Guest Author - Kristen Welcome
In today’s tough job market, many people are trying self-employed consulting options. Read on for some important questions you should ask before you decide to try consulting.
Consulting can sound like the ideal job: determining your own hours, being your own boss, taking only the jobs you want, and avoiding the whole uncomfortable process of interviewing and competing against dozens of your peers to get a single job offer. Furthermore, in some industries such as IT, consulting can be very lucrative, and consultants may get work from companies that are not in a position to hire a permanent employee. But before you give up on your job hunt in favor of self-employment, consider the following questions to help determine whether consulting is right for you:
1. Can you market yourself confidently and effectively?
Remember that when you are your own boss, you also have to find your own work. Do you have the gumption to get out there and market yourself in order to bring in business? If you are shy or have a difficult time tooting your own horn, this may pose difficulties for you.
2. Can you motivate yourself without supervision?
Although everyone dreams of making their own hours, not everyone has what it takes to make themselves get down to work when they would really rather be doing something else. If you thrive under a dutiful manager or supervisor, you may not thrive on your own. Be honest with yourself when considering whether you would truly be able to make yourself work diligent hours even without someone watching over your shoulder. If you have great self-control, self-employment may be suitable for you. If you are prone to goofing off when the boss isn’t looking, consider how much less work you may get done when the boss happens to be you.
3. Do you prefer a consistent work environment?
If you like to see the same faces everyday, then consulting for multiple companies may not suit you. On the other hand, if you thrive on a varied environment with unexpected surprises and challenges, then it may suit you very well.
4. Do you have what it takes to compete with the other consultants in your industry?
Although you may have excellent skills, remember that you will have competition that is as skilled as you are, or even more so. If you do not have the experience of your colleagues, you may have difficulty landing work. Additionally, your competition may already have an “in” with the companies for which you would like to work. If you have less experience and fewer contacts, your road will be much more difficult.
A job search can be long and tiring, and consulting may seem like the way to go. However, remember that self-employment and consulting work is not for everyone. Consider the consequences carefully before making this career-changing decision.
