Former Big Four consultants, Karina Brown and Jim Stichbury started GroHappy after experiencing how difficult it can be to make an effective career decision. They now build digital products that help both individuals and professional services firms navigate their career and systems, to better support their peoples’ careers.
The evening was created to:
- Explore the changing shape of careers in Consulting
- Discover how to ‘future-proof’ your career
- Learn how to share your career story with impact
- Hear Karina and Jim’s story of moving from Consulting to starting a business
- Connect with other Young MCA members
Future of Consulting
Three key emerging trends
- Network model (specialisation is becoming increasingly popular and needed)
- Some Consultants will become ‘Experts at Storytelling’ – always ready to take a new message to the client
- Increasingly observing that Data Scientists will be focusing on their ‘part of the work’, with consultants becoming more and more specialised in their responsibilities and line of work supporting the above narrative
Framework for Future-Proofing
We need to become more entrepreneurial in the way we think about our careers:
- Permanent beta mindset, always having to invest in our skillset and make conscious choices about how we can improve
- Increasing need for a more adaptive skillset, becoming more entrepreneurial with regards to our own professional development
- We need to develop a Competitive Advantage: Aspirations, Assets, Market Realities
Framework advice/insights
Assets
- Build an asset mix (skills, experiences, knowledge) that sets you apart; ask yourself – what makes you different?
- Invest in yourself to strengthen and diversify your asset mix
- Build a professional network based on real, lasting relationships
Aspirations
- Ask yourself, what type of environment do you enjoy working in?
- What sense of purpose are you looking for?
- We need to learn by doing; experimentation
- Our aspirations will change over time
- Aspirations are connected to our identity
Getting clearer on your aspirations
- Why did you choose to work where you work?
- Fill in the gaps: I want to … because …
Last words of wisdom
When would you start a business and why?
Ask yourself… what kind of director do you want to be? If the answer is ‘I don’t think I would want that’, then maybe it’s time to start your own business!
Written by Sarah Cecilie Hexeberg, MSc | Consultant, Business Transformation | Arcadis