Hi all, just wondering does anyone have any experience of this qualification? Is it well recognised? Is it difficult to attain? As I am just beginning my pursuit of a management consulting career I am trying to ascertain whether it is worth looking into this qualification. Thanks, Dave.

Dave there is great value in being certified in management consulting. It separates you from the million of consultants worldwide and clients are more comfortable with consultants who have gone through the process of being certified. The CMC is recognized in 46 countries. The process is structured but it is obtainable. Dr. Dwayne D. Jakes, CMC, National Certification Chair, IMC USA, Washington, DC.

Dave you have inadvertently aswered your own question:1. You are pursuing an MC career - without any experience of working as an MC why would you want/need certification?2. You have never heard of it, at least not sufficiently wide spread for it to become obvious. What does that tell you? No one cares. No one. I have been headhunting MCs all my career an never once have I bothered to ask anyone from Analyst to Partner, whether they are certified, and neither have my clients. Clients of MCs couldn't care less - what they want to see is a track record and expertise, which is sold to them by the MC firm, not a bunch of pointless and irrelevant certs with all the value of a pizza menu.

the only thing I really wanted to know after reading this thread was IS THERE REALLY A DR DWAYNE D JAKES!!? A quick google proved that this is a genuine response...lol. It took me a while to recover. The site says amongst otheres there are less than 1% consultants who have achieved this performance (i.e. obtaining the certificate)....lol....why would it be less than 1% do you think?? :D:D

Dr. Jakes, thank you for your response and advice, much appreciated. Mars a day,1. I have just finished my undergraduate business degree, I will be commencing an MBS in Management Consultancy this September. Therefore, you are right, I have absolutely no experience in the field itself. What I did want to know is, when I do begin my consulting career, is this qualification worth pursuing. I.e. is it an extra 3 years wasted on a worthless and unknown qualification or does it show a professional and ethical attitude towards the profession?2. I have indeed heard of it and I have been in contact with the accrediting body in Ireland (the IMCA) who seem to think that it is worthwhile. I posted the question to find out what the general consensus is among the professional community and if MC's in my position would pursue it. Basically, I am looking for independent and objective opinions from people 'in the know'. Any other comments appreciated.

Of course the accediting body will tell you it's worthwhile - that is what they are there for - what were you expecting from them, to tell you it's just piece of paper no one cares about? The reason I am being so blunt and dismissive is because I can see you being taken up on this pointless course, spending 3 years of graft on it, and frankly getting nothing back from it.Get yourself into a decent firm, get a few years experience, and then put your time and energy into something which WILL be of benefit to your career and to your clients such as an MBA, Prince 2 or suchlike. If you spend 2 - 3 years with a reputable MC it will be taken for granted that you are professional, ethical etc. Having some IMC scrap of vellum does NOT separate you from other consultants. I am being quite honest - no one will even ask for it, or care that you have it. What WILL separate you from the crowd is quality experience, top quartile education, performing in the top percentile of your peer group as an Analyst in MC. According to their site (thanks Anon) less than 1% have achieved this holy grail of accreditations, and yet - AND YET - the whole MC industry has not collapsed while the 1% pick up all the business.

The qualification is basically there to help one man bands and tiny consulting outfits to establish some credibility for themselves. If a client is reluctant to do business with someone because they've never heard of them or their firm then the fact that they are accredited provides a modicum of comfort and a thin veil of credibility.As such it should be viewed as something for those going it alone or in a tiny practice to consider obtaining as a marketing gimmick.Mars is quite right though that no major consulting brand is ever going to lose a piece of business because most of its staff haven't taken the trouble to get the qualification. And likewise a prospective client is far more likely to be impressed by a consultant who has Unilever and Marks & Spencer as recent clients than by a consultant who has this qualification. So it really is there for those who are obsessed with qualifications for qualifications sake or who are right at the bottom of the consultancy food chain and desperately trying to find something to help them climb up a couple of rungs...If securing a role with an established consulting brand is what you are looking to do, then I wouldn't see any value in you going down this qualification route!

I'm aware that the accrediting body will of course 'talk up' the qualification. As I have stated, I was looking for 'objective' advice. It seems like the general consensus is to stay away from it. Are there any other industry specific qualifications that would make a prospective candidate's CV stand out from the rest? For people that have experience in the MC field, if you were in my position (new graduate) who would you be applying to? How would you rank the firms in terms of, benefits, quality of training, salary, reputation, career progression, work life balance etc?

Dave, it really won't help. in fact, I would go as far as to say that it might even hinder in terms of getting into the 'top' firms. In a new graduate, all I want to see is a good degree from a top institution, along with extracurriculars and all the rest.Some random certificate that nobody has heard of will not help, in the same way that an MBA from a low-ranked school will not help. There are no industry specific qualifications that I am aware of, or that anyone at my firm either chooses to or is required to study for. Everyone, however, does have a top-ranked undergrad degree and/or advanced degrees, and most have MBAs. Wrt your last question, without knowing more about you it is far too broad for anyone to answer . You will be much better served if you do more research, identify specific questions that you would like an answer to, and then answer them. The machine gun approach to asking questions will not serve you well in either applications or a consulting job.

Cheers D, thanks for the advice.

Dave, In terms of quals a top degree/MBA, PRINCE2/APM/PMI/MSP - ie one of these, not all! , IOD/CMgr/Institute membership? Thereafter it's experience, and personal skills that count.Another point about the IMC is that you don't need any formal qualifications to get on the scheme - which should tell you which end of the market it is aimed at...Targeting companies is another debate - an approach would be to really understand your USP, then to segment consultancies and see where you might fit in.Hope this helps :)

That's great Nic, thanks a lot. I'll look into that.

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Dave, The Certifiied Management Consutant is a load of baloney. Not so sure of the MBS in MC course either having hired a few previously - some exceptional (through their own knowledge and capability), others decidedly "average". Guess you get that everywhere. Bear in mind that you may well that course "honoured" to you in a consulting firm after a few years - if the company is accredited with the IMCA. I know big consulting firms such as Deloitte and Bearing point in Ireland are in that bracket.Hope that helps. D.

Dave-Reading the comments contained in the threads, just want to add my input (which, that plus $5 will still get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks...although a small cup...).My experience with consultants is that most:1. have area(s) of expertise gained through knowledge (schooling) and experience (on the job).2. usually have a major client or base of clients before hanging out the "shingle"Personally, I just heard of this designation this week from attending a presentation where the speaker had this, and I was curious.Also, I agree with several others that your time/money may be better invested in other areas.I have three professional certifications (SPHR, CPLP, CBM). My projects align with one of these, for example the SPHR may add credibility when it comes to Human Resources matters, CPLP when in training and performance. I do not provide expertise in say, marketing projects as I do not have skills/experience in that arena.Having said this, an observation would be to perhaps spend time/effort in some Project Management arena, as this will ultimately help you in project consulting success while adding credibility (as the PMP would do).Tom Coffey, MS, SPHR, CBM, CPLPwww.effectiveperformancesolutions.com