Business Transformation Consultant

Jasmin C. "I help companies with their business transformations with IT enabled change. Essentially that means that when a huge company needs to change their business, implement a new system, or bring in some new technology, I help them get the most out of the technology so the business is ready for it. My job involves working closely with business users and tech teams by being the one in middle!"

Education

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Required License(s) Bachelor's degree

Required Degree(s) No, but I have a diploma in business analysis (which is very useful) and am a member of the British Computer Society.

Importance of GPA somewhat important

Jasmin's Highest Degree: Jasmin went to school in New Zealand
Jasmin's College Major: Biology specializing in Genetics

Salary

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[Note from Nicole]: According to Glassdoor, the national average salary for a Business Transformation Consultant is $62,682.

Getting the Job

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How did you get your job?

A degree which focused on critical thinking, a passion for technology, experience working in teams, and people skills!

How important was networking to landing your position?

Not at all. I applied for a graduate scheme.

Life on the Job

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What is a typical day (or week) for you like?

As I'm a consultant, every day is hugely different. One day I can be working from home, designing a new business process, the next I can be wandering around a manufacturing warehouse, following an engineer around to see what they do, the next meeting senior execs to present findings. That is what I love about it—you will never get bored! It does involve working with a huge range of people, finding out about what they do, redesigning processes, developing change strategies, and helping implement them!

How closely does your typical day (or week) match up to the general "job description" for your position?

I would say there isn't a typical job description! Every role is so different, the main thing is being really adaptable and willing to learn. It is a huge learning curve on each project but it's just about getting stuck in.

Does being a woman affect any aspect of your career?

Being in tech, it is a hugely male-dominated industry. Being a women doesn't really affect me day to day, other than mainly being around a lot of male colleagues. I do wish more women thought about tech as an option though. There are so many jobs in tech which don't require a technical degree or sitting and coding—yes, I do quite a bit of tech work, but all that I've picked up since I joined.

What is the best thing about your job?

The variety—every day is different and interesting. There is a huge opportunity to gain experience in a huge amount of things and progress.

What is the worst thing about your job?

Travel and hours—as I'm a consultant, I'm expected to travel to clients at least for 3 days of the week which can lead to a lot of time on the road (another reason why there are less women in my industry). When work is busy, it can be very demanding on time but it usually balances out over time with the project.

How demanding is your job?

Hours can be tough sometimes but it does tend to balance out—you have some really busy times where you'll be working all evening, and then some quieter times. The travel can take a lot of time, but I balance it with working from home too. It can definitely be mentally tough as you are thrown into a totally new situation every 3-12 months, which takes a bit of getting used to!

Do you have any advancement opportunities?

Yes, you can work up the consulting grades to vice-president. I'm working on it!

Advice for You

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What are the skills, characteristics, or talents that are most important to be effective in your position?

People skills—the ability to communicate and form meaningful relationships—is definitely the most important. Following that is the ability to absorb and process a lot of information about a business and present it logically, with a tiny bit of tech knowledge in there too.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a career like yours?

I think most people don't think of this career, but I really encourage you to even if you don't have a tech degree—we take people from any degree background! You will need a good degree result/ GPA though, and some experience is great (I did a year at a healthcare company, and that helped in building up my communication and people skills).

If you could do it over again, would you still pursue the same career?

I think so! It can be tough in some aspects but it is really rewarding and interesting work.

Follow Up

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Patent Agent

Nicole C. "I help inventors patent their inventions. Specifically, I help technical people describe their inventions in a patent application, which is submitted to the US Patent Office. I then assist the inventors throughout prosecution of the application (i.e., the process of  turning the patent application into a patent)."

Education

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Required License(s) Must pass the Patent Bar Exam

Required Degree(s) A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in science or technology, and usually some sort of advanced degree

Importance of GPA very important

Nicole's Highest Degree: Bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Science)
Nicole's College Major: Biochemistry
Nicole's College GPA Range: 3.6-3.9

Salary

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Depends on Experience

$50,000 - $200,000

Getting the Job

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How did you get your job?

