Some of you may be interested in IT consultants, but don’t really understand the reality. In this article, we will explain in an easy-to-understand manner what an IT consultant is, its definition, work content, and how to become an IT consultant. This is a must-see for anyone who wants to become an IT consultant in the future!
table of contents
- 1. What is an IT consultant? Easy-to-understand explanation
- 2. Skills and aptitude required for IT consultants
- 3. Estimated annual income of IT consultants
- 4. Is the IT consultant hard work?
- 5. Recommended qualifications for those who want to become an IT consultant
- 6. Career path for IT consultants
- 7. Summary
1. What is an IT consultant? Easy-to-understand explanation
When you hear an IT consultant, do you immediately think of what kind of work you are doing? I’ve heard that many people don’t know the specifics of their work.
Here, I will explain in an easy-to-understand manner what kind of profession an IT consultant is.
1.1 Definition of IT consultant
The definition of an IT consultant is ” a profession that uses IT technology to solve management problems that a company has .”
Share the goals of the client company’s business, what problems should be solved to achieve those goals, what kind of system can solve the problems, or can the client company’s business be promoted in a better direction? It is my job to think and propose.
It is similar to SE in that it uses IT technology to solve customer problems, but SE’s job is to provide a system that works without problems, while IT consultants use the solutions proposed. The difference is that the question is whether the client company’s problem has been resolved .
1.1.1 Differences between management consultants and IT consultants
The difference between a management consultant and an IT consultant is whether you look at “management” or “systems”.
The management consultant gives advice on the overall management of the entire company. It is important for the consultant to have a lot of knowledge, but it is also necessary to have the skills to proceed with the work while communicating with the specialists.
A company whose business is to solve corporate management issues is called a consulting firm .
There are various types of consulting firms, but management consultants often belong to strategic firms involved in corporate management strategies, and provide consulting regardless of the size of the company.
On the other hand, it is the job of IT consultants to solve management issues using IT technology .
IT consultants are required to have not only high technical skills related to IT but also skills such as marketing, project management, and document creation. Consider an IT consultant as an SE career path.
Recently, as IT is becoming indispensable to management, management consultants often give advice in the IT field. An increasing number of companies are promoting DX (digital transformation) * .
As a result, IT consultants tend to require a higher degree of expertise.
* DX is to change business and life by introducing IT technology.
1.1.2 Differences between IT architects and IT consultants
An IT architect is similar to an IT consultant in that it proposes a system to a company.
While the IT architect ‘s main job is to instruct the SE to design the entire system and create the system , the IT consultant’s main job is interpersonal work such as hearing with clients and presenting to clients. The difference between the two occupations is that.
1.2 Job description of IT consultant
What is the job of an IT consultant? Here, we will explain in detail the work contents of the IT consultant step by step.
1.2.1 Planning
- IT strategy planning and formulation
- Creating a roadmap
- plan
At the planning stage, we plan and formulate an IT strategy based on interviews with clients, and from there we create an overall concept, create a roadmap, and plan.
1.2.2 Plan
- Creating a project plan
- Quality planning
- Formulation of guidelines
- Project, system
At the planning stage, we make a plan of how to proceed with the project, set the required quality, set the quality plan to realize it, and formulate the project guidelines.
1.2.3 Requirements definition
- Business requirement definition
- RFP (Request for Proposal) formulation
- Selection of vendors and various products
- Operational design
- Progress management
- Problem management
- Management report
At the requirement definition stage, you can define the business requirements to systematize which business, create a request for proposal showing the problem you want to solve and the ideal state after solving it, operation design, progress management, problem management, management report, etc. I will do it.
1.2.4 Design
- Adjustment of business requirements
- Cost factor management
- Negotiations with organizations outside the project
In the design stage, we adjust the business requirements and manage cost factors that came out in the requirement definition stage, and negotiate with the organization outside the project if necessary.
1.2.5 development
- Cost factor management
- Business and system migration
In the development stage, the main job of the IT consultant is to continue to manage cost factors from the design stage, and to perform business and system migration and data migration.
1.2.6 test
- User acceptance test
- Preparation for business system switching
At the test stage, the ordering party conducts user acceptance tests in an environment close to production, and prepares to switch the system for the transition to production.
1.2.7 Production operation
When the switching of the business system is completed successfully, it will be in production. The IT consultant’s job may be terminated with production support, or it may be operational support.
2. Skills and aptitude required for IT consultants
What skills and aptitudes are required of IT consultants? I will explain each in detail.
2.1 Aptitude
First, I will explain the aptitude required for an IT consultant.
2.1.1 Professionalism to commit strongly to results
An IT consultant is a job that demands results.
It’s important to get results in any job, but IT consultants are particularly apt to be asked for results , so you need to be conscious of committing to the results.
In order not only to meet the expectations of our clients, but also to achieve results that sometimes exceed their expectations, it is important to have a professional consciousness first.
You may think it’s a matter of feeling, but just having professionalism changes your attitude toward work.
The difference in attitude will allow you to absorb more of the same work and learning, and will give you more time to act and think naturally and get better results.
