How To Change Career To Management Consultancy

Should You Change Jobs? 

"Should I change jobs?” is a question every professional asks themselves at some point during their career, this is as true for management consultants as it is for anyone. It's a complex and personal decision that needs to be thought through. To help tackle the question head-on we’ve compiled some of the reasons for and against changing jobs, and a foolproof strategy you can use to decide whether it’s the right move for you.

Reasons For Changing Jobs

The most common reasons for changing jobs are to move up the career hierarchy, get a promotion, and earn more money. These are all valid, of course, but there are many other reasons you might want to change jobs:

• If you're feeling overworked and undervalued in your current position.
• If you need a fresh start. Sometimes a new role, new colleagues, and a new workplace can inject some energy and enjoyment back into your work.
• To try and achieve a better work-life balance.
• To move somewhere new, without taking on a longer commute.

You may also want to ask yourself whether your company is heading in the right direction, for you or in general. If not, it may be time to find a company that suits you better or that’s more likely to yield opportunity in the long term, so you can share in their success. Of course, in the world of management consultancy, you will be expected to be a driving force in that success yourself.  It might help to make a list of reasons why you are looking to change your job, so you can clearly see what qualities a new company should have in an ideal world.

Reasons Against Changing Jobs

Changing jobs isn’t always the best career move. Yes, it can accelerate your success. But it can also catapult you in the wrong direction if you’re not careful. It’s important to consider a few reasons not to change jobs too:

• You'll have to build new relationships from scratch
• It may take time for your employer to trust you with responsibilities
• If there’s a high probability of a promotion in your current company
• If you’ve already changed jobs frequently in a short space of time

If you're even considering getting a new job, then there must be something that you're motivated to change.

• Is your salary too low?
• Do you feel undervalued?
• Want to improve your skills but your employer won’t provide opportunity or training?

With the right strategy, you can actually be able to solve all of these problems without changing jobs.

Want to work from home and spend more time with your family? Then ask your boss for a trial run to prove that you can achieve the same results and more by working from home.

Want a promotion? Ask your boss if you can work in a more senior role on a trial basis for the same salary. Ask that they only make it permanent if you blow their socks off and prove your value.

Not every employer is going to be able to accommodate, but if you’re on the fence about changing jobs anyway, what’s the harm in having a discussion with your boss first? It goes with the old adage of 'if you don't ask, you don't get,' so asking the question is the right thing to do, as long as it is done in the correct way. 

 How To Answer The Question, “Should I Change Jobs?”

Ultimately, deciding whether to change jobs is a very personal decision, so perhaps the best advice we can give you is to start by pinpointing why you’re considering a change. Then decide what you really want and map out a path to get there.

For example, if you want a better work-life balance and need the flexibility to work from home sometimes, there are various ways you could achieve that:

1. Ask your current employer for a trial run and prove that you can get better results working from home.
2. Find a new job that includes home working in the job description.
3. Find a new job and negotiate home working during the interview process.
4. Work as an independent consultant or freelancer for two days per week and reduce your employed hours.

Many professionals change jobs in the blind pursuit of a salary increase. In doing so they risk neglecting all of the other factors that make up a successful career and can often end up burnt out and unhappy.

Instead, start by writing down why you're not happy in your current role so you can avoid running into the same problems. Then decide what you really want. Map out all of the paths you could follow to achieve your goal. If changing jobs still turns out to be the best option then at least you’ll know exactly what to look for.

Time To Move On?

If you're still on the edge, and just want to see what the alternatives could be, then contact us and we'll try and help you determine whether changing jobs is the right move.  You can also view the latest Management Consulting Jobs.

If you've already decided that you'd like to like to change jobs and find a new management consultancy role then we're here to help -- submit your CV.

See why Ascent is one of the leading Management Consultant Recruiters.