What does a Technology Consultant do? (Deloitte, Accenture, IBM, McKinsey & Company)

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares their journey into the world of tech consulting, specifically as a business analyst within software development. They explain the various roles and responsibilities within consulting, highlighting the importance of communication skills, collaboration with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and managing product backlogs. The speaker emphasizes the dynamic nature of consulting, with projects spanning different industries and requiring constant adaptation. They also express excitement about revisiting their role in the future, as consulting offers continuous opportunities for growth and change.

Takeaways

• 😀 Consulting is a broad field with diverse career paths, and in tech consulting, it involves ideation, development, and delivery of digital products.
• 😀 The role of a tech consultant can span different industries, such as public sector, private sector, and financial services, offering varied opportunities.
• 😀 A business analyst in tech consulting helps manage the product backlog and ensures that tasks are progressing through the team in line with project deadlines and capacity.
• 😀 Communication is a crucial skill in consulting, as it requires constant interaction with stakeholders from different backgrounds, including developers, product owners, and solution architects.
• 😀 As a technical business analyst, asking the right questions and understanding technical language is essential to address complex problems in a project.
• 😀 Consultants in tech are involved in a wide range of activities, from the technical design of products to the transformation of existing services or digital strategy implementation.
• 😀 Jira (or similar software) is commonly used by business analysts to organize and track the product backlog and ensure all team members have tasks to work on.
• 😀 Consultants need to manage both the business problem and the technical solution, working with the team to find practical ways to solve client challenges.
• 😀 The speaker's specific role involves collaborating with a variety of technical and non-technical team members to ensure smooth product delivery and resolve issues as they arise.
• 😀 Consulting roles in tech are dynamic, and the speaker plans to revisit the topic in the future to see how their role and the industry evolve.

Q & A

What is the speaker's current role?

The speaker currently works as a technical business analyst in a consulting role, focusing on software delivery and development.

How did the speaker transition into the consulting role?

The speaker moved into consulting after researching the field, preparing for interviews, and uncovering the vast range of careers within the consulting industry.

What does a tech consultant's role typically involve?

A tech consultant helps businesses design, develop, and implement digital products, such as apps, websites, or features of these, while navigating various phases like ideation, development, and delivery.

What does a typical tech consulting team look like?

A typical tech consulting team includes roles like business analysts, architects, developers, testers, product owners, and scrum masters. The structure may vary depending on the specific project and client needs.

What specific tasks does the speaker perform as a technical business analyst?

The speaker manages the product backlog, writes user stories and acceptance criteria, ensures tasks are progressing through the kanban board, and communicates with various stakeholders to address business and technical issues.

How does the speaker handle communication with different team members?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of building rapport and asking the right questions to both technical and non-technical team members, ensuring effective communication across various roles.

What challenges does the speaker face as a technical business analyst?

The speaker faces challenges in understanding complex technical language and system details while also balancing the need to solve business problems with technical solutions.

What tools does the speaker use to manage tasks and communicate within the team?

The speaker uses tools like Jira (or JIRA), which allows managing the product backlog, tracking progress through a kanban board, and ensuring that the team has enough work to stay on track with the project.

Why is communication so critical in the role of a technical business analyst?

Effective communication is crucial because the role involves speaking with a wide range of stakeholders, from developers to product owners, to ensure that business problems are addressed with the right technical solutions.

How does the speaker foresee the future of their consulting career?

The speaker anticipates that the consulting world is dynamic and could change significantly, which is why they plan to revisit and update their experiences after 6 months to a year.