Why be a Consultant?
Often Consultants are seen as extroverted, out-there types, doing very little and changing a lot, sometimes for the worse. Parachuted in to save the day & leaving the business to fend for itself once the job is done.
Not the only view, but definitely a common one. Fortunately this is not the reality I have seen & experienced.
Funnily enough this was the perception when I was considering career options and wanted to join the Consulting World. When I mentioned to other people my intentions, I was met with “but you’re too young” or “it’s a boys club”, “you don’t have the experience” or simply “it’s not for you”.
Most Consultants I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with prove this perception is far from the truth & actually there are some interesting and talented individuals about.
It’s all about perspective
This perception is damaging for many reasons:
It undermines the Consultancy profession as a whole where you will find a lot of very talented people making differences (large & small).
It can act as a barrier to entry for younger generations who may have the right skill set, natural talent or transferable experiences/skills to flourish in a Consulting role.
It may deter the more “introverted” types from considering a career in consulting, as they may feel they would be the odd one out (I cannot stress how inaccurate this is - speaking from personal experience!).
It casts a negative light on Consultants that really do care and want to add value by doing what they do.
It just makes you feel frustrated when you work hard, get stuck in & love what you do, for people to come out with “oh, so you are one of those consultants who advise people on what they should do without getting your hands dirty and then walk away".
Negative perceptions hurt. Having to defend the Consulting profession can be tiring and energy-sapping. Most of the time it’s best to leave the work speak for itself!
Myth Busting
Anyway, moving on to something more constructive, I wanted to take this opportunity to bust some myths about the Consulting profession. So here it goes:
You can only become a Consultant when you have reached a later stage in your career.
Wrong. A lot of consultancies now offer Graduate schemes where they have a framework in place for bringing along younger generations with the talent, skills, ability to succeed in the Consulting World. This is a route I took having joined from University & have been very fortunate to have mentors guiding me along the way.
It is a profession for extroverted individuals.
Again, so wrong. I am an introvert, always have been, but I manage my energy levels during work and can bring unique abilities to the table such as attention to detail, analysis/research skills, planning, structure.
You need to be a subject matter expert in a particular industry, system or business.
It definitely helps but it isn’t the be all end all. A shared trait I have noticed about Consultants is we are generally driven by learning about things - systems, processes, people - and will soon know what is required to get the job done.
Consultancy is a lonely profession.
Whilst I understand where this statement comes from, as you may often work “alone” on client site (as in your Consultant colleagues are busy on other sites) you will often be working on site with the Client with a range of people & personalities.
What is it like being a Consultant?
All of this debate about what a Consultant isn’t caused me to think about what it is and why is being a Consultant a good thing. Naturally this manifested itself in a mind map…
It’s not all Sunshine & Rainbows
Yes it’s rewarding. Yes it’s empowering. Yes it is fulfilling. It is also…
Tough
Exposing
Hard work
Daunting
Socially exhausting (especially for us introverts!)
You really need to be stepping into the world of Consulting for the right reasons. Because you want to help people, you want to learn, you want to improve things/people/outcomes.
Do you have the right temperament, the right skills, natural abilities, willingness to learn, willingness to fail & then learn from your failings?
It’s kind of like that saying “you get out what you put in”. If you work hard, invest your energy and genuinely love what you do then the pros completely outweigh the cons.
A final note
Thanks for reading my long-winded debate with myself about the Consulting profession - it wasn’t meant to be this long, I'm just passionate about this subject! I hope it has shed some light on the Consulting World and I would be really interested to hear your own thoughts / personal experiences or questions.
My leaving point is to encourage those leaving school, university or looking to change careers to consider a career in Consultancy. Starting on the Consulting career path has been the best decision I have made in my working life and have not once looked back.
Most Consultancies now offer Graduate Schemes / Programmes where they provide a framework and safe environment for younger people to learn the ropes. If you are interested in learning more about Consultancy have a look at some of the Consultancy companies, even better speak to them. If you would like to discuss informally beforehand I am always happy to meet for a coffee - a primer, of sorts.
