By N. Shivakumar
The consulting industry is witnessing a dynamic change and is consistently in the lookout for hiring millennial talent with specific advanced skill sets. Candidates aspiring to join consulting organizations have certain aspirations and it is imperative for them to stay ahead of the skill curve. The need to address the skills gap is very important for both the employer as well as the candidates. There has been an increasingly higher number of millennials being hired in the consulting sector, giving rise to many emerging trends.
Cybersecurity as an emerging arena
Many consulting companies are now looking at new age skill sets, one of the most important ones being cybersecurity and risk advisory. Cybersecurity risks today are very high, including, data hacking, ransomware attacks, organized cyber crimes, IP hacking, all of which threaten organisations, including those in banking, investments, finance, governmental agencies, defence, amongst several others.
Consulting firms provide risk advisory to their customers by analysing vulnerability checks and prototype cyber checks using ethical hackers. Consulting firms have customised solutions for all industries. Due to the same, important consulting firms are seeing an increase in demand for cyber security professionals. The cybersecurity skills which are in demand are (DLO/DLP)data leakage prevention, anti-spam and malware protection, SIEM (Security Event and Incident Management), firewalls specialist, network and system specialist for VPN safety and detection system managers, amongst several others.
Technology continues to drive hot skills in this segment
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a hot skill for all the consulting firms. According to consulting firms about 80% of the large enterprises are moving to RPA. The use of artificial intelligence and cognitive embedded analytics in RPA is the key in bringing a catastrophic change in how automation perceived and the new job roles that RPA is creating.
RPA is become a key component to ensure seamless connectivity between data and the device. The few robotic roles which are gaining popularity among employers are machine learning, natural language generation, data conversion and chatbot management. Some of the key skills individuals can learn for RPA are automation anywhere, blue prism, Ui path, OpenSpan and WorkFusion.
Government tax regulation paving way for more job roles
Key structural regulations such as the implementation of GST and other such practices have also created much scope for employment demand in consulting firms. Some of the most sought after skills include SAP HANA, FICO and consulting firms expect candidates to be equipped not just with domain and industry knowledge but also new age software requirements and policy management skills.
Design skills becoming more important
Design Schools groom millennials on various aspects of design and human behaviour which is a very key element in creating strong design lifecycle as well as providing seamless customer services. The convergence of creativity with technology is crucial to make customer experience delightful. Consulting firms increasingly prefer to hire talent from design schools.
Excellent articulation and communication skills are also mandatory for any consulting organisation as most of the roles are client facing and needs solution orientation and articulation. In addition to this, it is also crucial for millennials to have strong problem-solving ability, entrepreneurial spirit to take ownership and complete the job, passion for collaborative work and strong creative thinking process. A career in the consulting industry is overall fulfilling and progressive for aspirants who look out for a long-term career path promising of continuous learning & development and multiple growth opportunities.
N. Shivakumar is the Business Head Services Vertical at TeamLease Services Ltd.