I started a new position this year as a consultant with @TetraTech, my first job outside academia. It’s been great! For those who might be thinking about this career path after grad school, here are some things I’ve noticed during the transition:
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cc: @AcademicChatter

I still get to do exciting and fulfilling science. I work as an aquatic ecologist and use the same conceptual grounding as before, only now the work is more applied. I feel intellectually challenged, which is a must for me.
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Skills that have directly transferred:
-Data science
-Writing (proposals and reports)
-Oral communication
-Task management and organization
-Collaboration
-Problem solving
-Self reliance
Note: these skills are all developed in grad school!
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Timescales in consulting are shorter than in academia, from email turnaround to entire project schedules. The pace is fast!
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A thing I like (and others may not): projects are typically developed in response to an RFP, meaning consultants need to build on ideas for their work rather than coming up with ideas from scratch. Plenty of room for innovation, but it doesn’t have that “blank slate” feel.
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Some drawbacks: tracking billable hours sucks. Also, generating contracts is key for maintaining your position, so marketing your skills and maintaining in-demand expertise is an obligation. All jobs have negatives, and these are the major ones in consulting.
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All in all, I’m enjoying consulting and feel it’s a great fit despite not having considered it previously. I wish I had known about this type of career and how to prepare for it in grad school, so hopefully sharing this helps someone. Feel free to get in touch with questions!
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