Recommended Qualifications for Consultants! Which Ones Are Advantageous for Career Transitions?

Consultants are professionals who propose solutions to challenges faced by companies and individuals.

Since you can work with people from various industries, it is a rewarding job that requires you to continuously update the latest information and deepen your knowledge across a wide range of industries.

Some of you may be thinking, “I want to transition into consulting — I’d like to know if there are any qualifications that would give me an advantage.” This article explains recommended qualifications when transitioning to a consultant role.

Recommended Qualifications That Give You an Advantage When Transitioning to or Getting a Job as a Consultant

Qualifications serve as indicators of your skills and can therefore be advantageous when transitioning to or getting a job as a consultant. They can also serve as one factor in gaining the trust of clients during work.

Here are some qualifications that are advantageous for transitioning to or getting a job as a consultant.

Career Consultant

A Career Consultant is a qualification that allows you to advise people who are considering employment, career changes, or career development to help them obtain their desired position. It is also a nominally exclusive qualification, and acts that damage credibility such as information leaks are prohibited, making it a qualification with high social credibility.

One example of the work involved is supporting job seekers in creating documents. For instance, this includes support in creating job cards required at Hello Work (Japanese public employment security offices) and resumes needed when applying for a job change. Since many people rarely have the opportunity to create such documents and don’t know how to write them, proofreading and advising on documents is an important job that supports job seekers in their job-hunting activities.

Note that the Career Consultant qualification became a national qualification in 2016. You need to pass both a written examination and a practical examination. The pass rate for the 23rd examination held in July 2023 was 83.6% for the written examination, 63.0% for the practical examination, and 60.7% for the combined written and practical examination. Since the typical pass rate is 50–60%, it can be said to be a relatively easy national qualification to obtain.

Upon passing the examination, you will be registered in the Career Consultant Registry, but the Career Consultant qualification requires renewal every 5 years. Since it is not automatically renewed, make sure to complete the renewal process within the required period after obtaining the qualification.

Social Insurance and Labor Consultant (Shakai Hoken Rōmushi)

A Social Insurance and Labor Consultant is an expert in labor insurance and social insurance. They prepare and submit documents related to labor insurance and social insurance, and provide social insurance advice.

To become a Social Insurance and Labor Consultant, you need to pass the national examination and have 2 years of practical experience or complete a designated office training course. Eligibility to take the examination is given to graduates of junior colleges, universities, or accredited vocational schools. Incidentally, it is said that approximately 800 to 1,000 hours of study are required to pass the Social Insurance and Labor Consultant examination.

Job responsibilities include applying for enrollment in and withdrawal from labor insurance and social insurance, preparing documents such as work rules, employee rosters, and wage ledgers, handling labor management and related matters for businesses, and providing consultation and guidance on social insurance matters.

The Social Insurance and Labor Consultant qualification is one of the eight major professional licenses in Japan, and has a high degree of specialization, allowing you to appeal your ability to assess companies from the perspective of workers. It can be said that this is a worthwhile qualification for those aiming to transition to or get a job at HR-focused consulting firms.

Furthermore, once you obtain the qualification, there is no expiration date or renewal required, so you can remain active for life. Incidentally, the pass rate for the 2022 examination was as low as 5.3%, indicating the difficulty of the examination.

Certified Management Consultant (Chūshō Kigyō Shindan’shi)

A Certified Management Consultant is a specialist who conducts investigative analysis and provides advice to improve the management conditions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and is the only national qualification in management consulting.

To obtain the qualification, you must pass the First Examination and Second Examination and complete practical training. After passing the First Examination (a written test on fundamental knowledge) and the Second Examination (which tests applied knowledge through a written test and an oral examination), you can obtain the qualification by completing practical training or practical work.

The most representative job involves management consulting for SMEs. You share a common understanding with the company regarding management challenges, and use your specialized knowledge to provide analysis and advice from the unique perspective of a Certified Management Consultant.

Document preparation, such as management improvement plans and management diagnostic reports, is also part of the job.

A management improvement plan is a document used when receiving financing from financial institutions, explaining specific measures for future management improvement. A management diagnostic report is required to be submitted to understand the management status of SMEs that handle industrial waste and to prevent illegal dumping. Preparing these two documents is work that only a Certified Management Consultant can do.

