Three takeaways from KPMG's advisory recruiters

• Advisory divisions are enjoying impressive momentum and growth. And not just at KPMG. For a bit of context, note that the advisory/consulting divisions at Ernst & Young (13 percent revenue growth), PricewaterhouseCoopers (8 percent) and Deloitte (7 percent) all enjoyed their highest-grossing years ever in 2010. Compare that to the declines suffered by the rest of the Big Four’s primary offerings (assurance, audit, tax) and you're witnessing a bona fide trend towards more consulting-based work. That's clearly reflected in KPMG's recruitment plans (as well as Deloitte's), and it's a huge win for consulting jobseekers.

• "High demand" for energy, healthcare and pharmaceutical consultants. It makes sense, doesn't it? As companies and private citizens look to cut costs on energy while reducing their carbon footprint (or complying with new regulations), energy consulting has exploded as a viable high-growth industry. Likewise, new healthcare regulations and economic concerns in the pharmaceutical industry are driving demand for consultants with specific expertise in these domains. Such consultants stand to earn lucrative rewards in exchange for their advice.

• Mid-level candidates will receive the most attention from recruiters. This isn’t to say that entry-level or manager-level applicants will be ignored—KPMG, for example, is "actively recruiting at all levels"—but candidates with experience and positive references have a leg up on the competition. A major factor here could be recessionary unemployment; over the last couple of years, scores of talented would-be consultants have been left out in the recessionary cold, and now the big players are scrambling to access the untapped candidate pool. This could also apply to former executives or managers, previously offloaded to reduce hefty salary burdens. Expect entry-level hiring to increase steadily or maintain its already-robust rate.

Click here to read the Q&A with KPMG advisory recruiters.