Consulting touches every business sector. Consultants help organizations and companies identify efficiencies, solve problems, and maximize profits. The types of consulting areas are diverse and have evolved with the economy over the years.

There are four main types of consulting firms, as well as boutique firms that are generally industry specific or regional in nature:

Management & Strategy
Aims to improve the structure, management, efficiency, and profits of companies. Includes human resource management, labor relations, physical distribution, research and development, sales, and marketing.
Financial
Focuses on financial issues within companies such as capital budgeting, valuation, financial information integrity, risk management, insurance, taxes, corporate structuring, and more.

Other primary types of consulting include:

Information Technology

Help design and implement IT systems, develop better IT practices, and train employers in IT/security. Also provide advice on IT problems and recommend new technologies and software to companies.

Human Resources / Staffing

Help companies make the most of their employees while also protecting the employees. Includes giving advice and recommendations for the management of compensation / benefits programs, personnel policies, staffing needs, recruitment, hiring, and training programs.

Within these four main types of consulting, a variety of specialties arise based on the needs of the market, company, and specific industry the consultant works with. Engineers can provide consulting services in any of the four consulting areas or specialize in a consulting service specifically for a certain engineering industry.

Engineers who work as consultants provide independent expertise in engineering science for governments, industries, construction firms, and developers. These services are typically carried out by a team of a variety of individuals and disciplines within the field of service. Large consulting firms may be able to fill these teams with their own employees; however, smaller firms may have to partner with other firms to fill their teams with the necessary disciplines.

Engineers within a consulting team can perform a variety of duties from technical and scientific roles to managerial and coordination roles, or a combination of those. Some consulting engineers will find themselves coordinating projects and the activities of other team members, while others work specifically within their specialized field of study. The opportunities are endless for consulting engineers.

Industry summary sourced from FirstHand Vault Guide.

SAMPLE JOB TITLES

  • Analyst
  • Civil Consultant
  • Consultant
  • Data Science Consultant
  • Distribution Engineer
  • Field Engineer
  • Geotechnical Engineer
  • Mechanical Designer
  • Programmer/Developer
  • Site Staff Consultant
  • Software Engineer

SAMPLE HIRING ORGANIZATIONS

  • Accenture
  • AECOM
  • Arup
  • Black & Veatch
  • Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Burns & McDonnell
  • Capgemini
  • CGI
  • Clarkston Consulting
  • Cox Industries LEAD Program
  • Coffman Engineers
  • Deloitte
  • Henderson Engineers
  • Hyde Engineering & Consulting
  • KBR Inc.
  • KPFF Consulting Engineers
  • SAIC
  • Terracon
  • West Monroe

$68K

Average starting salary

*based on 184 responses from 2020-2024 AU Engineering Graduates on the First Destination Survey

RECRUITING TIMELINE

Depending on the type of employer and the role, the recruitment timelines vary. All types of consulting firms recruit in the summer and early fall for opportunities that begin at the end of an academic year in May. Recruiting takes place in the late summer and early fall following 2nd year for internships the summer immediately following 3rd year. For full-time jobs, recruiting takes place in the late summer and early fall of the senior year for post-graduation positions following degree completion.

Seek opportunities to connect with employers at on-campus events such as fall career fairs, employer table talks, employer-in-residence, Ask Alumni Anything chats and student organization meetings. In this industry, you should also strongly prioritize seeking out one-on-one connections and networking using Linkedin and other networking tools to develop your contacts.

SAMPLE OPPORTUNITIES

Student Organizations

  • Alpha Epsilon
  • Alpha Omega Epsilon
  • American Institute of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  • American Society of Civil Engineers
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • Financial Management Association

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & INDUSTRY RESOURCES

  • American Council of Engineering Companies
  • American Management Association
  • American Staffing Association
  • Association of Professional Energy Consultants
  • Design Professionals Coalition
  • Human Resources Consultants Association

Internships + Co-ops

With sample hiring organizations + companies recruiting through

  • Engineering Career Fairs & Industry Days
  • Handshake job platform

Meet with an Engineering Career Coach for more information about accessing opportunities + strategizing your search for co-ops, internships, research, and more.

Case Interviews

The recruiting process within the consulting industry will often include a case interview. Case interviews allow employers to assess your analytical skills in a real-time environment. Interviewers evaluate not only on your answer to the problem but also on how you think and structure your responses. Resources include: AU Alumni in the Industry, Case in Point by March Cosentino, and ManagementConsulted.com.

ALUMNI IN THE INDUSTRY

  • Angela Fannéy, '04 & '05 Civil and Environmental | Vice President & South Regional Leader | Kimley-Horn & Associates
  • Ann Houseman, '16 Biosystems | Senior Principal Engineer | Hazen & Sawyer
  • Brian Koon, '08 Chemical | Financial Advisor | Northwestern Mutual
  • Clay Godwin, '14 Industrial & Systems | Associate Manager | Accenture
  • Erica Guffie, '05 Software Engineering & Business | Senior Manager | Deloitte
  • Jeremy Wiley, '15 Chemical | Manager, Energy & Utilities | West Monroe
  • Karen Rowell, '79 Chemical | Principal Consultant | 8X Consulting
  • Regenia Sanders, '95 & '99 Mechanical & Materials | Principal, Supply Chain Transformation & Operations | EY
  • Samantha Scott, '12 Chemical | Account Engineer II | FM Global
  • Sara Haynes, '21 Industrial & Systems | Associate - Data Scientist | Booz Allen Hamilton
LinkedIN logo

You can access alumni such as these to learn about career paths, skills for the industry, and build your network through LinkedIn. Create an account and build your profile, then search for Auburn alumni by major, company, location, or other criteria on the Auburn University LinkedIn page. Chat with an Engineering Career Coach on strategies for networking and reaching out to connect.