I first got a job as a paralegal for an intellectual property boutique law firm in Chicago, where I soaked up as much as I could about patent law while I studied for the Patent Bar Exam. After I passed the Patent Bar Exam, I moved to Washington, DC, to take a job as a patent agent for a general practice law firm. A year and a half later, I  moved to Florida with my fiance and became a self-employed consulting patent agent, although I still work closely with the same DC-based firm.

How important was networking to landing your position?

Incredibly important. Although I had passed the Patent Bar Exam, I had essentially no experience when I was hired by the DC-based law firm. However, I had reached out to one of the partners at that law firm (via a mutual friend) prior to passing the Patent Bar Exam, and she recommended me for the job. Without that connection, my resume likely would not have even been considered.

Life on the Job

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What is a typical day (or week) for you like?

Most of my day is spent in front of the computer writing papers. Most of these papers are essentially "arguments" that I'll submit to patent examiners at the Patent Office (i.e., the people who review patent applications and decide if they are patentable). That is, using a combination of legal and technical arguments, I try to convince the examiners that our patent application describes a new invention. My favorite part of my job, however, is talking to inventors about their invention, and then describing that invention in a new patent application. Of course, I do spend some time each week on administrative-type tasks (e.g., managing my docket, creating invoices, filling out formal paperwork from the Patent Office), but luckily those tasks do not take an enormous amount of time.

How closely does your typical day (or week) match up to the general "job description" for your position?

Pretty standard for a patent agent who works in a law firm. Although I am technically self-employed, I work closely with the patent attorneys at the DC-based law firm where I had previously worked, and essentially work with the same clients I had been working with prior to becoming a consultant. So although I work from home, my day-to-day is not a lot different than if I was a law firm employee. (Except now, I don't wear pants.)

Does being a woman affect any aspect of your career?

No, not really. Although I work primarily with men, I haven't felt that I've been treated differently because I am a woman.

What is the best thing about your job?

I get to write and argue all day, which are two of my favorite things to do. (A quality my fiance finds endearing, I'm sure.)

What is the worst thing about your job?

Urgent, "surprise" deadlines are not uncommon. Although I enjoy my job, it can be enormously stressful at times.

How demanding is your job?

It fluctuates between pull-out-my-hair stressful and surprisingly laid back, depending on how many applications I'm working on. The only constant demand is time management; there's a sweet spot between working all night and  full-out procrastination that can be difficult to find when you work from home.

Do you have any advancement opportunities?

Not as a patent agent. I can move laterally (e.g., I can work for a company instead of with a law firm), become entirely self-sufficient (e.g., get my own clients instead of working with the DC-based firm's clients), and/or become a more "senior" patent agent (meaning I could get a raise), but my title will always be "patent agent." I can, however, get a law degree, which would make me a "patent attorney" instead of a "patent agent." Although this would not change my job in terms of prosecuting patent applications, it would allow me to do some things that I cannot legally do now (e.g., represent someone in court or give legal opinions). If I were to become a patent attorney, I could definitely advance from there (e.g., become a partner at a law firm). However, the transition from agent to attorney is more of a job change than it is a real advancement.

Advice for You

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What are the skills, characteristics, or talents that are most important to be effective in your position?

Most importantly, you should be a strong writer. It also helps if you are able to see the big picture instead of getting caught up in details. (Although you can't completely ignore details either.) Having a solid understanding of whatever technology you are focusing on is also helpful.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a career like yours?

Network your butt off. Talk to as many patent-related people as you can, and learn as much as possible from them. If you're still in school, focus on your GPA. Think about becoming an examiner for the Patent Office if you're having a hard time getting hired as a patent agent. (Many people I work with started out this way.) And most importantly, remember that there's no "right way" to get started with this career. When I started, almost everyone told me that I would need some sort of advanced degree to get hired, which just wasn't true. If you want it and you're willing to work for it, you can make it happen.

If you could do it over again, would you still pursue the same career?

At this point, absolutely. I genuinely enjoy what I do, and like it more as I gain more experience.

Follow Up

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