Breaking Into
the Industry

What are the different types of consultancies?

The Major Consulting Firms

The following five major consultancies spawned from the Major Financial Accounting firms. They provide a full-suite of consulting services to their clients who span across multiple industries:

• Price Waterhouse Coopers
• Bearing Point (KPMG)
• Cap Gemini (Ernst and Young)
• Deloitte Consulting
• Accenture (Anderson)

Strategy Consulting Firms

These consultancies have historically described their work as 'strategy consulting'. They create innovative ideas that enable their clients reach new heights of excellence in their industry.

• Booz Allen Hamilton
• McKinsey
• Boston Consulting Group
• Bain and Company

Consulting Companies Specializing in an Industry

There are consultancies that hire based on industry expertise(Information Technology, Human Resources, or Health Care). For example, Hewitt provides human resource consulting. Since DLC concentrates on financial solutions, they typically seek CPAs. For those with strong industry experience, it may be worthwhile to seek one of the consulting firms that specializes in an industry.

Local or Regionally-Based Consultancies

Consulting opportunities are available through locally-based or regional consultancies. For instance, on the west coast, companies such as Point B, VIP, Cambria Solutions, and Purple Squirrel Solutions all provide consulting and advisory services.

Other Consulting Opportunities

Other consulting opportunities may exist internally within a company. For instance, Oracle provides external consulting for customers who use Oracle products. Other companies, such as Kaiser Permanente, utilize internal consultants to support their projects.

Companies are often looking to assess whether launching a new product or service is in their best interest. If the project is small, the company may decide to form a cross-functional team consisting of their current employees rather than hire outside consultants. Inquire at your company whether 'feasibility' or consulting projects exist; you can launch your consulting career without having to leave your current company.