How to become a Business Consultant without Grey Hair – Α Real Story

When I started operating in UAE as a Business Consultant, 18 years ago at the age of 37, I had to go through a process of obtaining a Consultant’s Licence which among other things included an interview with the Department of Trade and Industry in Dubai.

During the interview which lasted for about an hour and a half, the interviewer asked numerous questions about my qualifications, skills and track record. At the end, he asked the most important of all questions.

He looked at me with a sense of questioning, and mistrust for a few seconds and asked: “You know, normally in UAE, Consultants are retired, ex. Professors with grey hair! Why do you think you can become a Consultant?”

I replied: “University Professors unless they have had extensive applied experience working with the industry, I do not see how they can translate theory into meaningful and implementable practices within a business to help its growth. Secondly, if they are retired with grey hair, I cannot see where they can find the energy to help a business implement what they propose. They have already undergone mental and physical depreciation. After all that is the meaning of the word “re-tired”.

The interviewer looked at me with a smile in his face and stamped my application “APPROVED”.

Bottom line, to become a successful Consultant you need top notch skills which means a combination of knowledge, experience and passion. Experience on the other hand is not directly proportional to the number of years at work but proportional to the intensity by which a person tests knowledge through practice in a given time.  And that intensity is proportional to the passion (not being tired or re-tired).

Yiannakis Mouzouris
B.Sc. Mech. Eng., M.Sc. Mgt
Business Consultant / Trainer
Performance Management Specialist