Recently, I found myself stuck in a loop: scrolling through job descriptions, imagining what each role might actually feel like day to day, and wondering is this really what I want to do?
I had a vague idea that I am into consulting or change management from the recent project. But the more I thought about it, the more questions I had. What does consulting really involve? Is it as exciting (and intense) as people say? And more importantly, is it a fit for me?
That’s when I reached out to Brianna Hoffner (Bri), a Transformation Consultant with a background in I/O Psychology. We met for coffee, and Bri’s perspective on consulting clarified my doubts.
Bri shared her story, how she transitioned into consulting, what her daily work looks like, how she brings I/O psychology into client projects, and more. Her openness gave me a behind-the-scenes look into a world I’d only seen from the outside.
In this blog post, I’ll share Bri’s journey along with some of my own reflections, takeaways, and notes from our conversation.
If you’re curious about consulting or trying to figure out whether a role you’re interested in is truly right for you, I hope this story helps spark some clarity of your own.
Content
- Bri’s Journey Into Consulting
- Zooming Into Bri’s Current Role
- Finding Your Consulting Style
- Bringing I/O Psychology Into the Consulting World
- So, You’re Interested in Consulting? Here’s How to Get Started
Bri’s Journey Into Consulting
Bri started with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and initially worked in Human Resources. But her curiosity about human behavior at work led her back to grad school.
“I had heard of IO in college, but we only had one course, Psychology of Work, at the time so I wanted to go back to school to explore that interest further.”
After earning her Master’s in I/O Psychology from Sacred Heart University, she began working as an Associate Consultant at a boutique consulting firm. Like many, Bri was affected by mass layoffs, but was fortunately offered a new role from her previous client. She transitioned into a Program Lead role before eventually landing her current position at Slalom.
Phung’s Notes:
Bri told me each step in her journey helped her build toward her consultant role today. In the early days, she worked on small pieces of larger projects, such as deliverables and sub-tasks. As she gained more experience, she was entrusted with larger pieces, eventually taking on full projects of her own.
Reflection Point 1:
Are you someone who enjoys working through the building blocks and slowly taking on more responsibility?
Before reaching that “consultant” title, there’s often a lot of foundational work that builds your capabilities and confidence. Are you ready for that?
Zooming Into Bri’s Current Role
Of course, I couldn’t meet with Bri without asking the question that had been on my mind from the start: What exactly does a Transformation Consultant do?
“I primarily operate as a Change Manager, helping organizations navigate changes (such as new system implementations) through targeted analysis, change strategy/planning, communications, training and coaching, risk management, and adoption support.”
Phung: That sounded meaningful, but also a bit abstract to me. So I asked her to describe what that actually looks like day to day.
“My daily tasks vary depending on the type of project, industry, role, and client needs, but I typically break work down into three generalized phases: plan, execute, and adopt.
On the planning side, I create change management strategies, communication and training plans, and verify success metrics to measure adoption.
During execution, I focus on building stakeholder awareness, engaging change champions, gathering feedback in an agile way, and developing impactful training and launch materials.
Post-launch is when I track adoption metrics, run sentiment surveys, and analyze user feedback to identify what’s working and where additional support is needed.”
“My favorite part is measuring adoption and sentiment data because it shows the tangible impact of change and gives us insights to continuously improve so the change can truly make employees’ work easier.”
Phung’s note:
This was the moment it clicked for me. I could finally visualize what a Transformation Consultant does in practice. And I believe a lot of these steps felt transferable to student or workplace projects I’ve done.
Reflection Point 2:
If you’re curious about this career, try following a similar process in your own work, maybe in a class project or team initiative.
Try planning a change, executing it, and measuring how it goes. That might help you figure out if this path suits you.
Finding Your Consulting Style
One thing that stood out to me in our conversation was how intentional Bri has been about shaping her own way of consulting.
“I started in the industry as an Associate Consultant [4 years ago], which gave me invaluable experience and helped me shape my personal consulting style as I grew into the Consultant role.”
