IT Consultant
What the work looks like, the contexts behind the title, what each level means and the training that helps, then how interviews run and how to prepare for each step.
What an IT consultant actually does
A consultant who helps companies choose, change and run their information systems, between the business teams and the technical teams.
An IT consultant helps companies improve their information systems. Depending on the project, they audit the existing systems, advise on choices, manage the delivery of a project or support the change with the teams who will use the new tools.
The role sits between business and technology. IT consultants run workshops, write clear documents and presentations, follow the work of technical teams and make sure the project meets the needs of the client.
They work in consulting firms, in IT services companies or in the IT teams of large companies, with methods such as Agile, SAFe, ITIL 4 or Lean.
- A workshop with business teams on their needs
- Writing a deliverable or a presentation for the client
- A follow-up meeting with the technical teams
- A steering committee with the client's managers
- Preparing training or support for users
The same title, very different contexts
Most IT consulting searches are defined first by the type of company you work for, then by the ground every IT consultant shares.
What each level means in practice
Titles vary from one company to the next. What changes from one level to the next is the scope you own and the decisions you take.
- Works on a project led by a senior consultant
- Learns the client, the methods and the tools
- Writes deliverables with review
- Owns a part of a project on their own
- Runs workshops with the client
- Writes and presents the main deliverables
- Leads projects and small teams
- Owns the relationship with the client day to day
- Helps to sell new projects
- Owns large accounts and offers
- Leads the sale of new projects
- Builds and leads teams of consultants
The paths into the role, and what really counts
Consulting firms often value the school, especially for first jobs. After a few years, companies look first at the projects you delivered and the clients you served.
- Engineering school or master's in ITA common path in France, often expected by large consulting firms.
- Business schoolA common path for consultants who work closely with business teams.
- Graduate programsMany consulting firms recruit young graduates and train them on the job.
- Business analysis or development firstBusiness analysts and developers also move into consulting.
Our view: for this role, a client project you delivered and can walk through, from the need to the result, often says more than any certificate.
A conversation with a senior tech recruiter
Your first interview is with one of our senior tech recruiters, who knows the role, the methods and the levels in this guide. The conversation covers your own work through real examples, and the case studies come later, with the company. Before the call, we send you the six themes we will cover so you can prepare your examples.
- What you owned yourselfThe projects, deliverables or clients you were responsible for, and your own part in the team's work.
- Your environment and its constraintsClient needs, budget, deadlines, legacy systems or politics: what shaped your technical choices.
- The decisions you madeWhich approach, which tools and which priorities, the options you compared and the reasons for your choice.
- The impact of your workWhat changed thanks to your work, with numbers when you have them: time or money saved, adoption, client satisfaction or new projects won.
- How you work with other teamsYour work with clients, technical teams, managers and partners, and how you settle a disagreement.
- What you want nextThe kind of clients, projects and scope you are looking for in your next role.
- Client delivery
- Business and tech understanding
- Writing and presenting
The same ground for every candidate. For a given role, every candidate answers the same final questions, built with the hiring manager around what the role really needs.
Ready for the next steps. After our call, we tell you how the company runs its interviews, who you will meet at each step and what each step is meant to assess.
What the company will assess, step by step
Each company runs its own process, and we walk you through its steps before you start. IT consulting processes often combine the steps below, and the depth expected at each step grows with your level.
- A case studyA client problem to analyse, live or as a take-home, often with a short presentation of your recommendation.
- A deep dive on a past projectOne project you delivered, discussed in depth: the client, your role, your choices and the results.
- A role play with a clientA workshop or a difficult meeting to run with an interviewer who plays the client.
- Meeting a manager or a partnerHow you work, how you deal with clients and what the firm expects in your first months.
- Senior ConsultantYou structure the problem clearly, ask the right questions and explain your recommendation in simple words.
- ManagerYou lead the case, connect it to the goals of the client and point out risks and next steps before you are asked.
- DirectorYou run most of the interview as a peer, think about the whole account and show how you would grow the work with the client.
How to prepare as an IT consultant
Practical advice for each step of an IT consulting process, from the way you introduce yourself to the questions you ask at the end of each interview.
Start with the client projects you worked on, their context and your part in them. Mention your main methods and tools in one sentence, then close with what you want next.
For each one, prepare the context, the constraints, your decision, the options you set aside, the result and what you would change today. Say "we" for the team and "I" for your own part.
In a case study, start with the goal of the client, then split the problem into parts before you recommend anything.
Practise a ten minute presentation of a recommendation, with one message per slide and a clear next step.
Prepare examples where you understood the business need and the technical limits, and found a solution for both.
Rules on AI tools differ from one company to the next, especially for take-home cases. Ask before each step, and when they are allowed, explain what you asked the tool and how you checked its output.
- Walk us through a client project you delivered.
- A client is unhappy with the progress. What do you do?
- How would you approach this client problem?
- Tell us about a document or a presentation you are proud of.
- Which clients and sectors would I work with?
- How are consultants staffed on projects?
- How much time is spent at the client site?
- How are consultants trained and coached?
- How does the firm measure the success of a project?
- How does the team use AI tools in its daily work?
Where IT consultants come from, and where they go
The roles people most often hold before this one, and the ones they most often move to.
Many IT consultants also start as data analysts or in graduate programs.