Has anyone worked with Gallant Consulting?

Should I get into technology consulting, data analytics, software development or product management?

• Let me clarify. My question is kind of original and personal, if long-winded. A little bit of background:                           I am doing my Masters in Information Systems Management at a good university in the US. I have worked for 2 years at a reputed Tech Consulting firm in India as an analyst. I now have to choose electives that decide what field I want to get into. There seem to be 4 broad areas in which I could go: Tech Consulting, Software Development, Data Science (and its many names) and Product Management (Please let  me know if there are any other). Tech Consulting:           Although I have work experience in Technology Consulting, I do not wish to confine myself to it. I am not completely averse to it either. It is just that, I find the world of Tech Consulting as one that puts an unduly high premium on people-skills. Now I am certainly no introvert and  I am really good at communicating with people. But I do not wish to let my career be decided solely on my people-skills. (Please tell me if this isn't the case, and how) Product Management:                     I do not have a clear understanding of this. A lot of people seem to be talking about this. But not a lot of clarity as to the exact nature of this role.Anyone who could help me understand this please? Software Development:                    Although I know that I am fairly good at programming (in JAVA et al) and also enjoy it , I am not sure if I should go in that direction.Reasons being: I do not have a bachelors in this, and my work experience was not very technology-heavy (I worked on an ERP system. Needs a bit of coding and stuff. But not as much as Soft dev does). All in all, a lot of catching-up to do, if I have to compete with geeky competitors for jobs. Data Science/Data Analytics:           I am told that Statistics is a big part of this field. I know that I am pretty good at Statistics and that I really enjoy the subject (I have taken a grad-level course in Statistics and that's how I know). I have also worked quite a bit on SQL and databases and I am comfortable with it. Now for the big question: Which way should I go in? Although I do not expect you to answer the question for me, I would certainly appreciate any informed inputs on the matter. Given my work experience, interests and aptitude, which direction should I go in?   My criteria for choosing a career path : 1. Has to pay fairly well (I can hear you say 'duh') 2. Has to be enjoyable (Which is why I mentioned my interests at the beginning) 3. I plan to pay off my loans in the US and move back to India (For personal reasons). The career path I choose should allow me to be able to do that. (I know they don't pay as much in India, in absolute terms. But, at least, decently well-paying opportunities must exist back there.)

• Answer:

  Sounds like you've already thought this through to some extent. Here are a few additional observations: Product management as I understand it is a cross-functional role in which that one person is responsible for overseeing the effectiveness and efficiency of product-related functions such as design, development, engineering, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, sales.... As a product manager, you must be able to motivate those responsible to deliver the product according the standards set for them. Maybe you're even creating the standards. A well-worn product management joke is that you have all the responsibility but none of the authority. In that sense it's comparable to ERP implementation consulting. Software development and data science are very team-oriented roles; a lot hinges on your ability to collaborate effectively with others on the team.  Both software development and data science require lots of technical skill, as you point out. The advantage of data science is that it's field with lots of innovation and growth potential. It's a fluid field where you could move around and find a good niche. Architecture is another related area you didn't mention, and a lot of your training is at the systems level. You could be an enterprise architect or a data architect. Those are both management roles comparable to product management in the sense that you would act on behalf of leadership to effect positive change at the system level, which means operating cross-functionally and requires helping the organization diagnose problems and propose and implement solutions to improve business and operational processes. What this all boils down to is a choice between becoming a manager or focusing instead on becoming a technologist and doer. If you want to do, become a doer and gain the technical skills to be a doer. If you want to be a manager, gain the people and management skills to manage. In some sense you need to be a doer before you become a manager. Both paths can be challenging and satisfying.