What does a corporate consultant do?
A corporate consultant is a business expert; they provide advice, offer strategies to optimize operations, and solve business issues. They are responsible for conducting market research, conducting new market studies, gathering and assessing data from a business, and identifying the weaknesses and strengths of existing company programs. Through their research findings, a corporate consultant develops conclusions and recommendations to help companies make business decisions or achieve their goals.
Corporate consultant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real corporate consultant resumes:
- Provide SharePoint development and administration, budget and financial reporting; manage invoicing; and develop training manuals and user guides.
- Assist with and edit government PowerPoint presentations, speeches, official forms, and emails.
- Chair leadership committee, develop detailed project plan, tag lines, creative, ROI, communications.
- Conduct nutritional assessment audits, care plan audits, last progress note to ensure compliance and attend QA meetings monthly.
- Analyze internal knowledge infrastructure and develop optimized information system/organization.
- Analyze internal knowledge infrastructure and develop optimized information system/organization.
Corporate consultant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Corporate Consultants are proficient in Project Management, PowerPoint, and Financial Statements. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Corporate Consultants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 14%
Provided project management support to pursue and guide major activities related to bank consolidations as well as capitalizing on business opportunities.
- PowerPoint, 12%
Created PowerPoint presentations for consulting business.
- Financial Statements, 9%
Prepare and review monthly investor financial statements.
- Business Processes, 6%
Conduct training sessions for staff in 3 centers (50+ employees) for business processes.
- Real Estate, 6%
Created strategy map for expansion in multifamily real estate business vertical.
- Business Development, 5%
Drafted and negotiated sales agreements and contracts, including Requests for Information and Production for executive business development teams.
"project management," "powerpoint," and "financial statements" are among the most common skills that corporate consultants use at work. You can find even more corporate consultant responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a corporate consultant to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "management analysts must be able to interpret information and use their findings to make proposals." Additionally, a corporate consultant resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "researched innovative ways to use new technology to fundamentally change the data protection methods of emc environments. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform corporate consultant duties is communication skills. Corporate consultants responsibilities require that "management analysts must be able to convey information clearly in both writing and speaking." Corporate consultants also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "chaired leadership committee, developed detailed project plan, tag lines, creative, roi, communications. "
Interpersonal skills. This is an important skill for corporate consultants to perform their duties. For an example of how corporate consultant responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "management analysts work with managers and other employees of the organizations for which they provide consulting services." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a corporate consultant: "leveraged deep knowledge of hr policies and employment law, as well as, strong interpersonal and communication skills. ".
Problem-solving skills. For certain corporate consultant responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "problem-solving skills." The day-to-day duties of a corporate consultant rely on this skill, as "management analysts must be able to think creatively to solve clients’ problems." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what corporate consultants do: "evaluate internal management /staffing problems and provide hr solutions and recommendations. "
Time-management skills. Another crucial skill for a corporate consultant to carry out their responsibilities is "time-management skills." A big part of what corporate consultants relies on this skill, since "management analysts often work under tight deadlines and must use their time efficiently to complete projects on schedule." How this skill relates to corporate consultant duties can be seen in an example from a corporate consultant resume snippet: "provide all the necessary support to make sure the nightly bi incremental completes on time as per slas. "
The three companies that hire the most corporate consultants are:
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.6 corporate consultants jobs
- QuintilesIMS6 corporate consultants jobs
- FTI Consulting4 corporate consultants jobs
Compare different corporate consultants
Corporate consultant vs. Business analyst-consultant
A business analyst-consultant is responsible for overseeing the project management and ensuring that the operations meet the agreed-upon project deliverables. Business analyst-consultants closely coordinate with the clients for their specifications and requirements, monitoring the resources and processes for the project completion, and aligning those to the clients' budget goals. A business analyst-consultant helps the development team on strategizing techniques for brand promotions with minimal costs with maximum quality and productivity. They should have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on identifying business opportunities to drive revenues and increase profitability.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a corporate consultant are more likely to require skills like "powerpoint," "financial statements," "business processes," and "real estate." On the other hand, a job as a business analyst-consultant requires skills like "strong analytical," "business process," "data analysis," and "business analysts." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Business analyst-consultants earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $105,940. On the other hand, corporate consultants are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $125,511.business analyst-consultants tend to reach similar levels of education than corporate consultants. In fact, business analyst-consultants are 3.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Corporate consultant vs. Business development consultant
The role of business consultants is to provide an analysis of a company on its business practices and make recommendations for long-term goals. This role is also connected with various duties and responsibilities, including reviewing the company's financial statements, engaging in research on how to improve the company's offers, and developing new business models. Also, business consultants are responsible for negotiating contracts as needed, initiating plans and strategies to minimize company losses and drive profits. They may also function as the company's representative in promotional events and trade associations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that corporate consultant responsibilities requires skills like "powerpoint," "financial statements," "regulatory compliance," and "cash management." But a business development consultant might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "healthcare," "crm," "cloud," and "strategic thinking."
Business development consultants earn a lower average salary than corporate consultants. But business development consultants earn the highest pay in the media industry, with an average salary of $95,927. Additionally, corporate consultants earn the highest salaries in the professional with average pay of $125,511 annually.In general, business development consultants achieve similar levels of education than corporate consultants. They're 0.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 3.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for corporate consultants in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Brian Simmons
Associate Provost, Columbia International University
Corporate consultant vs. Small business consultant
A small business consultant specializes in developing and recommending strategies to optimize the daily operations of small businesses. They typically meet with clients to identify their needs and preferences, determine their short and long-term goals, perform market research and analysis to find business or client opportunities, determine the strengths and weaknesses of current processes, and implement solutions against problem areas. They may also conduct risk assessments and help address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, a small business consultant must devise a plan to implement the establishment's policies and regulations, suggesting new ones as needed.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, corporate consultants are more likely to have skills like "project management," "real estate," "regulatory compliance," and "due diligence." But a small business consultant is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "business clients," "outbound calls," and "strong computer."
Most small business consultants achieve a lower degree level compared to corporate consultants. For example, they're 5.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Corporate consultant vs. Senior business consultant
A senior business consultant specializes in performing research and analysis to optimize business processes. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, devising strategies to reduce cost, assess risks, and identify the strength and weaknesses of operations to recommend solutions. They may also train and mentor junior consultants, produce progress reports and presentations, and assist clients through calls and correspondence. Furthermore, as a consultant, it is essential to adhere to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between corporate consultants and senior business consultants, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a corporate consultant might have more use for skills like "powerpoint," "financial statements," "business processes," and "real estate." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of senior business consultants require skills like "data analysis," "healthcare," "sr," and "analytics. "
The professional industry tends to pay the highest salaries for senior business consultants, with average annual pay of $111,128. Comparatively, the highest corporate consultant annual salary comes from the professional industry.In general, senior business consultants hold similar degree levels compared to corporate consultants. Senior business consultants are 4.5% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 2.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of corporate consultant
Updated January 8, 2025
