Factors Affecting Management Consulting Jobs for 2014

Times are changing quickly as a result of a number of factors. When you think about technology, communications and the speed at which information travels, it's obvious that many of the changes that the world is experiencing will apply to business in a significant manner. Add the emergence of Gen Y to the mix, and it's easy to see why management consultants will be in high demand over the coming years. If you're looking for a career change, and you feel that you can offer value to businesses that want to adapt successfully to the future, I would encourage you to consider the following factors that will influence management consulting jobs for 2014 and beyond.

#1 – The Giants Are Going to Separate Themselves

Think about a company like Google. Everybody knows the brand, and almost everyone uses a Google product of some kind every single day. Google continues to grow and expand, and it's acquiring other companies like YouTube and Motorola along the way. Companies like Google are going to continue to separate themselves from smaller and mid-sized businesses. I have little doubt that Google and other such companies will continue to be successful, but where do they leave the smaller organizations?

I believe that the smaller companies actually have more value to offer to prospective talent. I think these smaller companies have a better value proposition to attract new talent than big companies because they allow people to have a greater impact. Individuals can talk directly to the boss, they can speak directly with the owner and they can be involved in the vision. On an almost daily basis, they can see how their job or their work effort delivers on the company's mission. The problem is that senior leaders at these organizations don't understand that they have a strategic advantage when it comes to attracting talent. That's where consultants can come in and offer tremendous value.

#2 – The Skills and Values We've Always Wanted Are Becoming Established

For decades there's been a disconnect between the skills and values that people desire in the workplace and the skills and values that actually exist there. Generations ago, values like real-time feedback and communication were swept under the rug in favor of techniques and tools that only served to insulate people from each other. The system has been operating like this for a while, but big changes are happening.

Thanks to the emergence of a new generation, the business world has reached a tipping point where the values that people truly want are beginning to replace the old, antiquated ways of doing things. Real-time feedback is expected more and more, collaboration is becoming more valued and communication is paramount. Consultants will be needed in 2014 and beyond to help and teach managers how to adapt and thrive in this changing environment.

#3 – Generation Y Is Here

For a time, business leaders could afford to ignore the emergence of Generation Y. Stereotypes abounded and an incorrect conventional wisdom was established. It was generally accepted that this generation was lazy, entitled and uninterested in providing the type of effort necessary to perform their jobs properly. Well, that conventional wisdom is crumbling quickly, and those who continue to subscribe to it are paying the price.

Generation Y will form the majority of the workforce in the coming decade, and consultants will be needed to help businesses adapt. They'll need to teach managers about values like providing real-time feedback, but they'll also need to help leaders understand that they've been mistaking authenticity and a genuine desire to perform well for entitlement and laziness. Consultants who can ease this shift successfully will have no trouble finding consulting jobs for 2014 and beyond.

There are certainly other factors that will influence management consulting jobs for 2014, but these three issues are the most important in my view. If you're interested in consulting, you'll need to study these factors and apply your considerable knowledge and skill to forming solutions for managers who have not been able to adapt. If you can do this, you'll be in high demand.

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