If you are a STEM major looking to go into technical consulting, whether at a large generalist firm or a small boutique one, you will likely need to draw upon your knowledge of digital tools and skills. However, some of the specific technical software you might use in graduate school may not be the same ones used in consulting.
After graduating with my Ph.D. and serving as a thermal science engineering consultant for the past year, here is my reflection on some software to master before you enter the world of consulting.
- Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint (Really Master These!)
- “Cheaper” Computer Programming Languages
- Statistics Software
- Github
- Team Platforms
The best way to know what exact software you might need to use in your future job is to ask during your interview or talk to current employees there. Use your network to get an idea of what you might need to learn before you graduate. If they cannot tell you or you are plenty of ways away from graduation, use this blog as a starting point for your software journey.
1. Microsoft Office Suite
Alright let’s be real, you probably already have this on your resume under skills, right? But how well do you really know and understand their tools such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint? If adding footnotes, creating bar charts, and adding slide numbers in the corners is the extent of your skillset, feel free to boot this software up and try some new tools.
For Word – learn how to create templates and a table of contents (TOC) with lists of Figures and Tables (and how to add captions and update the TOC field).
When it comes to spreadsheets, learn more complicated functions like “VLOOKUP” and how to create (and use) pivot tables for advanced analysis.
Finally, perfect the art of the master slide for consistency; also work on how to maximize reader take-aways while minimize on-slide text (you might as well read the Slide Writing Bible while you are at it).
Serving as a pro-bono consultant or competing in case competitions while in graduate school are ways to work on these skills. Another is just to incorporate these suggestions for your current slide deck in your current job or research setting. However, you can take it a step up by completing LinkedIn Learning modules and passing virtual quizzes.
2. “Cheaper” Computer Programming Languages (and CAD too)
Whether you are an engineer, a scientist, a mathematician, or a computer scientist, you probably know how to program in one or more computer languages. However, depending on which one you chose to become an expert in may have an impact down the road.
Universities across the world are known to partner with programming companies such as MathWorks, which offer many licenses to utilize their MATLAB software. While this is a fantastic tool in school, the licenses for industry can be quite expensive and not all companies will pay for their employees to have one. If this is your only programming language, consider learning some ones with open libraries such as Python, C++, HTML, and JavaScript.
Expensive software is not limited to just programming, for there are cheaper alternatives for computer modelling or CAD. Stay away from only using SolidWorks, for example, and learn AutoCAD or FreeCAD. For myself, I would have benefitted from diversifying my computational fluid dynamics software knowledge past using only ANSYS, for now I use Star CCM+ and OpenFOAM. I am not suggesting that you should avoid any of the above software, just that you should not put all your eggs in one basket upon graduation.
3. Statistics Analysis
There are a variety of software to perform statistical analysis: Minitab, R, SSPS, Tableau, and countless more. However, you can also accomplish a strong level of analysis in Excel or, if you have access to it, MATLAB. Nevertheless, learn statistical analysis in some form so you are comfortable with conducting various calculations upon entering consulting. These might include linear regression, ANOVA, and standard deviation. You never know when you will be handed a data set and need to quickly analyze it for trends.
You do not need a Master’s in statistics to be able to use them for high level consulting analysis. In fact, adding a strong competency in statistical analysis to complement your main field of interest may help you stand out as a consultant.
4. Github
If you have ever programmed, you have probably heard of Github. This service management company allows firms to create online repositories for storing data, developing complex software codes, and coordinating task management. Often consultants use this site to download the most up to date database or code, modify it, and then re-upload online for others to use. This is an easy site to utilize, so feel free to get started right away.
If you develop code for your research group or your current position, try starting a Github now to practice building a repository.
Do you code for fun? Make a personal repository and share your code with others.
Need ideas for a coding project? Make a virtual board game such as Battleship in code – this was our final project in AP Computer Science.
5. Team Platforms
Asana. Microsoft Team. Monday. Slack. Trello.
There is no lack of options for team platforms out there, and most are cheap if not free to use. Day 1 of your consulting career, you will be added to your firm’s platform of choice. If you are not as familiar with these programs to working in teams, running virtual meetings, creating task lists, and sharing documents, try using them now. This will make you comfortable when you are drinking from a firehose of information on your first day of work.
In Summary
You are already setting yourself up to be ready to become a consultant upon graduating or moving on from your current position but taking a little time to learn some extra software will make the transition easier and faster.
Before your first day of consulting, make sure you really understand how to use Microsoft Office. Learn some cheaper or open-source programming languages in case expensive options are not available to you. Find your favorite go-to statistics tool for future analysis and become familiar with Github and its uses. Finally, become a great team player by gaining confidence with using team platforms.
If you master these software types before you graduate from college, you are well on your way to becoming a successful consultant.
Ricky Hollenbach is a Thermal Sciences Associate at Exponent Scientific and Engineering Consulting in Atlanta, Georgia. He solves problems and assists clients in the thermal-fluids, heat transfer, aerospace, and turbomachinery fields. He earned his master’s and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Duke University, also completing a certificate in Aerospace Engineering and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
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