Hello, I want to move from IT to consulting.I'm a software deveoper/system administrator/solution provider for a small software company that builds web-based software for the car industry. Our clients are major Automotive suppliers in the US. I've been working for my company now for almost 3 years from a junior developer to arhitect to directly talking to clients and designing a solution that solve their problem and most recently get involved in business development/program management. For the last 6 months I've been seriously thinking about switching my career to consulting. Naturally I want to get into the management consulting game but I know the odds with my background. It's probably easier to get on one of those IT consulting firms and work my way through once I am in the industry.I am wondering if any readers here are HR representative from your firm and would like to take my resume. I also would appreciate any advice/comment regarding my strategy of career change.ThanksStephen

Career move and strategy is sound if you are flexible. My view is don't go for the big IT/ Consulting companies but approach some of the smaller but rapidly growing players. Have a look at companies like Charteris plc. Also, plug into some of the networking organisations as at most meetings someone is looking for an IT consultant to do something for a client - foot in the door and move to programme management and then into business consulting and then managment consulting and then .....up to you. Sounds a long process but you could do this in a couple of years.

It is somewhat encouraging to hear the plan is possible. I will take the advice and start working on the path. By the way, are you in the industry too? Stephen

Depends what industry you mean. I have previously worked for IT based companies Sema Group (now part of Atos Origin) and Logica (now LogicaCMG)but have focussed on industry related process and software applications. My present company does not do any IT per se (we stop at System Specification/ ITT/application evaluation level) and sit on the client (purchaser) side of the fence for software procurement. Actually, this work has become a very small part of what we do as we have moved strongly 'up the food chain' with most of our assignments now industry (in our case Energy)related management consulting.