Though consultant jobs are successful across-the-board, they require hard-earned experience. An Information Technology (IT) consultant, for example, has mastered software platforms and applications, so much so that he can lead other IT workers. In order to make good on his title, consultants must to be able to advise other workers and managers. If consultants have anything less than advanced knowledge, they will experience huge difficulties in finding jobs.
Large corporations are the most frequent employer of consultants. It has become commonplace for large businesses to outsource their work in order to reduce their huge budgets. At some companies, half the staff members are consultants or other temporary workers.
Companies turn to consulting firms or self-employed consultants to fill out the jobs that demand a high degree of knowledge. These jobs may include hotel consulting, in which a seasoned hotel consultant visits the owners of a new hotel to advise them on start-up costs. This type of consultant typically has ten or more years in the hotel industry, previously working as a hotel manager or executive. The consultant, therefore, is able to advise the client on everything from accounting procedures to employee training. However, in such a situation it is more common for consulting firms to loan out a team of consultants to the client. The team would consist of consultants who concentrate in certain areas of hotel management, such as hotel accounting or hotel restaurant management. This team would meet with architects and contractors, order hotel equipment, hire and train new managers, and arrange advertising campaigns.
Consultants typically enjoy their jobs chiefly because their sophisticated knowledge enables them to negotiate higher payment from clients. If they were full-time employees of a corporation, they would experience more difficulty attaining such payment because of the greater competition among managers. Furthermore, corporate environments also place many administrative burdens on full-time workers. For instance, a worker who demonstrates advanced software-accounting skills but works in a human-resources department would have difficulty landing a managerial position in a completely different department. In contrast, a software-accounting consultant would likely be the first choice for that job due to his highly concentrated skills.
Another difference from corporations is that consulting firms invest a great deal of money into the training of their consultants. If corporations were to do the same for their many staff members, the costs of those training programs would greatly strain their budget. In contrast, consulting firms continually train consultants in a wide variety of business skills so they can negotiate higher payments that yields the firm more returns. This high-training environment puts a dynamic spin on the job experience of consultants, because they are always learning new skills. They enjoy their jobs more because they are always being challenged and experiencing great variety.
Even though consultants usually make more money than corporate workers, it is difficult for them to consistently make money throughout their long-term careers. In fact, it is more common for consultants to gain considerable money during a short-term job, and then earn more average pay for long-term consulting jobs. However, most consultants advise avoiding the short-term option and striving for long-term relationships with corporations. These relations will give consultants steady work in the years to come.
IT consultants often do not work with consultant firms because they are now the highest-earning consultants. IT consulting jobs are in such high demand because computer-programming skills are still a fairly uncommon skill. In fact, IT consultants earn such high rates that there is extremely high turnover at IT firms, since IT consultants want higher pay for themselves. Therefore, many IT consultants are self-employed.
On that note, “shopping” for the right consulting firm can end up being a difficult task for consultants. In choosing a good consulting firm, a consultant needs to make sure that the firm will respect his abilities and needs. For instance, it is routine among poor consulting firms to send a consultant’s resume among numerous employers without the consultant’s knowledge. This reflects badly on the consultant because this circulation shows lack of focus on his part. Other poor consulting firms directly send candidates to work with a client before conducting their own job interviews with them. Conversely, a reputable consulting firm conducts about two job interviews with candidates and thoroughly trains the new hires before sending them on to clients.
While seeking employers, many consultants obtain references about a recruiting consulting firm. These references are usually testimonials from people in the consultant’s network who know about that firm. Altogether, it is a consultant’s responsibility to painstakingly research a consulting firm before committing himself to it.
Most entry level consulting jobs earn mid-level salaries of about $60,000. After five years of consulting, consultants usually graduate to $80,000-$90,000 per year, with some business or IT consultants topping six-figure salaries.
All consultant jobs are expected to rise due to more businesses contracting consultants. Because this trend is so pervasive, consulting opportunities are expanding in virtually all industries. Consultants who have the most experience, degree level, and certification will secure the top consulting jobs.