By obtaining the Certified Management Consultant qualification, you can acquire the ability to appropriately allocate a company’s available assets — including human resources, goods, and information — in accordance with its management conditions. It also opens up options such as independence or career transitions.

The pass rate for the Certified Management Consultant examination is approximately 5%, which is extremely low. The estimated study time required to pass the examination is over 1,000 hours.

Administrative Scrivener (Gyōsei Shoshi)

An Administrative Scrivener is a national qualification that involves preparing application documents for permits and licenses upon request, submitting application documents, acting as an agent in administrative appeals, and preparing documents related to rights and obligations, factual certifications, and contracts such as wills.

By obtaining the qualification, you can handle work such as preparing inheritance division agreements for estate inheritance, various applications for international marriages, and preparing certified documents. For corporate clients, you can also handle procedures for establishing various corporations and cooperatives, permit applications for construction companies and restaurants, and copyright registration applications to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Additionally, some people provide consulting services that offer support for business operations and post-establishment support for corporations, as well as host seminars and serve as lecturers for those aiming to obtain the Administrative Scrivener qualification.

The Administrative Scrivener qualification has a pass rate of 10%, making it difficult to obtain, and an estimated study time of approximately 800 hours.

Tax Accountant (Zeirishi)

A Tax Accountant is a qualification that allows you to share specialized knowledge when corporations or individuals seek tax-related advice, or to act as an agent for tax filings.

By obtaining the Tax Accountant qualification, you will be able to offer useful opinions from the perspective of a Tax Accountant when providing consulting on auditing and finance. Additionally, since you can work both as a consultant and as a Tax Accountant, being able to develop multiple business areas is one of the advantages.

The average pass rate for the Tax Accountant qualification is 18.4%, making it an extremely challenging qualification. Proportional to its difficulty, an enormous amount of study time is required — approximately 4,000 hours. Therefore, it can be said that this is not a qualification that can be easily obtained when aiming to become a consultant.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a finance and accounting qualification that allows you to provide opinions on an organization’s finances and conduct audits.

As a CPA, you can perform work such as accounting audits, preparing accounting information, tax advice, evaluating internal controls, and financial consulting. Since you can propose and formulate finance-conscious management strategies when conducting management consulting, the qualification is useful in consulting work. Therefore, those who want to do financial and accounting consulting should consider obtaining the CPA qualification to broaden the scope of their work.

Note that the CPA pass rate is an extremely challenging 15%. Proportional to this difficulty, a tremendous amount of study time is required — approximately 2,500 to 3,500 hours. Therefore, it can be said that this is not a qualification that can be easily obtained when aiming to become a consultant.

Financial Planner (FP)

A Financial Planner is a finance-related qualification. By obtaining the Financial Planner qualification, you can provide advice on clients’ financial plans, insurance, pensions, and asset management.

Financial Planner qualifications are available at Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1, and the difficulty varies by level. Level 3 is relatively easy to obtain — approximately 1 in 2 people pass — making it easier compared to other qualifications. Note that Financial Planner Level 1 has a pass rate of 10%, making it a difficult qualification.

A similar qualification is the Financial Planning Skills Test (a national qualification). This is recommended for those who want to further enhance their professional level.

MBA

MBA stands for Master of Business Administration, and is more of a proof of completing a university master’s program than a qualification per se.

The advantage of obtaining an MBA is that you can acquire knowledge related to business administration and business-useful knowledge. Since an MBA’s knowledge is useful for management consulting, it can be said to be a valuable qualification for those aiming to become management consultants.

While the difficulty of obtaining an MBA is very high, an even bigger disadvantage is that you have to attend school. Therefore, university students aiming to become consultants are recommended to pursue it while still enrolled. For working professionals, there are also schools designed for working adults, so choose a school that suits your situation.

Securities Analyst (CMA)

A Securities Analyst is a qualification for analyzing trends in financial markets. By obtaining the Securities Analyst qualification, you can perform work such as corporate analysis, industry analysis, stock valuation, investment strategy proposals, market strategy proposals, market trend monitoring, and preparing analytical report documents. Since it allows for detailed industry analysis in particular, it can be said to be a useful qualification for those aiming to become management consultants or strategy consultants.

The Securities Analyst qualification itself is considered passable with approximately 200 hours of study and is not particularly difficult. However, the eligibility requirements for the Securities Analyst examination are strict — you must have at least 3 years of practical experience to be eligible. Therefore, this is a recommended qualification for those currently working in the securities industry who are considering transitioning to consulting in the future.

