1. Monday 9th April – Friday 13th April 2018
Career of the Week
Monday 9th April – Friday 13th April 2018
Week 8 – What does an IT Consultant do?

2. IT Consultant What does an IT Consultant do?
IT consultants are great communicators and have excellent organisational skills as well as sound knowledge and understanding of IT systems.

3. IT Consultant
IT consultants work in partnership with clients, advising them how to use information technology in order to meet their business objectives or overcome problems. They work to improve the structure and efficiency of IT systems in various organisations.
IT consultants provide strategic guidance to clients with regard to technology and IT i and enable major business processes through enhancements to IT.
They may also provide guidance and technical expertise for other processes as well, such as selection and procurement and user training and feedback.

4. IT Consultant Responsibilities
IT Consultants:
meet with clients to determine requirements
work with clients to define the scope of a project
plan timescales and the resources needed
clarify a client's system specifications, understand their work practices and the nature of their business
liaise with staff at all levels of a client organisation
define software, hardware and network requirements
analyse IT requirements within companies and give independent and objective advice on the use of IT

5. IT Consultant Responsibilities
develop agreed solutions and implement new systems
present solutions in written or oral reports
purchase systems where appropriate
design, test, install and monitor new systems
prepare documentation and present progress reports to customers
organise training for users and other consultants
be involved in sales and support, and where appropriate, maintain contact with client organisations
identify potential clients and build and maintain contacts.

6. Skills IT Consultants need to show: leadership ability
communication and interpersonal skills
teamwork skills
a logical approach to problem solving/analysing
the ability to learn quickly
confident decision making

7. Skills presentation skills excellent customer service skills
good organisational skills to prioritise heavy workloads
the ability to communicate technical information to non-IT clients and colleagues
flexibility and adaptability
time management skills.

8. Qualifications
You can enter IT consultancy work with any degree, but in particular the following subjects may be useful:
business studies
computer science/software engineering
electrical/electronic engineering
information systems
mathematics
other science/engineering disciplines.

9. Work Experience
Finding IT-related holiday work or an industrial placement or internship may lead directly to graduate employment.
Work experience helps demonstrate client management skills and an ability to understand and communicate the business benefits of IT.

10. IT Consultant Working Hours
Although it is generally 9am to 5pm, the nature of the industry means that extra hours are often required to meet deadlines. IT Consultants spend a lot of time travelling to client sites, mirroring the client's working hours.
Self-employment is possible, where IT Consultants manage their own workload and hours.

11. Employers
Work can be found within management consultancies, software and systems houses and some large manufacturers of computing equipment and software. IT Consultants can also focus on a particular industry, or work across a range of sectors including:
financial services health
manufacturing - including automotive
the public sector
Transport.

12. IT Consultant Salary
Graduate IT consultants can expect to earn £20,000 to £30,000.
With significant experience, they can earn in the region of £32,000 to £40,000.
At a more senior level, salaries can range from £40,000 to £80,000. The exact salary depends on the demand for specific expertise.
Salary is dependent on location, size and type of employer and is usually performance-related.
Contract work is possible.