2.1.2 Logical thinking ability
IT consultants also need the ability to think logically. Frameworks like the ones below will help you think and organize things more efficiently.
| Purpose thinking | Thinking method that separates purpose and means |
|---|---|
| Hypothetical thinking | A way of thinking that makes a hypothesis about things, executes it according to that hypothesis, and verifies and corrects it. |
| Why type thinking | A way of thinking that asks “why?” To things and finds out the reason. |
| Critical thinking | Thinking methods that seek better solutions by looking at things critically and objectively Also called critical thinking |
| logical thinking | A way of thinking that breaks down events into elements and makes sense so that they do not contradict each other. |
| 5W1H | How to organize things by applying When, Where, who, what, Why, How |
| SWOT analysis | Analytical method for grasping the current situation and planning strategies by dividing the strengths and weaknesses of a company into internal factors and external factors |
| 3C analysis | How to analyze Customer, Competitor, Company and discover success factors |
2.1.3 Listening ability
Listening is not just listening to the other person’s story, but listening to the other person’s story while showing empathy while considering the other person’s position and true intentions .
The IT consultant must interview the client and identify the needs in the story.
If the hearing is not successful, IT consultants are required to have listening ability, because no matter how high the technical ability is, it is not possible to provide a system that satisfies the client.
2.1.4 Resilience
Resilience is a word translated in Japanese as “restoring force,” “resilience,” and “elasticity.”
It refers to the ability to bounce back even if there are failures, difficulties, or stress .
Even in a harsh environment, you can grow as an IT consultant by adapting to it and taking advantage of your mistakes.
2.2 Skills
Next, I will explain the skills required of IT consultants.
2.2.1 Programming skills
IT consultants rarely actually program at the development site.
However, if programming is not possible at all, it is necessary to think about what kind of system is needed to solve the problems obtained by hearing the client, what language to use for development, etc., and estimate the man-hours. It will be difficult.
Therefore, IT consultants are also required to have some programming skills.
2.2.2 Project management
When carrying out a project, IT consultants gather human resources for system development and form a team to carry out the work.
It is also the job of the IT consultant to manage the progress of the project, quality control, and coordination to facilitate the work.
Therefore, IT consultants are also required to have project management skills.
2.2.3 Document creation
IT consultants are also a profession with many opportunities to create documents, including presentation materials for making proposals to clients.
Therefore, you need to have the skills to create documents that make it easy to understand what you want to convey.
If you want to become an IT consultant, it will be useful in the future to learn modeling techniques to abstract things and make it easier to understand the whole flow .
3. Estimated annual income of IT consultants
The average annual income of an IT consultant is 6.1 million yen. Since the average annual income in Japan is 4.3 million yen, it can be said that the annual income level is high. By age group, it is above the average in Japan in all age groups.
The average annual income of an IT consultant is 9.6 million yen for those aged 50 to 54. There is also data that the annual income when independent is often 10 million yen or more.
For those who want to aim for a high-income profession, it is also recommended to aim for an IT consultant.
Source:
• It Consultant’s Average Annual Income | Average Annual Income.jp
• Japan’s Average Annual Income | Average Annual Income.jp
4. Is the IT consultant hard work?
An IT consultant is a relatively hard job. Here, I will explain the reason.
4.1 Need to continue to absorb the latest technical knowledge
Depending on the customer, the management issues, the purpose of introducing the IT system, and what is required of DX differ. As IT technology is constantly evolving, we must always keep an antenna and make optimal proposals and quotations.
Therefore, it is necessary to continue to absorb the latest technical knowledge.
4.2 High cost of communication with customers
Different issues for each customer also lead to high communication costs. Communication cost is the time and effort required to communicate with the other party .
In order to understand the other person and make appropriate decisions, it is necessary to study knowledge and conduct careful hearings tailored to each industry. Both are time consuming, but they are also essential tasks for IT consultants.
4.3 Lots of overtime
In addition to the large amount of work, IT consultants tend to work overtime because there are many things to absorb and study time is required as mentioned above.
The overall trend is the amount of overtime that ranks high in the ranking of occupations with a lot of overtime. However, the amount of overtime varies depending on the company, so it is recommended that you research the overtime of the applicant company when you are looking for a job or changing jobs.
5. Recommended qualifications for those who want to become an IT consultant
You don’t necessarily need a qualification to become an IT consultant. However, getting a qualification can give you an advantage in changing jobs.
5.1 Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination
| Overview | The target person is “a person who has the basic knowledge and skills necessary to become an advanced IT human resource and has acquired practical utilization ability”. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam schedule | First half: May-July Second half : October-December |
||
| Exam fee | 5,700 yen | ||
| Question range | morning | Technology system | Basic theory Computer system technology element Development technology |
| Management system | Project management service management |
||
| Strategy system | System Strategy Management Strategy Corporate and Legal |
||
| afternoon | Thing about computer system | Software / Hardware Database Network |
|
| Information security | |||
| Thing about data structure and algorithm | |||
| Software design | |||
| Software development | |||
| Thing about management | Project management service management |
||
| Thing about strategy | System Strategy Management Strategy / Corporate and Legal Affairs |
||
| Pass rate | Around 25% | ||
| Official URL | https://www.jitec.ipa.go.jp/1_11seido/fe.html | ||
The Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination is a national examination run by the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA). This exam requires basic knowledge about IT, and although it can be passed by self-education, it is a little unsatisfactory to show expertise in career advancement.