Judicial Scrivener (Shiho Shoshi)

A Judicial Scrivener is one of the legal qualifications. By obtaining the Judicial Scrivener qualification, you can perform work such as preparing documents like marriage registrations and real estate registrations, handling registration procedures, providing support services for inheritance parties, debt collection procedures, corporate legal affairs, labor-related procedures, and acting as an agent for administrative procedures.

By obtaining the Judicial Scrivener qualification, it is useful for judicial-related consulting and document preparation. It will also be useful in solving problems that arise from judicial affairs in management consulting.

The pass rate for the Judicial Scrivener examination is typically around 3–5%, making it an extremely difficult qualification. Therefore, it is not a suitable qualification for those who want to quickly obtain a qualification to use in consulting. It is recommended for those who want to expand into consulting while continuing to work as a Judicial Scrivener.

3 Other Qualifications Useful for Consultant Work

We have introduced qualifications useful for transitioning to consulting, but here are 3 qualifications that are also useful beyond consultant work.

CIA (Certified Internal Auditor)

A CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) is a qualification related to internal auditing within a company. Obtaining the CIA is useful when seeking employment or transitioning to audit-related consulting.

Those aiming to become internal audit consultants may want to consider obtaining this qualification.

English-Related Qualifications

English-related qualifications include Eiken (English Proficiency Test) and TOEIC. Having English-related qualifications will be useful for communicating with overseas personnel within foreign-affiliated companies.

Additionally, since it also becomes possible to consult for overseas companies in addition to Japanese companies, those who want to broaden the scope of their work may want to consider obtaining English-related qualifications.

IT-Related Qualifications

IT-related qualifications include the Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination, IT Coordinator certification, and Applied Information Technology Engineer Examination.

Obtaining IT-related qualifications may be advantageous when seeking employment or transitioning to IT consulting, so those aiming to become IT consultants should consider obtaining them.

3 Benefits of Obtaining Qualifications as a Consultant

When joining a consulting firm, qualifications are basically not required for any position other than Career Consultant. However, there are benefits to obtaining qualifications.

Here are 3 benefits of having qualifications when seeking employment or transitioning to consulting.

You Can Appeal Your Credibility

By obtaining a qualification, you can appeal your credibility as someone knowledgeable in that field.

If your past achievements are limited, clients may not know what to base their decision to hire you on, so obtaining a qualification is useful in terms of establishing authority.

Your Scope of Work Expands

By obtaining a qualification, you can acquire knowledge outside your current area of work. Therefore, you can expect your scope of work to expand beyond what it is now.

Your Ways of Thinking and Perspectives Broaden

If you keep doing the same work day after day, your ways of thinking about work may become rigid. Through the study process of obtaining a qualification, you can acquire new ways of thinking and broaden your perspectives.

When Obtaining Qualifications as a Consultant, Make Use of the Educational Training Benefit System

When obtaining qualifications as a consultant, make use of the “Educational Training Benefit System,” which allows you to aim for qualification while working.

The Educational Training Benefit System is a government-supported program that assists in obtaining qualifications. If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can receive a subsidy for a portion of the educational training course fees.

Target qualifications include Social Insurance and Labor Consultant, Tax Accountant, Information Technology Engineer qualifications, and bookkeeping.

Reference: Educational Training Benefit System | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

How to Become a Consultant Without Prior Experience

It is possible to become a consultant even without prior experience.

However, since there are factors related to suitability and ways to make your job search more advantageous, those aiming to become consultants without prior experience should check the following 3 points.

Obtain Qualifications

When people aiming to become consultants without prior experience obtain qualifications, it will also boost their abilities and, depending on the company, may lead to a salary increase.

The biggest advantage is that the knowledge accumulated when obtaining a qualification can be used to do work that leads to client benefits.

Develop the Ability to Think Logically

To obtain a qualification, you need to study comprehensively by the exam date while thinking about things like “which parts are likely to appear on the exam” and “where should I focus my study.” Therefore, the act of obtaining a qualification itself is good practice for developing the ability to think logically.

Logical thinking is essential — it would not be an overstatement to say it is indispensable — for consultant work, so try to make it a habit to think logically in your everyday life.

