Written by Yaw Kusi, Atkins Chartered Management Consultant, with contributions from Atkins colleagues.
Introduction
I currently lead the Transformation and Delivery Consulting Early Careers practice, overseeing Atkins’ Graduate, Apprentice, and Placement student programs. While the primary beneficiary of chartership is the consultant undergoing the journey, this blog explores its benefits for various stakeholders within the industry.
Enhanced Skill Set
The ChMC accreditation is underpinned by a rigorous curriculum encompassing organisational strategy, change management, data analysis, risk assessment, and leadership. This curriculum fosters accountability, pushing consultants to explore a diverse range of concepts, capabilities, methodologies, and practices. The resulting expansion of knowledge equips them with a comprehensive skill set applicable to their client work. Matthew Vandepeer and Laura Hobbs underscore this benefit:
Matt reflects, ““The ChMC has helped to guide my professional development throughout my time on the graduate programme at Atkins. Firstly, it has been a means through which I can reflect on my progress over time as well as allowing me to understand my own strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Most significantly, by making it clear where the holes in my knowledge and experience lies it has enabled me to seek opportunities to fulfil these gaps that without the ChMC I may not have been aware I had. I would highly recommend any young professional to seek this chartership.”
Laura adds, “Chartership has allowed me to better understand my growing skillset, providing the link between professional experience and the wide-ranging competencies that require building to develop as a consultant. Self-reflection through chartership has challenged me to actively think about the skills I am using day to day, and has equally allowed me to recognise current gaps that I can seek to actively develop”
Professional Networking
The ChMC accreditation opens doors to a thriving community of consultants, thought leaders, and industry experts. Early career professionals gain access to invaluable guidance, advice, and learning opportunities from seasoned professionals, propelling their career growth.
Uma Acharya attests to the power of this network:
“Undertaking the ChMC accreditation has been a great way for me to network with and learn from a diverse community of consultants. I have the support and access to a wide professional network who have helped to accelerate my career and refine my core consultancy skills.”
Career Advancement
Employers increasingly value candidates with professional accreditations, perceiving them as individuals dedicated to professional development and possessing the skills necessary for driving business success. Many consultants leverage the chartership journey for personal development, such as pursuing specialized training courses.
Brigitta Szabo offers insights:
“Going through the chartership process has allowed me to consciously track and reflect upon my trainings and experiences as a consultant. Through regularly setting development objectives and revisiting those, I have maximised the value gained from each of my assignments. This has accelerated my professional growth and introduced me productive habits to further my development going forward.”
Continued Professional Development
Chartership mandates ongoing engagement in professional development activities, including attending conferences, workshops, and webinars. This cultivates a culture of lifelong learning and ensures consultants stay abreast of the latest trends, methodologies, and emerging technologies.
Lillie Haralambous shares her experience:
“Chartership has encouraged me to not settle in what I already know about consultancy but has instead provided me with the tools and understanding of how I can continually develop in the industry in order to stay up to date with the latest technologies, practices and approaches. Chartership has provided me with not only a platform to continue learning but a responsibility to do so.”
Chartership at Atkins
To date, 700 consultants have achieved chartership, with 40 being Atkins consultants and around 200 on the journey. Atkins extends chartership opportunities to all consultants seeking accreditation. In the Early Careers practice, graduate program consultants complete a Chartership Log aligned with MCA criteria. This log prompts reflection on ethics, leadership, consulting skills, and personal development. This evidence supports progression to the advanced stage. Experienced professionals can expedite their journey based on prior consultancy experience.
Looking Ahead
While this blog highlights the advantages of chartership for early career professionals at Atkins, its benefits extend industry wide.
For a consultant it offers them the opportunity to develop and strive to achieve a prestigious accreditation in their industry. However, perhaps most importantly, chartership encourages and promotes a culture of development to a consultant, at whatever grade they may be, to sustain and maintain the industry’s valuable work.