A few years ago, I entered the tech industry with a deep passion for technology. I was fascinated by how technology was shaping the world and how it had the potential to solve complex problems. But there was one thing I quickly realized – I didn’t just care about the tech for the sake of it. I wanted to know how technology could make a difference for businesses, help them grow, and improve their processes.
At that time, I wasn’t sure what role would allow me to blend my passion for technology with my desire to understand and improve business operations. I tried different things ,from Development, QA to BA work and I still had that nagging feeling that I hadn’t quite found my fit. But looking back now, it seems so clear—it should have been the giveaway! I was searching for a career that would allow me to merge my two passions: technology and business.
Luckily, I had many mentors and opportunities which have led me to finding out a role that blends my two passions. Forgetting if you’ve got a technical or non technical background, here are 5 questions that will help you decide if being a functional consultant is your perfect role –
Does the big picture excite you?
When a problem presents itself, do you immediately start dreaming of all the possibilities, imagining how a solution could evolve in the future? Do you look at a small feature and picture it growing, expanding, and transforming over time? Most importantly, do you live for that “aha!” moment when everything clicks together? If so, this visionary thinking will drive you to innovate, crafting solutions that not only solve today’s problems but are also future-proof for your clients.
Do you enjoy digging into the nitty gritty?
While it’s great to dream big, it’s just as important to dive deep into the details. As a functional consultant, you’ll be working hand-in-hand with clients understanding their business needs down to the smallest detail. Through this detailed analysis you’ll uncover hidden business processes that often go unnoticed—because they’re second nature to the client. Those insights are the keys to designing robust, impactful solutions. If you find satisfaction in the deep dive you’re in the right mindset for the job.
Do you seek to understand before you take action?
How do you approach complex challenges—whether it’s a tricky university assignment, solving a client’s issue, or figuring out why your Wi-Fi isn’t working? If your instinct is to step back, take in the bigger picture, and fully understand the core of the issue before jumping to solutions you’re already ahead of the game. Detailed analysis is step one, but building the perfect solution requires thoughtful research, careful design, and considering all present and future use cases. However with experience you’ll start noticing patterns and the process of designing good solutions will become easy.
Do you get energized by building relationships and collaboration?
Tech isn’t just about coding and configurations—it’s about people. A big part of being a functional consultant is collaborating with clients, stakeholders, and teams to craft solutions together. If you get energized by the idea of forming relationships, engaging in meaningful discussions, and finding common ground, you’ll love this aspect of the role. Connection, support and care from my peers and client thus far has not only helped me become a better functional consultant but a well rounded human.
Do you enjoy detangling problems?
Unpacking complex issues and turning chaos into clarity is a part of every day as a functional consultant. If you’re someone who loves breaking down complicated problems and finding elegant solutions, this role might just be your calling. There’s an immense sense of satisfaction that comes with untangling and it’s incredibly rewarding to see how your solutions directly impact your clients.
If you’re catching onto the key traits above (or you’re ready to start developing them), you’re already on the right track. These are the building blocks of a successful functional consultant, and the best part? They’re completely learnable! It’s all about building skills over time, and with the right mindset, you can absolutely thrive. A passion for tech is a must, of course, but with the huge variety of technologies out there, this skill set can take you places in any industry. For me though, I’ve chosen to focus on Microsoft Power Platform and D365. The thought of helping citizen developers use tech to optimize business processes is just too exciting and full of potential to ignore.
And here’s the cool part—I’m all about helping you grow those skills too. Stay tuned for my next blog, where I’ll dive into how you can kickstart your career as a Microsoft Functional Consultant. If there’s enough interest, I’d be more than happy to write another article on how you can build these skills step by step! Let’s get this journey started!
Tech with Simran 
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