What does a consul do?
Consul responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real consul resumes:
- Lead the financial responsibilities of the consulate by managing monthly reports, annual budgets, and payroll.
- Manage social media platforms including Facebook and twitter, coordinate supervisors international business travel, and perform administrative tasks
- Leverage quantitative and qualitative market research data to fine-tune labeling and POS designs that are well-received by a major national retailer.
- Direct maintenance/engineers to establish robust maintenance systems, preventative maintenance programs, maximize equipment reliability and establish meaningful KPIs.
Consul skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Consuls are proficient in Financial Transactions, Visa Applications, and Sales Floor. They’re also known for soft skills such as Organizational skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Consuls that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Financial Transactions, 19%
Reviewed financial transactions and monitored budget to ensure efficient operation, and to ensure expenditures stay within budget limitations.
- Visa Applications, 16%
Adjudicated immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications.
- Sales Floor, 11%
Assisted in putting inventory on the sales floor shelves and setting up marketing displays.
- Humanitarian Assistance, 8%
Worked with the Consulate to provide Humanitarian assistance to the local Italian Community.
- Bank Deposits, 7%
Handled Customer Service problems & changes as well as daily bank deposits.
- Trade Shows, 5%
Organized British manufacturing group members to exhibit in 3-5 trade shows each year.
Most consuls use their skills in "financial transactions," "visa applications," and "sales floor" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential consul responsibilities here:
Organizational skills. One of the key soft skills for a consul to have is organizational skills. You can see how this relates to what consuls do because "public relations and fundraising managers are often in charge of running several events at the same time, requiring superior organizational skills." Additionally, a consul resume shows how consuls use organizational skills: "assist executive director in organizational strategic planning and other special projects as needed. "
Speaking skills. Many consul duties rely on speaking skills. "public relations and fundraising managers regularly speak on behalf of their organization," so a consul will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways consul responsibilities rely on speaking skills: "served as spokesperson for the consulate and handled all media and government relations for the midwest. "
Writing skills. consuls are also known for writing skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to consul responsibilities, because "managers must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases and speeches." A consul resume example shows how writing skills is used in the workplace: "helped in writing and editing press releases. "
Communication skills. consul responsibilities often require "communication skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "managers deal with the public regularly; therefore, they must be friendly enough to build a rapport with, and receive cooperation from, their media contacts and donors." This resume example shows what consuls do with communication skills on a typical day: "developed effective communication skills and conflict resolution through continuous contact with athletic directors, coaches, and student athletes. "
Leadership skills. Another common skill required for consul responsibilities is "leadership skills." This skill comes up in the duties of consuls all the time, as "public relations and fundraising managers often lead large teams of specialists or fundraisers and must be able to guide their activities." An excerpt from a real consul resume shows how this skill is central to what a consul does: "worked with the athletic department staff to develop sportsmanship education, character development, and leadership training for student athletes. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill commonly found on consul job descriptions is "problem-solving skills." It can come up quite often in consul duties, since "managers sometimes must explain how the company or client is handling sensitive issues." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day consul responsibilities: "identified potential operational issues and provided solutions during major athletic events. "
The three companies that hire the most consuls are:
- NTT Data International L.L.C.8 consuls jobs
- Bank of America6 consuls jobs
- Oracle1 consuls jobs
Compare different consuls
Consul vs. Management associate
A management associate is responsible for assisting the management operations, supporting administrative and clerical tasks, and coordinating with other departments for project support to meet the organization's objectives and profitability goals. Management associates often respond to clients' inquiries and concerns on behalf of the executives, documenting their needs, and immediately escalating high-level complaints to appropriate personnel. They also meet with suppliers and other third-party vendors, negotiating contracts for business needs. A management associate must have excellent communication, be organized, and have time-management skills to perform duties in a fast-paced environment.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between consuls and management associate. For instance, consul responsibilities require skills such as "financial transactions," "visa applications," "sales floor," and "humanitarian assistance." Whereas a management associate is skilled in "customer service," "portfolio," "risk management," and "patients." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Management associates really shine in the finance industry with an average salary of $93,348. Comparatively, consuls tend to make the most money in the professional industry with an average salary of $95,359.management associates tend to reach lower levels of education than consuls. In fact, management associates are 5.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Consul vs. Membership director
A membership director is in charge of membership within various institutions such as fitness centers and clubs. Their duties include increasing business, marketing services, converting patrons to paying members, collecting membership payments, maintaining member records, and collecting feedback from customers. They oversee membership activities for an organization, including developing programs and offering information updates to members.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that consul responsibilities requires skills like "financial transactions," "visa applications," "sales floor," and "humanitarian assistance." But a membership director might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "front desk," "membership database," and "member events."
Membership directors earn lower levels of education than consuls in general. They're 9.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Consul vs. Associate director
An associate director oversees the daily activities and business operations within a particular area. They are primarily responsible for devising strategies that aim for growth in profit and customer satisfaction, implementing policies and standards, evaluate the workforce, providing support to various departments, and setting goals in terms of budget and sales. Furthermore, they must regularly report progress to the director and coordinate with managers and supervisors in the joint effort to reach the vision and mission of the company.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a consul is likely to be skilled in "financial transactions," "visa applications," "sales floor," and "humanitarian assistance," while a typical associate director is skilled in "patients," "healthcare," "project management," and "oversight."
Associate directors earn the best pay in the pharmaceutical industry, where they command an average salary of $143,618. Consuls earn the highest pay from the professional industry, with an average salary of $95,359.Most associate directors achieve a similar degree level compared to consuls. For example, they're 4.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Consul vs. Project director
A project director is an individual responsible for supervising workers from various departments given specific tasks to complete a given project. They create a budget to complete a job while monitoring the amount of money spent to ensure that overspending is avoided. They provide presentations to investors, business partners, and company executives to inform them about their progress and development. Project directors must have several years of experience and obtain at least a bachelor's degree in business economics or a related field to be hired.
Types of consul
Updated January 8, 2025
