Consultancy is a very common career for geography, environmental, and history students to get into!
These educational backgrounds are well suited for both providing expert information to companies and their various departments while also holding a generalized knowledge of social sciences that allows for an all encompassing assessment of a company’s strategy. As a consultant, it is common to assess a company’s issues using different frameworks. These frameworks are established lines of analysis that make it easier to identify issues and inform business choices moving forward. This makes them incredibly effective for communicating strategies from your role as a consultant to the client.
Let’s take a look at two common frameworks and where your knowledge as a geographer, historical, or environmentalist will be best suited!
PEST Analysis
This is a form of analysis that is concerned with external factors. Rather than dealing with internal company affairs, a PEST analysis takes into account everything in the market around the company that could possibly affect development or is currently affecting development.
Political analysis that accounts for:
- International relations
- Political instability
- Changing political parties of a new administration
- Taxes, tariffs, and trade regulations
A history student may have unique insights into the political situation of country the company is expanding into
A history student may be able to predict the outcome of political tensions based on past events and inform decision making
Economic analysis that account for:
- Supply and demand
- Cost of materials, labor, distribution, and overhead
- Trends of recession and inflation
A geography student can best understand the market’s demographic and how demand may change over time
A history student can read economic trends and make predictions from them
Social analysis that accounts for:
- Demographics
- Trends
- Social norms
- Cultural movements
A geography student provides cultural competency that can adapt a company for the needs of a new market
A geography student has the statistical background needed to analyze a shifting population
Technological analysis that accounts for:
- Advances with the industry and from competitors
- Current projects within the company
- Automating and streamlining tasks
An environmental student is constantly surveying the market for the most sustainable supply chains that reduce waste and increase efficiency
SWOT Analysis
This is a quick holistic analysis of a company to determine if a project is viable and sustainable. It may inform if further development is likely to succeed or fail.
Strengths look at:
- Achievements
- What is unique about the project
- Benefits provided to the customers and company
A geography student can see the social benefit to the customer base
Weaknesses look at:
- Areas for improvement
- Loss of profit
- Inefficient work
An environmental student may identify inefficient workflow in the supply chain
A history student may see a pattern in the weaknesses or be able to cross compare with the shortcomings of other companies
Opportunities for change include:
- Adapting to the customer base
- Advertising to new markets
- Adapting to trends
- Considering shareholder and customer perceptions
Using cultural knowledge and customer surveys, a geographer can interpret this data to advise on how to shift towards the needs of the consumer
A geography student can also use their cultural knowledge to predict and keep on-trend in regards to marketing
Threats to the project can be analyzed by:
- Looking at the success of competition
- Assessing relevancy
- Considering shareholder and customer perceptions
Just like the positive perception, a geographer can easily gather data on the less positive consumer and shareholder perceptions