Goal: The objective of this research was to understand the meanings of the work of the autonomous consultant who works in the management area. The literature review addressed the theme of the meanings of work. Methodology/approach: The qualitative study followed the foundations of Edmund Husserl's transcendental phenomenology and Colaizzi's (1978) descriptive phenomenological method. Originality/relevance: The meanings of work for the consultants who participated in the study are altruism, autonomy, freedom, purpose, satisfaction and professional achievement. The meanings of work for the consultants who participated in the study are professional autonomy, purpose, social contribution, satisfaction, and personal fulfillment. Main findings: The results guide professional development and career management strategies in the field of management consulting. Theoretical contributions: For data collection, remote in-depth interviews were carried out with a phenomenological basis, according to Seidman's (2013) proposal, with seven consultants. Management implications: A better understanding of the meanings of work and the factors that drive the sense of purpose and accomplishment in this activity represents one of the contributions of this study.