Career Q & A
By Alan Kearns
March 7, 2005
I'm currently a marketing director with a well-known, national
not-for-profit. In order to have more flexibility in my personal and professional
life, I'd like to pursue a career in consulting. What are some suggestions
on the best steps to take?
You are coming at this from a good perspective. As a consultant, people are "buying" your expertise. Since you are a
marketing director for a brand name company, you're at an excellent starting point.
A few things to think about
Remember, consulting is about clients, clients, clients - this is key. The first
question I have is what kind of previous experience you've had with "selling"
yourself? This is vital because you have to know what makes you unique among
the noise of a highly competitive business. What is it that your experience
and your education offer the market? Another key question: Who is your market?
Who are you targeting and whom do you know in the market? How will you package
yourself? This includes your education, the developments you have made in
your career journey, and the niche that differentiates you from others in
the business arena.
How good are you at getting work? This is the consultant's dilemma. I
know quite a few people, that while equally excellent in their field, are
set apart by their ability to acquire work. How good are you at negotiation? This is another
essential strength. How self-motivated are you to work independently? All
of these points are vital questions to bear in mind when considering the
consulting field.
Actions:
- Develop your own personal branding statement and a 30-second commercial summing up what you have to
offer.
- Connect deeply within your network to let them know what you can do for them. Meet as often as possible over
coffee/lunch. In the beginning, this is most likely where you will get the majority of your work.
- Look for partners. You may be able to complement the work that others are doing with some of your own
experience. There are many "virtual" consulting shops that work together on projects.
If you love being an expert, enjoy projects, and don't mind often working solo,
this is a great way to do business. You have the authority to hire and fire
clients, so you end up with an increased network of relationships you enjoy.
In the long term, you may end up building products or running into company
opportunities that could lead to an extended relationship, thereby building
a larger consulting practice with its own benefits. Either way, if you go
for it, the worst-case scenario is that you will have gained a new perspective.
The best-case scenario is a whole new direction and wonderful opportunities.
Alan Kearns is the Head Coach and the Brand Champion! of CareerJoy.
He is one of Canada's foremost experts on all things career. With more than
14 years of experience coaching people through successful career changes,
he brings an intimate knowledge of the entire transition process to all of
his clients. To contact Alan about paid professional services, e-mail alan@careerjoy.com
or visit his web site www.careerjoy.com.
To submit a question for a future column, please e-mail it to careercoach@charityvillage.com. No identifying information will appear in this column.
