Best Practices

Considering Consulting? 6 Things to Keep in Mind

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “consulting”? Most folks seem to think that consulting is a cushy job—it’s highly paid, you don’t need any “hard” skills such as being able to code, and you’re basically getting a paycheck for making PowerPoint presentations that tell businesses what to do. But while consulting might seem glamorous on the surface, it does come with certain realities that are less-than-appealing. In this article, we tell you all you need to know about consulting, so you can figure out if it’s the right career for you. 1. You need to be able to problem-solve This one’s fairly obvious: if you’re a consultant, you need to be able to problem-solve. Don’t just assume that this is a general ability that everyone has, though. We’re talking about complex, multifaceted problems here—and these problems might be unique to a highly niche industry that you know next to nothing about. With that in mind, do you think you’ll be able to jump in, understand the context, diagnose the issue quickly, and come up with a robust solution? Trust us—it’s not as easy as it seems. 2. The hours are demanding Consulting isn’t exactly synonymous with a great work-life balance. It’s not rare to hear consultants working 10, 12, or even 14-hour days. What if you’re intending to set up your own consulting firm, and dictate your own hours? You might still get clients who reach out to you outside of your […]