How to enter IT consulting, grow from an ERP Consultant to a Project Manager, and stay confident in complex business projects
IT consulting is often perceived as a complex and closed field, full of abbreviations, business logic, and a high entry threshold. In practice, however, the path into this profession can be much more realistic and transparent, especially for those who have analytical thinking, curiosity about business, and a willingness to learn.
In this interview, Iryna Yakovlieva, ERP Consultant and Project Manager at Clarity Ukraine, shares her real career journey. She talks about her first steps in ERP consulting, working on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central implementations, and the skills that truly matter for sustainable growth in IT consulting.
This interview will be especially useful for junior specialists, career switchers, and anyone considering IT consulting as a long term career path.
Iryna, you entered the profession quite quickly and confidently progressed through the grades. Can you tell us about your background and education?
I studied Economic Cybernetics at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. This education gave me a strong foundation in analytics, economics, and working with data, which later became extremely useful in ERP consulting, where understanding numbers and business logic is equally important.
Many university graduates say they cannot imagine entering ERP or IT consulting without prior experience. How did your entry into the profession look?
During my very active job search in my fourth year at university, I came across an internship that offered a permanent position after successful completion. At that time, ERP was just a set of letters without any real meaning for me. However, when I read the job description, I realized that the requirements matched my background and strengths quite well. That is why I decided to try, even without fully understanding the field.
What do you think is more important at the beginning: technical knowledge or understanding business processes?
At the start, in my opinion, analytical thinking is the most important skill. It helps compensate for both imperfect knowledge of business processes and a minimal technical background. If a person can analyze, ask the right questions, and build logical cause and effect connections, the rest of the knowledge comes with experience.
Which skills do you consider must have for an ERP Consultant during the first year?
In the first year, an ERP Consultant should focus on several key skills.
The ability to work with large amounts of information and quickly analyze and structure it, because ERP projects always involve many details and requirements.
A sufficient level of English to read technical documentation, standard functionality descriptions, and vendor materials.
The ability to search for information effectively. Even in the era of ChatGPT, ERP consultants often face questions where answers can only be found on old forums, technical blogs, or even in a colleague’s LinkedIn post.
How does a typical ERP project look from a consultant’s perspective, from the first client contact to go live?
A typical ERP project consists of several sequential stages.
First, we meet with the client’s representatives and discuss their business processes in detail. At this stage, the client explains how processes work now, what problems exist, and what result they expect after implementing Business Central.
Next, all collected information is structured and confirmed with the client to avoid misunderstandings and to ensure a shared vision.
Based on the approved requirements document (FRD), consultants analyze the standard functionality of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and compare it with the client’s expectations. If certain requirements are not covered by standard functionality, custom development is planned.
The next step is system configuration according to the client’s needs. For example, if the client wants to receive notifications when a sales document contains a quantity that exceeds available stock, the consultant configures this and other business rules.
After that comes the modification stage, which includes writing specifications, approval, development, and testing. During testing, it is especially important to look at the system through the client’s eyes, as if reports must be submitted tomorrow and there is no time to think. This approach helps identify most issues.
When all configurations and modifications are complete, we demonstrate the results to the client and then conduct user training. This stage usually requires patience, as switching an ERP system is a significant change and often stressful for business users.
Before launch, historical client data is also migrated into the system, such as counterparties, accounts, and reference data. Finally, go live day arrives. During this period, the number of user questions increases significantly, but this is also the moment when the system truly starts to live and reveal new perspectives.
Was there a project that became a real challenge for you, and what did it teach you?
The Business Central implementation project for a company from South Korea became a real challenge due to the significant time zone difference. We only had two overlapping working hours. This project greatly improved my time management skills, especially during the post go live support phase, when it was necessary to respond quickly and make changes efficiently, understanding that the client already had additional waiting time due to the time difference.
Is it possible to become a strong ERP Consultant without a technical education? Which university subjects would you recommend focusing on?
From my experience, the basic technical knowledge an ERP Consultant needs is an understanding of database principles. All other knowledge can be acquired during work. At university, I would recommend focusing on subjects related to enterprise economics, accounting, finance, database management, and decision making.
What mistakes do you most often see among junior specialists at the beginning of their careers?
The biggest mistake at the start, in my opinion, is the absence of questions. At Clarity, we are very open to communication and always ready to explain things in more detail if something is not clear. And such situations will definitely happen.
How did you realize you were ready to move from the ERP Consultant role to Project Manager? What is included in your current responsibilities?
The realization came when I started thinking beyond individual tasks and focusing on how my work impacts the entire project. I increasingly took on coordination responsibilities, and this felt natural to me.
Currently, my responsibilities include task planning, task distribution within the team, tracking timelines and budget, and communicating with the client.
What advice would you give to those who are just considering a career in IT consulting?
Before starting a career in IT consulting, I believe it is important to honestly answer the question of what type of work you enjoy more. Whether you prefer a more monotonous role with similar tasks, or a diverse role where today you interview a client, tomorrow you run a system demo, and the next day you write documentation. If the second option resonates more, then IT consulting might be the right path.
Could you recommend YouTube channels, books, or content that influenced your worldview?
For a long time, my favorite YouTube channel has been UT 2, where technologies, education, sports, and many other topics are discussed in podcast and interview formats.
I also recommend the Ukrainer Q channel, which features deep and insightful interviews with Ukrainian intellectuals.
From books, I would recommend The Cave of Ideas by Jose Carlos Somoza, a very unusual but captivating detective novel.
Final note
Iryna’s career path is a clear example that it is possible to enter IT consulting without prior ERP experience, as long as you have analytical thinking, a willingness to learn, and an interest in understanding business in depth. From an internship during university studies to the role of ERP Consultant and later Project Manager, her journey shows how gradual immersion in projects, responsibility, and teamwork help build real expertise.
IT consulting is not about routine. It is about continuous development, close interaction with business, and the ability to see systems beyond individual tasks. If this format of work resonates with you, your own career story might start here.