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China and consulting. Posted by Randy Thatcher [Email]  (#22)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Randy Thatcher) on Tue, 4 Nov 2003 12:36:43
In Reply to: Lowell huh?, robs, Tue, 4 Nov 2003 12:02:32 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Having just spent 2 1/2 weeks consulting in China, I'll try my best to answer some questions. I'm glad the travel bug bit you, but there's a difference when it comes to work travel.
When I got my job, it used to think that I "get" to travel. In a year it becomes "have" to travel. My first year of marriage I saw my wife 3 months. That sucked. big time. She got out of the same business. Having to travel on business puts the duration, location, frequency, and percentage of your time out of your control. Doesn't sound like much when you're single, but it is a drag if you're engaged, married, kids, etc. BUT, the best time to do this is when you're young and single. It will build a hell of a resume.
I am not the kind of consultant I am about to describe. I automate car plants and do the lower level systems that these high price consultants don't do. We're in a different market space.
What I know of consulting... I had offers from Andersen Consulting (now accenture), and Delloite & Touche for their management consulting practices. I interviewed with at least 15 people from at least 4 partners down to low level conultants. I asked each of them what a consultant does day to day, and they blathered on and on and said nothing. Knowing what I know now, here's my take. First you have to know the problem they solve. Then, how do they go about solving it.
The groups I talked to worked on large scale business computer systems. Think phone company billing systems, phone company customer managment tools (the screens the operators surf through when you hook up a new phone line), or schedulining software for large factories. Typical products include SAP and PeopleSoft. So they have a problem, they have a solution, and they have a customer base. How do they solve the problem?
First, the partners get together with senior management at the client (The "C" level). They sell them on a solution, tell them their exorbitant billing rates ($250/hour is not uncommon), and get a project going. The team in then embedded on the customer site to do the following:
Gather requirements - interview from low level, to IT, to C level. Understand business drivers and required functionality.
Architect a solution - senior techies and business types get in there.
Develop the solution - lower level techies...
Test the solution -lower level techies...
Install the solution -lower level techies...
Roll out the solution to other facilities. -lower level techies and mgmt.
They have multiple layers of management, and promote quickly. If you get on a 1 year project, you may come in anywhere in the process. Chances are you'll roll it out or jump to similar projects. You'll travel all the time, get used to expensive clothes, food, hotels, and wine. Sound good? Plan to put in 60-80 hours a week normally, if not more. Some of my friends have been stuck in less than desirable spots for 6-12 month. You're thinking NYC or Berlin or London. Try WV, TX in the summer, MS, Nebraska. No offence to residents of those spots, but they're not exactly vacation spots for high rolling consultants.
The bonus, you can put in a few years, then you're a desired candidate for IT departments all over the world. If you stay away from the more technical side and focus on the features of the system and how they solve business problems, you'll be desirable in that niche of industry.
On the subject of China. Capitalism is taking over, and they're growing at lightning speed. I was in Shenyang, Changsha, Shanghai, and Beijing. I saw 3 auto plants and a tier 1 supplier over there. They are building at record rates and competition is getting stiff. If you can get into that market (in any industry, I'd guess), you'll see a LOT happen in the next 10-20 years. Downside, you'll shave years off your life sucking down the pollution. Speaking Manadarin will go FAR in looking for a job.
Randy
posted by 67.123.8...
, Tue, 4 Nov 2003 12:36:43 <-- Viewing This Message, Tue, 4 Nov 2003 12:12:45
, Tue, 4 Nov 2003 09:42:22
, Tue, 4 Nov 2003 09:21:13, Tue, 4 Nov 2003 09:40:49, Tue, 4 Nov 2003 04:44:36
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