Consulting

Types of Firms

Consulting firms can be categorized into these categories:

• Elite management consulting firms: The top strategy consulting firms. Each specializes in particular industries or functions with projects in a wide range of industries. Representing firms include: Bain, Booz & Co, McKinsey & Co., Accenture, etc.
• Big affiliated consulting firms: The big firms offering strategic business and operations advice but also offer specialized consulting services such as regulatory requirements. Representing firms include: Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Boutique strategy firms: Small firms that do the same thing as the big firms do but with more focus in a particular industry, process, or types of consulting. Representative firms: Gartner, PRTM Management Consultants, Putnam Associates, etc.

Practice Areas

Consulting firms specialize in many practice areas. Some common ones are:

• Financial strategy consulting: Firms providing financial models to enhance strategies and performance of financial companies. Representative firms: Deloitte Consulting LLP, IBM Global Services, Diamond Management & Technology Consultants, etc.
• Human resources consulting: Firms specializing in providing human resources consulting, from designing an employee evaluation to conducting training in an organization. Representative firms include: Accenture, Mercer, Deloitte Consulting, etc.
• Marketing consulting: Firms specializing in providing strategies that solve marketing problems. Representative firms: Monitor Group, Copernicus Marketing Consulting, etc.
• Operations consulting: Firms specializing in examining client’s internal workings such as business processes and recommend strategies to streamlining the processes. Representing firms: Accenture, PRTM, A.T. Kearney, etc.
• Strategy consulting: Firms specializing in helping company executives to face macro-level challenges in their businesses and provide new strategic directions. Representative firms: Bain & Company, McKinsey & Company, Booz Allen Hamilton, etc.
• Technology and systems consulting: Firms specializing in designing computer systems and applications. Representative firms: Accenture, IBM Global Services, Oracle, SAP, HP Services, etc.
• Other in-demand consultancy: Taxation, health care, and social media consulting.

Career Overview

To learn more about different career options in this sector, visit the following web sites:

• Consulting Career (First Hand)
  Overview and job outlook of the career in consulting.
• Consulting Career Guide (TalentEgg)
  Information on average starting salaries, hottest jobs in consulting and more.

Articles of Interest

• Who to follow on Twitter: Consulting (TalentEgg)
• An introduction to management consulting for students and new grads (TalentEgg)
• The student's guide to consulting at Deloitte: How to land your dream job (Deloitte)

Career Books

Recommended books (available at CaPS):

• First Hand - Online guides on consulting jobs, top consulting firms, case interviews
  (Registration with your McGill email is highly recommended)
• The consulting interview bible
• WetFeet insider guide: Careers in management consulting
• College2consulting: The complete insider's guide to the consulting recruitment process
• Case interview secrets: A former McKinsey interviewer reveals how to get multiple job offers in consulting
• Case in point: Graph analysis for consulting and case interviews

Job Search Websites

The following links provide a list of job boards, internships and volunteering opportunities.
Note: To find internships, you can also use keywords like "internship" in some of the job boards to find opportunities.

• Consulting jobs

Associations & Groups

Canada

• McGill Not-For-Profit Consulting (MNFPC) Facebook
• Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC)
• Association of Independent Consultants (AIC)
• Canadian Association of Management (CMC-Canada)
• Graduate Management Consulting Association (GMCA)

USA

• American Management Association (AMA)
• Institute of Management Consultants USA (IMC USA)
• Institute of Financial Consultants (ifc)
• Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA)

International

• Association of International Consultants (AIC)
• International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI)
• International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC)

Find an Organization

Management & IT Consulting - Montreal

• Consulting Firms in Montreal (Consulting Case 101)
• Consulting Firms in Montreal (HUB)

Management & IT Consulting - Canada & USA

• MC Consulting Firm Directory
• Top Management & IT Consulting Firms in North America (Consulting Case 101)
  Select a location to see a list of firms.
• First Hand Top Consulting Firms
  Downloadable online books: Top consulting firms in Asia Pacific, Top technology consulting firms, etc.
• HUB - Consulting Firms in Canada (HUB)
  Links to a list of consulting companies in: Business development, finance, human resource, marketing, project management, quality assurance, environment, etc.
• TC - Consulting Firms in Canada (The Career Coach Company)
  A list of consulting firms in Canada: Strategy, professional services, financial services, real estate, branding & marketing, business intelligence, IT, HR, engineering, environment, and economy.
• Yellow Pages
  Enter keywords such as "consulting company" and specify a location to see a list of companies.

Engineering & Environmental Consulting - Canada & USA

• Canadian Consulting Engineer Directory
• Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Directory
• Alberta - Consulting Engineers of Alberta Directory
• Ontario - Consulting Engineers of Ontario Directory

Financial Services & Investment

• Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association - Directory
  Searchable by location and industry.
• Investment Industry Association of Canada - Directory
  130+ firms across Canada varying in size from small regional dealers to large national firms.
• Financial Services Canada (VPN is required)
  List of companies in the financial services industry sector. Searchable by location and category.

Networking & Groups

The following sites gives a list of consultants and the companies they work for.

• Canadian Association of Management Consultants – Member Directory
• Mouvement Québécois de la qualité - Consultants Quebec Directory (French)