becoming a consultant

How Do I Become A ConsultantI get asked this question a lot. There is a false perception that contracting is just like full-time employment only for more money. Unfortunately, some do treat it as such and give consultants a bad rap. This often causes employees to resent contractors, and clients to be gun shy. Notice that I use the word client and not employer. This is an extremely important distinction, which I will get into later on.
Full-time employment and contracting both have their pros and cons. The truth is that contracting is not for everyone. My goal is to help provide guidance in deciding if it's right for you.


Questions To Ask Yourself

• Do you feel comfortable with short-term commitments? Contracts are often 3 - 6 months in length with no guarantees of renewal. 
• Are you financially capable of being without an income for up to 6 months?Depending on your level of experience and the technologies you specialize in, finding a contract could take some time.
• Do you have a significant other, or maybe dependencies?Are they ok with the possibility of being without an income for periods of time?
• Are you able to entrust your finances to an accountant?Maintaining a corporation can be complicated. Most will need the assistance of an accountant they can trust.
• Do you like changing environments?Being a contractor means going from place to place, meeting new people, adapting to new corporate climates, and learning new technologies.
• Are you ok with frequent interviews?Contracts may be short lived which means having to interview every few months for more work.
• Do you enjoy the pressure of staying ahead?As a consultant, your job is to provide a set of skills that your client does not posses. This means constantly reading, researching, and training to stay ahead of the curve.
• Are you comfortable in high pressure situations?Many times a client will bring on a consultant when things have gone wrong. For instance, a project may be behind schedule, over budget, or it could be in production with critical errors. A client will look to you to solve problems quickly.

Some will view the questions above as positives, others as negatives, and some a little of both. These questions aren't meant to scare you off, but there are harsh realities that need to be considered.


Steps To Become A Consultant

• Gain experience - How much experience depends on your skills and how rare they are. As a general rule of thumb, I would recommend at least three years. This will allow you to gain confidence, learn to develop applications in a real-life scenario, and interact with vendors and clients.
• Build a network - This is key. It's important to do your job and do it well. Build a reputation for conducting yourself in a professional manner and developing quality software.
• Build a nest egg - As mentioned earlier, there may be times that you may be without work for extended periods. Being prepared will ease the stress and financial burden.
• Get incorporated - It does cost more, but it's worth it. I don't want to get into specifics as every province/state varies.
• Find a good accountant - Unless you have experience, a good accountant is key. An accountant will help you setup your accounts, establish a payroll schedule, maintain your business expenses, and perform year-ends.
• Vendor/Client Relationship - Your corporation acts as a vendor and will perform work for a client. It's important to understand that you will be representing your corporation. Your actions reflect on your client's satisfaction. It also means having your own cell phones, business cards, web sites, etc.
• Getting Work - Use your network or work with an agency to find your contracts.

Tips on Being a Better Consultant

1. First and foremost, you have to love what you do. I truly believe that. Yes, you can get by on intelligence alone, but to stay on top requires a level of commitment and sacrifice that can only be achieved through a passion for what you do.
2. You always need to provide value-add to your clients. This means anticipating and adapting to a client's needs. Be willing to train yourself on your own time including, reading, researching, and prototyping.
3. Exceed expectations. Whether its additional documentation, more test case coverage, training videos, always try to go above and beyond.
4. Bring new ideas, and utilize your experience. Many times we get caught up in just trying to please people by doing what they ask, but as a contractor, it's your responsibility to point out problems AND their solutions. The "AND" is extremely important. If you are going to point out a problem or a concern, always have one or more ways to solve it.
5. As mentioned earlier, there can sometimes be a negative stigma attached to contracting amongst full-time employees. It could be from the false perception mentioned earlier, or they may have had a negative experience in the past. It's important to be aware and do what you can to mitigate the risks. Make it known that you are there to assist them. Be professional, humble, supportive, willing to listen, and offer guidance.
6. It's great to specialize in a specific skillset, but be willing to adapt. Clients will rely on your experience as well as your knowledge with a particular technology.
7. Problems happen. When they do, it's important they are identified and solved quickly. When critical errors occur in production, tensions rise and people are on edge. At this point in time, the only thing a client wants to know is the root cause, the solution, and the estimated time of completion. Nothing less and nothing more.
8. Share knowledge and find a mentor. The great thing about contracting is that you get to work in different environments with many different people. Take the opportunity to learn from those around you