Looking for advisory roles with better work-life balance and data analysis focus

Hello everyone! I’ve been working in business development within the energy sector for about 2 years now since I finished college. I’m planning to switch careers in the near future and have been considering consulting roles, but I’m concerned about the demanding work schedules I keep reading about online.

What I’m really looking for is a position that offers the core aspects of consulting work like data analysis, generating insights, and creating presentations, but with more reasonable working hours. Does anyone have suggestions or guidance on this?

A bit about my background: I studied Mathematics along with Data Science and Statistics in university. I’ve always loved digging into raw datasets and discovering trends and patterns, which initially drew me toward the data science field. However, due to some personal circumstances, I had to take a job that didn’t really match my interests at that time.

At first, I felt pretty discouraged about starting over in an area I knew nothing about. The learning process was challenging, but I eventually got the hang of it and made peace with my situation. As I grew in my current position, I found ways to incorporate my analytical interests into my daily responsibilities by being creative with how I approached different tasks. I built a comprehensive PowerBI dashboard that streamlined our opportunity evaluation process, reducing what used to take several hours down to just a few seconds. I also discovered that I much prefer working with large datasets and developing business insights rather than reviewing long legal documents, which don’t hold my attention very well.

Corporate strategy roles could be perfect for you. Big companies have internal strategy teams that do consulting-type work but with way better work-life balance than traditional firms. You’d handle market analysis, competitive intelligence, and strategic planning - all data-driven stuff where your PowerBI skills would shine. Government consulting’s another solid option. Places like the Congressional Budget Office or federal departments need analysts and stick to 40-hour weeks. Also check out boutique consulting firms focused on data analytics instead of broad management consulting. These smaller shops care more about keeping employees happy and won’t kill you with hours, but you’ll still get the intellectual challenge. Your energy sector background could be gold for specialized consulting gigs.

Honestly sounds like you’d be perfect for internal consulting at big companies. I’ve seen friends make this jump from traditional consulting and they love it - same analytical work but way better hours. Market research roles are worth checking out too since they’re heavy on data analysis and spotting trends, which fits your background perfectly. With your energy experience and math skills, maybe look at utilities or renewable energy companies for strategic planning roles?