Ciara Martin
Marketing Coordinator, Assurity Consulting
6th January 2025
At a recent university careers fair, I was asked several times, “What is consulting?” It is a great question because the term ‘consulting’ is broad and can mean different things depending on the context.
In simple terms, consulting involves providing expert advice to businesses or individuals to help them solve specific problems or achieve their goals. According to estimates from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), there are roughly 300,000 consultants in the UK, with the vast majority (around 80%) working as freelancers.
The consulting industry spans a wide range of expertise and is generally divided into six main functional areas:
- Strategy Consulting
- Management Consulting
- Operations Consulting
- HR Consulting
- Financial Advisory; and
- IT Consulting
These six areas branch out into more than 200 fields of expertise, covering niche areas such as health, safety, and environmental consultancy.
What does a consultant do?
A consultant’s role is essentially to act as a 'doctor' for businesses. Just as a doctor diagnosis and treats health issues, a consultant identifies the root cause of a client’s challenges and offers tailored solutions. A simple definition of business consulting could be:
The practice of providing expert advice, knowledge, and solutions to organisations, individuals, or businesses facing specific challenges, in exchange for a fee.
Many students and graduates are surprised by the diversity within the consulting profession, particularly the type of consulting work we do. For instance, our role involves helping clients manage their buildings in unique ways. When we explain that this isn’t a typical desk job – that consultants spend their days meeting new people, traveling to various locations, and continuously learning new skills – students often find it intriguing and want to learn more.
The work we do
In our specific field of consulting, no prior experience is required to join the team. New consultants are trained extensively over time to provide services such as:
- Asbestos Management: Ensuring safety and compliance in buildings.
- Fire Safety Management: Assessing risks and advising on fire prevention strategies.
- Indoor Air Quality Assessment: Monitoring and improving air quality in workplaces and public spaces.
- Legionella Management: Preventing waterborne health risks.
- Accessibility Audits: Ensuring buildings meet accessibility standards.
These are some to name a few!
Consultants are trusted because they are experts in their fields, bringing in-depth knowledge and specialised skills to solve problems. They often undergo rigorous training and have extensive experience in the areas they advise on.
This hands-on approach to consultancy offers variety, growth, and the chance to make a tangible difference in clients’ operations and compliance.
Whether addressing complex business challenges or specific regulatory needs, consulting is a dynamic and rewarding profession that blends expertise, problem-solving, and innovation.
We will be recruiting in 2025, please check back to our vacancies page where the job advert will be displayed and with a place to apply for our Consultant role.