The Best Firms to Work For, 2006 - Defining Talent

The first time the word "talent" was used to refer to a skill or ability, historians tell us, was in the New Testament. Before then, a talent was known as a unit of mass, which was often used to measure a sum of money. The English poet, John Milton, who is responsible for coining modern words such as "self-esteem" and "jubilant," later used it in a poem referring to the gift of sight. Today, in the world of consulting, it has acquired yet another meaning.In consulting, the word often denotes a type of individual or a group of individuals with certain characteristics. Talent is what consulting firms are moving mountains to attract. In a basic sense, the word refers to individuals who have a series of key characteristics that enable them to think creatively and work well in groups. Yes, a weighty degree from a top university or MBA program might suggest that an individual holds these qualities. But really, it's about possessing the right mix of attributes, which are as elusive as those that make up the proverbial "it" factor in show business.

Every consultant has a different definition of the "it" factor. For Mike Pegler, a director at PRTM, the "it" denotes people who "have a track record of delivering results … and are very entrepreneurial." For Zach Fox, an associate consultant at Bain & Company, this means having "a passion toward getting to an answer … and being very excited about what you are doing." For Bruce Holley, a vice president at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), these are individuals who "are very bright and can handle ambiguity."

Chances are, "it" is a combination of these things, and if you have it, you are talent and will soon find — if you haven't already — that the consulting world is a shopper's market.