Thomas Gioscia ⋅ Bonita Springs, FL Gioscia Designs ⋅ 45 years experience

Consulting is just like any other business.
There is a product or service to sell, in this case, your knowledge and expertise in a particular field.
There is a value to the client in the form of more streamlined operation to generate a return on the money they invest in your services.
There is a sale to be made wherein the client is persuaded that the services you will provide for them will be well worth what they pay for those services.
YOU MUST HAVE PERSONAL INTEGRITY
Let's begin by narrowing your skill sets from your past job experiences, your military career, and any other areas where you are confident in your knowledge, and narrow it down to three items, no more. Remember that consulting will require you to have unique skill sets not commonly available, or a creative combination of skill sets and a product or service that gets you in the door.

Gerard DeMare ⋅ Metairie, LA ⋅ 22 years experience

It really depends on wha type of consultant you want to be. I've been in the game for over 20 years with no degree but I started my own company. It has taken me in several different directions over the years and you have to put in the hours to get to where you need to be. I would advise you do some research in different industries and see if anything jumps out at you. Good luck and God Bless brother!

Craig Bush ⋅ Boston, MA IBM ⋅ 11 years experience

If you wish to get into management consulting, you'll need at least a college degree. A certificate may work, and it may not. In my opinion it wouldn't be worth the time and trouble to go that route.

//Management Consultant for 7 years

If you wish, you can message me directly for advise and opinions. I've worked at Accenture, Deloitte, and now Huron

Mitch Meider ⋅ Peyton, CO U.S. Army, Sergeant ⋅ 6 years served

Guys thanks for the insight. I am tracking with Joe and understanding the certain certifications and desires the industries are looking for will be key. I have finally received my Bachelors degree in business management after years of online after work, work. I am going to be looking into the Notre Dame and Harvard Certificate programs in order to specialize in certain areas. Thanks again for the guidance everyone!

Joe Paschall ⋅ Madison, AL nLogic, LLC ⋅ 26 years experience

Consulting is usually something undertaken once you have considerable experience in a specific area and a string network from which to draw clients. Consultants usually trade very heavily in degrees and certifications, so without either of those you would need to be already known as a Rock Star in a particular field. Still, the best way to break into consulting is to acquire degrees and certifications to back up your experience.

Phil C. ⋅ Fort Worth, TX ⋅ 3 years experience

"I don't have a bachelors degree or MBA..."

Get one! I left the Army as a mid-career NCO who worked on Apache helicopters. Then I got an engineering degree. Now I am an engineer for one of the most well known aerospace companies in the world. My technician background and engineering degree made for a very strong skill set. The college degree is totally worth it. Use the GI Bill! You've earned. Just make sure you invest in a good, useful degree that yields good returns in terms of compensation, security and satisfaction. That will rule out most degrees offered by humanities and fine arts departments. I wish it weren't so, but that's reality. Some colleges might allow you to fast track to getting an MBA, where you start your grad classes in your senior year of undergrad. Marinate on it! If you decide to go to school, PM me. I believe I have some good tips and won't sugar coat things.