First and foremost a Consultant is a professional that acquires knowledge through experience, and in turn suggests solutions to the client. A Consultant will have several clients at any given time; therefore working with the goal of keeping the client long-term is more likely the better approach. Some projects especially larger contracts will require the Consultant to be available at any given time for consulting work. Unlike Contract work a Consultant that has a good relationship with a client will be called upon from time to time to address certain problems. They may be on a monthly retainer or they may be paid per project.
Becoming a Consultant takes determination hard work and the ability to think scientifically for solutions to problems. Public speaking with excellent communication abilities is paramount in this industry. There are many professionals that have stopped working in the corporate world only to go back as a contract Consultant. Therefore anyone who has excellent knowledge and years in an industry can attain consultancy status.
For example as a security consultant, advising companies on how to make their systems private and tamper proof is a major commodity. As technology grows more advanced we are faced with a number of security issues from; hackers infiltrating various computer networks for their information, e-commerce sites tampered with for credit card numbers and personal date, to government networks security being hampered thus obsolete. This has given rise to writing special code, to training employees on what to look for when a system has been tampered with. A security consultant should be well prepared to take measures to defend the system against potential hackers and corporate rivals. This can be a catch-22. For every new program created in the security sector another is created to break it. Therefore, since the world of IT is ever changing there is always demand for IT Security Consultants to provide outside advice to the system administrators.
The more formal education, a Security Consultant has the faster they will advance within the industry. It can also be said increasingly if a management positions is desired the more business skills are important. However, one of the most lucrative has to be in Security, Government, or Financial Institutions. A Computer Science degree with additional certificates from reputable firms like Microsoft is one of the easiest ways to get into this industry. Salaries range from $31.00 per hour to $60.00 per hour as a manager.
This can be a lucrative career. Whether on a Federal level or the private sector Consultants are sought out as objective experts. As a Consultant one may find they are working on the government’s behalf in order to expedite and cut through all the red tape. Therefore this position will vary in locations, including added perks besides income. These perks may include traveling to different locations, having an expense account including the use of high tech equipment.
