial consultant Helps attorneys prepare witnesses, hold mock trials and select juries.

Buildings and environment 6

Acoustic consultant Designs how a building sounds, or works on noise and vibration control.
Energy consultant Works on a business’s energy use, often to cut costs or add greener sources.
Environmental consultant Checks that a client keeps to environmental regulations.
Loss control consultant A specialist in safety engineering and risk management.
Sustainability consultant Advises businesses on delivering their products or services in a sustainable way.
Theatre consultant Specializes in the design of buildings for the performing arts and their equipment.