5.2 Applied Information Technology Engineer Examination
| Overview | The target person is “a person who has the applied knowledge and skills necessary to become an advanced IT human resource and has established a direction as an advanced IT human resource”. Demonstrate high performance in aspects such as IT infrastructure construction | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam schedule | Spring: 3rd Sunday in April Autumn in October |
||
| Exam fee | 5,700 yen | ||
| Question range | morning | Technology system | Basic theory Computer system technology element Development technology |
| Management system | Project management service management |
||
| Strategy system | System Strategy Management Strategy Corporate and Legal |
||
| afternoon | Thing about management strategy | ||
| Information strategy | |||
| Thing about strategy planning, consulting technique | |||
| Thing about system architecture | |||
| Thing about service management | |||
| Thing about project management | |||
| Thing about network | |||
| Database | |||
| Thing about embedded system development | |||
| Information system development | |||
| Things about programming | |||
| Information security | |||
| Thing about system audit | |||
| Pass rate | Around 20% | ||
| Official URL | https://www.jitec.ipa.go.jp/1_11seido/ap.html | ||
Similar to the Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination, this is a national examination run by the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA). It is positioned as a higher-grade exam than the Basic Information Technology Engineer Examination. It is possible to pass by self-study, but many people use qualification schools, distance learning, seminars, etc.
5.3 IT Strategist Exam
| Overview | Exams for CIOs, CTOs and IT consultants | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam schedule | 3rd Sunday of April | ||
| Exam fee | 5,700 yen | ||
| Question range | morning I |
Technology system | Basic theory Computer system technology element Development technology |
| Management system | Project management service management |
||
| Strategy system | System Strategy Management Strategy Corporate and Legal |
||
| morning II |
Security System Strategy System Planning Management Strategy Management Technology Strategy Management Business Industry Corporate Activities Legal Affairs |
||
| afternoon | Thing about formulation of business strategy utilizing information technology (IT) reflecting business characteristics of each business | ||
| Matters related to the formulation of information system strategies and overall systemization plans that reflect the business characteristics of each industry | |||
| Thing about formulation of individual systemization concept / plan reflecting business characteristics of each industry | |||
| Thing about execution management and evaluation of information system strategy considering assumptions and constraints for each business | |||
| Thing about planning, development, support of embedded system, system using IoT and formulation and promotion of maintenance plan | |||
| Pass rate | Around 15% | ||
| Official URL | https://www.jitec.ipa.go.jp/1_11seido/st.html | ||
It is one of the highest level national exams run by the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA). It is almost impossible to pass without practical experience in an IT company, and if there is a field that you have no experience in the examination range, you need to focus on measures.
6. Career path for IT consultants
What is the path after gaining experience as an IT consultant? Here, we will explain the career path of IT consultants.
6.1 Job change to a business company
The first is to change jobs to a business company. As an employee of an in-house service development company, there are work styles such as engaging in upstream processes, improving profitability, and taking command of the site as a project leader.
It is also possible to aim for the position of an executive officer who supervises and manages business divisions.
For professional engineers, we are looking for an IT consultant who plans and manages IT strategy planning based on management strategy, CRM, SCM construction, and system introduction processes from upstream to downstream, and annual income is 5 to 8 million yen. The job is posted.
Please see the following page for details on this job offer.
＞＞ [CRM / SCM] IT Consultant ｜ System Introduction Management ｜ Professional Engineer
Click here for a list of IT consultant jobs.
＞＞ IT Consultant Jobs (Permanent Employees) ｜ Professional Engineer
6.2 Management consultant
There is also a career path to becoming a management consultant involved in overall corporate strategy. The IT-related proposal capabilities gained through experience will be an advantage when working as a management consultant.
If you want to become a management consultant, we recommend that you obtain a qualification such as a registered management consultant.
6.3 Independent as freelance
You can also become independent as a freelancer.
Among the freelance projects posted on professional engineers, there is a project that focuses on website requirement definition, budget management, problem solving, etc. as consulting work for the ordering department in EC development. I am.
Please see the following page for details on the matter.
＞＞ [PM / PMO / Consulting] EC site construction (solving IT issues on the ordering side) support | Professional engineer
A list of IT consultant projects can be found on the following page.
＞＞ IT Consultant Jobs (Freelance) ｜ Professional Engineer
7. Summary
So far, I have explained the definition, work content, and skills of IT consultants. The main task of an IT consultant is to solve the problems of client companies using IT technology.
If you want to become an IT consultant, you need to improve your skills as an engineer and at the same time acquire management skills. Qualifications can be an advantage when changing jobs, so it’s a good idea to start by learning to get a qualification.