Phung: This was the first time I’d heard someone talk about “consulting style” as something personal, like a voice you develop over time. I asked Bri what she meant by that and what different styles could look like.
“I do think it’s important to try different styles out and ultimately be able to provide tailored consulting depending on client or project needs.”
“For example, my analytical nature lends me to prefer that type of consulting style. I typically start my projects off by getting as much information as I can upfront to help me make informed decisions, helping me focus on evidence-based thinking and decision-making.
Some others might prefer having more of a big picture or strategic style and provide good thought leadership. Another potential style is someone who focuses on relationship building, having more of a facilitative style throughout a project for collaboration.”
Reflection Point 3:
“You’re paid for your opinion.” How you approach problems, communicate, and make decisions distinguish you from other consultants.
So, what kind of consulting style fits with who you are?
Bringing I/O Psychology Into the Consulting World
Translating that academic knowledge into business value can be tricky. So I asked Bri how she keeps her I/O training alive in her day-to-day work.
“I apply I/O Psychology every day by keeping an end-user and employee-centric mindset in my projects. I try to keep a focus on worker well-being by paying attention to things like team dynamics, leadership engagement, and employee development opportunities.
For example, when working in Agile teams I try to facilitate fun team bonding activities daily to make sure my team is engaged and motivated. This can be as small as giving a different team member the spotlight during standup each day to share something fun or funny, helping us grow closer as a team and ultimately work better together.
Methods like this can help to make a positive impact on employees and also improve both job satisfaction and productivity.”
Reflection Point 4:
This made me realize that applying I/O doesn’t have to be complex. Sometimes it’s about bringing energy and empathy into your team culture.
We study theories of motivation and organizational behavior all the time—how can we turn that knowledge into action?
What’s one small way you can apply I/O principles in your current work or class projects?
So, You’re Interested in Consulting? Here’s How to Get Started
Bri made it clear: you don’t need to be a finished product to start consulting.
“It’s important to note that anyone can be a good Consultant—a lot of the job comes with practice.”
And if you’re like me, still figuring things out, here are a few practical starting points she shared:
1. Apply for Entry-Level Roles
“If you’re just entering the consulting world, I’d suggest beginning as an Associate or Business Analyst to learn the fundamentals, shadow others, and develop your own consulting style.”
2. Take On Relevant Responsibilities
“Get involved in internal initiatives to practice project management, communication, and leadership skills, and don’t be afraid to jump in and advocate for yourself and your passions and interests—you’ll learn as you go.”
3. Expand Your Network
“Join professional groups to build connections with likeminded people, always pursue your passions, and look for opportunities to fill gaps in processes where you notice them.”
“I primarily found all of my job experiences through networking!”
4. Learn Through Every Experience
“Most importantly, take every project as a learning experience and enjoy the people you work with, since consulting is as much about relationships as it is about skills!”
5. Build Key Skills
“A good consultant should have strong communication skills to manage stakeholder expectations and facilitate alignment across groups, along with project management skills for coordination and logistics.
Just as important are traditional change management skills like stakeholder engagement, training and enablement, risk management, and measuring adoption.
Finally, being able to think critically and especially creatively helps bring fresh, insightful solutions.”
Reflection Point 5:
Which of these skills do you already feel confident in? Which ones do you want to grow?
What’s the easiest first step you can take this week? – Progress doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful.
Final Thoughts
By the end of our meetup, Bri kindly agreed to let me share her journey here, and I’m so glad she did. Her story gave me not only insight into consulting but also a direction on where to go next.
I hope this post gave you something to think about, whether you’re exploring consulting, trying to connect your I/O background to real-world work, or simply figuring out your next step.
Huge thanks to Bri for taking the time to meet, share, and collaborate on this blog post. She not only provided great insights, but also modeled the analytical, thoughtful consulting style she’s developed over the years, which, in itself, was inspiring to see.
