What is a consultant? Myths v realities
Try this true-or-false quiz about consulting, adapted from The Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond by E Biech.
1. Consultants can make loads of money, some even make £500 per day others double that - that's better than a normal salary.
2. One of the advantages of being an external consultant is that you can avoid the politics and paperwork of an internal job.
3. As a consultant, you will be seen as an expert in your area.
4. If you have your own consulting practise, you'll have more free, unstructured time than you will working for an organisation.
5. When you tell others you're a consultant, they'll see you as a respectable professional.
6. It is easy to break into consulting; all you need to do is print business cards.
7. At some point, deciding to build your business is an easy decision, and one most consultants will want to make.
Now review the answers.
1. Most people think this is true. But salary, like all jobs, depends on the stage of your consulting career and the kind of consulting you do. If you break down what a consultant charges per hour, it might not be as much as you expect. Some consultants are getting rich, but some are not. It's important to remember that the time you spend developing proposals and preparing for meetings and training sessions is also a significant part of your day. Finally, you're responsible for your own taxes and expenses (office space, equipment, insurance, and so on) if you are an independent consultant. For beginners, the answer to this question is probably false.
2. Just because you operate as an 'external' consultant does not mean that you're free from political entanglements. As you can well imagine, the existing political climate of an organisation can directly affect your own work. Businesses hire consultants for any number of reasons, from the noble to the very base. You'll need to come up with incisive questions to assess the political climate of an organisation so you can go in with your eyes wide open.
3. Actually, you may or may not be seen as an expert. This can actually be tied to question 2 - you may have been hired in order for the company to have someone to blame.
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