Those with consultant jobs thus don't have any ''official'' education requirements any more than do people such as writers, musicians, or entrepreneurs. However, they will most definitely need to be highly educated about what they consult about, and whether or not they know their stuff will be proven, not by any degree, but by whether or not they perform in the real world of business.
Often times, college graduates with masters degrees will go into consulting soon after they graduate because it does seem to fit in with their expertise and at the same time they don't have to rely on going into teaching (which would require two more years of school if they want to do it on the collegiate level), and they don't have to put themselves through the often frustrating experience of seeking employment through another employer. This is quite a good idea for people who have the ambition, but they should not just start marketing themselves as professional consultants; they have little real world experience at this point. Instead they should present themselves as contracted workers for modest hourly pay and no benefits needed. Employers often like to hire such people because they are less costly financially and legally than full-time employees and they can be set to many different tasks. In this way the person who wants to land consultant jobs racks up considerable experience over time while making pretty good money and not having to be burdened with more years and expenses of yet more education.
But it can also be very rewarding for someone who has been working for a number of years in the real world and has developed great expertise in her industry or in some hobby to leave their job and become a consultant. There may be boredom with the job, or too much lack of freedom, or not enough upward mobility financially. Besides their experience, these people may have built a considerable reputation for themselves and made some significant contacts that they can use to open doors. These people can apply their expertise to the field of consulting and, again if they have the ambition and the drive, become amazingly successful financially and personally. The fields of marketing, financial matters, writing (editing, ghost writing, storyboarding), graphic design, business management, health, and direct selling are all hungry for consultants, and this list will continue to expand as the need for specialization expands.
Again, the main trait needed for being successful in consulting jobs is a burning desire for success or big money, a willingness to take risks, a definite expertise, and self-motivation.
