How to get into Consulting

Consulting can be a very lucrative field and the United States Department of Labor website states by the year 2010, there will be more than 1 million employees working in Consulting with relation to the computer systems and design sector.

A big percentage of this figure will be computer systems and design consultants. In fact computer systems and design consultants are rising exponentially every year. For most companies, the possibility of maintaining a full time staff for computer systems analysis and computer systems design is impossible. Especially when expansion occurs the disruption of the networks can cost millions of dollars a day. The old system in place may not have e-business network in place. Change is taking place everyday. According to the US Department of labor there were 159,000 firms that were related to the Computer System and Design industry. The use and growth in this industry has given concern to security. Internal resources would need to be implemented.

Thus as a Computer Systems and Design Consultant; there are lucrative opportunities out there and usually a computer systems and design consultant will make more as an outside consultant than an on site employee. Salaries range from $35.00 per hour to $58.00 per hour as a manager. However a successful computer systems consultant with a Computer Science degree or a training certificate from a reputable firm like Microsoft can meet the specialized needs of potential employers.



The willingness to travel, including strong management skills is key to advancements. The ability to engage in project supervision or preparing quarterly portfolios is some of the daily activities prevalent in this field. A typical day can include meeting or analyzing research gathered on different project sites. Responsible for data analysis whether in business or finance the analytical mind is where the strong point lies. However creativity and the ability to approach a solution without a big budget is what set a seasoned consultant apart from a novice.

When starting out it as a Consultant it can be feast or famine. A certain balance is required. Ultimately there will be cohesion in the services offered. Weigh all options before becoming a Consultant.

• Is this part time employent or full time?
• Is it financially wise to leave the current job?
• Is putting in time to establish a good clientel without pay a problem?
• Are sales skills to sell the services to potential clients?
  

If there is a desire and drive to use a creative mind while establishing parameters and variables on any given topic then Consulting is something to look into. A minimum of a Bachelors degree is advised in any business sector, however a strong work history and excellent referrals will open doors for any Consultant. The basic formula is perseverance, knowledge, communications and the ability to market those services to the consumer.