Can You Get Fired From Consulting? - A Guide for Professionals

Getting fired from a management consultancy is not a common occurrence. This is due to the stringent hiring process and the supportive culture that focuses on development. However, during times of economic hardship, some firms may reduce their hiring and raise the bar for promotions. When this happened to me, I searched for contract positions without success and spent my time studying finance and applying for jobs. At that time, interviewers were more understanding of the fact that I had been fired since it was happening to many people, so that's how I presented it.

I'm not sure if this approach would work in the current environment. I suggest taking the months off from your resume (as suggested by another person) and looking for a short-term consulting project or contract job on LinkedIn. This way, it will be easier to explain the gap in your resume if you have done something recently. When it comes to getting fired from a consulting job, it is important to be honest about the situation. It is also important to be aware of how this will appear on a background check.

A reliable consultant is one who can be trusted, and this trust is only earned through consistent performance. As long as the consultant maintains this trust, they will continue to work with the same client throughout their career. Procurement teams began to aggressively negotiate with consulting and staffing firms to reduce costs. We saw how some smart consulting and staffing firms reduced their rates by 10-20% without affecting the rate they paid contractors. Trust is an essential element of consulting or contracting because it makes work enjoyable. If you find yourself in a situation where you have been laid off from a consulting job, there are still options available to you.

You can take the months off from your resume and look for a short-term consulting project or contract job on LinkedIn. This way, it will be easier to explain the gap in your resume if you have done something recently. Additionally, you can use this time to study finance or apply for other jobs. Jonathan Dison is the co-founder of LightRock Consulting and BenchWatch, and author of The Consulting Economy.