Forestry consulting is a growing industry worldwide, providing services to governments, environmental agencies, logging companies, and conservation groups. Consultants typically have a minimum bachelor’s degree and 10-15 years of professional experience. Soft skills such as interpersonal skills and business management perspective are essential, as well as strong written and oral communication skills. There are two types of forestry consulting companies: large multinational companies or small boutique or niche companies.
The field of forestry consulting is a growth area worldwide. Silviculture is the study of different types of forests, threats and forest management techniques. Forestry consulting services are typically used by governments, environmental agencies, logging companies and conservation groups. The types of services provided by a forestry consulting firm vary widely, from cruise services and timber inventory management to the installation of geographic information systems.
Forest consultants come from a variety of educational backgrounds, from geographic information systems to forestry. Typically, forestry consultants have a minimum bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. In addition, a significant number of consultants completed a master’s degree in their area of specialization. Training or certification as a project manager is a growing requirement as most of this work is project-based.
Working as a forestry consultant is typically a mid-career position as a significant amount of work experience is required. Between 10 and 15 years of professional experience in forestry, with increasing responsibility, provides a solid background and field experience. Most forestry work is completed on site and involves life in remote regions around the world.
Establishing a reputation within your forestry area of focus is an important first step for anyone looking to start a forestry consultancy. Consistently delivering high quality work is one aspect. Interpersonal skills, conflict resolution and business management perspective are essential skills as a consultant. These kinds of soft skills can be learned slowly through experience or learned in a series of courses or through executive coaching.
Written and oral communication skills are a much higher priority in forestry consulting than in other areas of the industry. The client is essentially acquiring the skills and knowledge of the consultant. The final work product is almost always a written document, proposal, evaluation, or recommendation. In preparation for this type of work, many people complete courses in business writing and English grammar.
In addition to report writing skills, consultants must present in front of groups, with audiences ranging from a small group of employees to senior executives. Practice is the only way to learn this skill. Executive coaching or volunteering for a drama production is a great way to hone these skills.
Adding these skills is an excellent first step in getting started in forestry consulting. There are two types of forestry consulting companies: large multinational companies or small boutique or niche companies. Think about the type of work you want to do and where your experience and strengths lie. Start small and gain valuable experience and business contacts before applying to a large multinational company.
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