Conduct Your Job Search in Your 20s

No matter how many qualifications you obtain, job hunting becomes more difficult as you get older. As with other industries, the consulting industry’s hiring of inexperienced candidates is generally limited to those in their 20s to 30s.

Once you reach your 40s, career transitions become increasingly difficult. Those considering a transition to consulting should make their decision and take action as soon as possible.

Register with a Consulting Industry-Specialized Recruitment Agency

If you are aiming to transition to the consulting industry without prior experience, it is recommended to use a recruitment agency.

By registering with a recruitment agency specializing in the consulting industry, you can receive detailed information about the industry and individual consulting firms.

Furthermore, there are many benefits, such as having access to non-public job listings with lower competition, and receiving interview preparation tailored to the consulting firm you are applying to.

For example, “ConsulNext.jp” is a consulting industry-specialized recruitment agency for people in their 20s and 30s. Consultants well-versed in the consulting industry provide services including resume proofreading and interview preparation.

They also offer free consultations on career transitions, so those new to the consulting industry are encouraged to register.

3 Popular Consulting Firms

Here are 3 popular consulting firms.

We introduced firms in popular consulting fields such as strategy consulting, financial consulting, and management consulting.

[Strategy Consulting] Accenture

Accenture has a large number of employees and is one of the world’s leading consulting firms. In addition to strategy consulting work such as operational process improvement and new business launch planning, it also handles consulting in fields such as IT and industry.

Additionally, Accenture is characterized by its very comprehensive human resource development. Each employee is assigned a mentor (separate from their direct manager) for career counseling. Since you can choose your own mentor, you can also avoid being assigned a mentor who isn’t a good fit for you.

Training programs and study sessions are also held to develop skills, so even those joining without prior experience have a fully supportive environment for growth.

Furthermore, they are proactively working to create an environment where employees can work comfortably, and it is possible to choose a work style suited to your situation, including overtime work, reduced hours, and remote work. Benefits are also comprehensive, and leave related to childcare and childbirth can be actively taken by both men and women.

Accenture is recommended for those who join without prior experience and want to work there long-term under a solid mentorship program.

[Financial Consulting] Deloitte Tohmatsu

Deloitte Tohmatsu is a firm that provides top-class consulting in fields such as accounting, taxation, and auditing. It is characterized by handling a wide range of financial and accounting-related areas, including M&A and business process improvement. Having accounting qualifications such as CPA or Tax Accountant would be advantageous when seeking employment or making a career transition.

They also incorporate a “Career Development Guideline” that provides support until you become a full-fledged consultant. Therefore, even those joining without prior experience can aim to develop into professionals capable of excelling in a global environment.

They promote a diverse environment free from constraints of gender or nationality, so with sufficient ability, you can fully excel and advance.

Furthermore, to create an easy-to-work environment, various systems and support are provided, including enhanced promotion of female employees to management positions and comprehensive maternity and childbirth benefits. Initiatives such as establishing a daycare center for employees with children are also plentiful, making it a welcoming workplace for employees with families.

[Management Consulting] Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group is a globally operating consulting firm. It holds such strong influence that 2/3 of the world’s top companies are clients of Boston Consulting Group. Although it is a large-scale consulting group, one of its strengths is that it operates with a small but elite team.

Management consulting involves reviewing management conditions and then focusing on areas such as “what management decisions can be made to improve business performance,” which forms the core work. Job responsibilities include proposing and formulating management strategies and formulating business plans.

Additionally, Boston Consulting is also working on work style reforms to efficiently deliver valuable results to clients. Possibly owing to Boston Consulting Group’s statement about helping others grow while growing themselves, employees being kind to one another is also a characteristic of Boston Consulting Group, despite it being a foreign-affiliated firm.

Those who prefer the warmth of a Japanese company over the cold atmosphere typically associated with foreign-affiliated firms may want to consider Boston Consulting as a candidate.

Frequently Asked Questions About Consultant Qualifications

Here is a summary of frequently asked questions about consultant qualifications. We have summarized information on consultant salaries, the difficulty of obtaining qualifications needed for consultants, and study times, so those considering a career transition to consulting can use this as a reference.

Summary

In this article, we introduced qualifications useful for transitioning to consulting. While obtaining qualifications cannot be said to be essential for a consulting career transition, obtaining qualifications can expand your scope of work and increase your credibility.

For those who want to expand their potential as a consultant or make their consulting career transition more advantageous, why not consider obtaining qualifications?