From employee to consultant: being your own boss

Evolving from employee to consultant takes a big leap in culture and mindset. What makes the career of a consultant so attractive to some permanent employees jumping straight into consultancy, while others take up contracting as a step between?

Employee to consultant – a change in culture

When taking the leap from an employee to consultant, take the time to read, discuss and consider the many differences in the way of working and the mindset required for your new role as a consultant. Here’s a brief description of what it is to be a consultant.

A consultant is a professional highly versed in their field of expertise offering structured advice on a particular project. Consultants are usually hired to provide a solution where the client lacks enough experience or knowledge to solve a problem themselves. Consultants work with multiple clients at a time and their role is defined by themselves and agreed with the client on a case-to-case basis rather than pre-determined within a fixed contract. Find out more about the specifics of a consultant’s role and how it differs from a contractor in our more detailed guide.

Relationship with clients

Consultants have a more direct relationship with their clients as they tend to source their work directly rather than using an agency due to the nature of their role. This in turn requires consultants to have a greater level of control over the contractual and billing side of their business as they enter into direct contracts with the client. Whilst they may be contracted for a specific amount of time, similar to contractors, they rarely have set working patterns where they sit within the client’s business.

Is consulting for me?

If you do find yourself evolving into a consultancy business, there are some areas that you may want to focus on in terms of personal development. Read Evolution – from permanent employee to contractor to consultant to find see how to develop your consulting career further and a few hints for easy transition from your role as an employee.