Just as no 2 consultants are alike, there is no brightly lit path that all consultants should follow in order to find a job.when you Choose to be a consultant, you are embracing the autonomy and creativity that comes with it.You are an explorer and you need to be comfortable Build your own path to success.
If you are aggressive, you can find what you need when you need it.It’s one of those professions, as independent lawyers often say, “You eat what you kill.” Making a name for yourself and getting started takes tenacity and patience Build your legacy.
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys serving them, you may need to reconsider your career. Because no assembly line can keep a steady stream of consulting opportunities.
Since you’re still reading this guide, we’ll assume you’re in the “aggressive and tenacious” camp. You know you’ve got your hands on the wares when it comes to consulting, and you’re just looking for guidance that can help you start your career and find the best opportunities.
and Roman Empire, all purposeful paths lead to consulting careers.Alexander Lewis Breadth of description methods People can enter the consultation:
There is more than one path to a successful consulting business. Someone like my dad who walked into his boss’s office and said ‘I’m starting a consulting firm’ and started his consulting business. I want you to be my first client.In this way, he turned from a large hospital employee into an entrepreneur […] Instead of consulting for one hospital, he got the bandwidth to help many people. There are also people like veteran consultant and author Alan Weiss, who started his own consulting business after being fired from the company in the mid-’80s. Weiss chose the method of pretending until you made it. He was in debt to find a high-end consultant role.He bought a brand new suit, flew first class and took a limousine to a client meeting […] It worked because Weiss quickly became a high-end consultant earning seven figures a year.
How you enter your own consulting career may depend on the nature of your business now. Are you unemployed? Are you a full-time employee within your organization? Are you an entrepreneur? Enter the consulting industry? Are you now a consultant dreaming of building a better career?
Each of these scenarios presents unique opportunities and challenges. For example, if you are not currently employed, you will have more time to invest in building your consulting business. On the other hand, your resources may be more limited.
If you are a full-time employee, there may be connections within your organization that can help you transition into an advisory role. But finding time will be more challenging as you need to balance your current job with the pursuit of where you want to be.
No matter where you are and the exact route you plan to take, here are 6 steps that will help you connect with quality consulting jobs.
Step 1: Prepare your presentation
Before getting a consulting job, you need to optimize your credentials.Your cover letter and resume will usually go before you, so make sure they represent your qualifications and purpose. Clients should be able to scan your resume and see how you are different from all other consultants within 20 seconds.
Use your cover letter and resume to showcase your unique background and how it enables you to provide key solutions to problems. For example, if you have a degree in mathematics, you can explain how your mastery of numbers continues to lead to sales breakthroughs for your clients. If you’ve served in the military, you might describe how this training gives you a special advantage in analyzing multiple sources of information.
To help you stand out further, avoid templates like the plague. Of course, they make things easier. But they also declare to customers that you like to take shortcuts and don’t care much about the quality of the finished product.
Speaking of templates, your cover letter and resume should be updated every time you approach a new client. Tailor messaging and samples to their needs. Readers should have no doubts that you understand their business and possess the unique skills needed to take them to new heights.
You also need to maintain a strong social media presence, as most potential clients will check your profile before signing a contract. LinkedIn is the most critical element In these efforts, but you should also focus on at least 2 other platforms in order to reach a wider audience.
Step 2: Get a Mentor
You’d be surprised how many people skip this step.But there is a power that comes from having Experienced professionals at your side. Your mentor can advise you on how to structure your business, how to enter into contracts and how to provide the best value to your clients.
Since this guide focuses on how to get consulting jobs, it’s important to note that your mentor can definitely guide you to great client opportunities. When mentors are overloaded with work or simply come across jobs they know are perfect for their mentors, they will turn those jobs over to you. The point of this arrangement is that you can get major jobs through your tutors that would otherwise be hard for beginners to find.
Step 3: Network Like Your Life Depends on It
Part of being a successful consultant is knowing people in your industry who can help you match consultant skills to clients. So the more people you meet and the more people who know your skills, the easier it will be to get a job.
Your social activities should be a daily ritual. Set aside time in your schedule so it’s a formal part of the day, not something you “just try to fit in.” Over time, you’ll find that your focused social habits become second nature.
Potential network activity includes:
- Industry Events
- professional organization
- email follow up
- Reach out to past clients
- LinkedIn Posts/Messages
- face to face dating
Through your network, you will find a wide variety of jobs. Some clients will come to you as a referrer. These are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities because referrals from your industry are very important when a client is considering which consultant to hire.
You can also contact specific businesses in your network and ask if they need your consulting services. Note that these are not cold calls as you have established initial connections and ideally shared mutual friends in your industry. Given these trust-building elements, your chances of getting a job are very high.
When a business refuses your service, feel free to ask if they have any suggestions for other potential clients to contact. Whenever you get a name this way, you gain an inherent advantage because you are referred by someone who already knows the client.
Step 4: Master the Art of Following Up
Some say success is 50% effort and 50% follow-up. We’re here to tell you that this ratio is seriously out of balance, and that following up plays a bigger role in your ability to succeed.
consider a fact only 2% of sales From your first contact with a customer. This means that 98% of sales are the result of follow-up. However, many advisors get frustrated when their first outreach doesn’t work out.These Statistics tell a story:
- 3% of the market is in active buying mode at any given time
- 40% of the market is ready to enter active buying mode
- 44% of salespeople throw in the towel after the first attempt
- 92% of salespeople give up before they follow up more than 5 times
Based on a holistic understanding of these statistics, nearly half of the prospects you reach will be ready or nearly ready to work with an advisor. But that doesn’t mean they’ll make quick decisions. Your need to maintain this relationship shows the tenacity and patience so important to the best advisors.
How you follow up is entirely up to you. Email and texting work well, while some advisors prefer to schedule phone calls or informal meetings.
Step 5: Search for a job board
Create an account on the platform, e.g. flexible work and indeed That way you can get alerts for some of the best consulting jobs opening across the country. Many of the jobs posted to these boards are remote, which means you can apply no matter where you live.
When you come across an interesting job posting, act fast. No, that doesn’t mean you should start your resume within the first few minutes of reading the job. Take a moment to visit the company’s website to learn more about its operations. Visit their social media channels to learn about their personalities. Armed with these insights, you will be able to submit a customized application that highlights your ability to conduct research and work with details.
Step 6: Never stop building your skills
Advisors never get to a point where they can have smooth sailings at work. You should constantly seek new data, new insights, and new methodsWhile there are some jobs in the world that value traditional skills, such as custom furniture making, consulting is a field where you are either evolving or outdated.
If constantly improving your skills seems like a daunting feat, remember that the more specialized you are, the easier it is actually. For example, if you want to dig a 25-foot-wide hole in the ground, you probably won’t get very far. But if you focus on digging a hole that’s only 4 feet wide, you can dig deeper in a fraction of the time. Before long, you’ll even hit water. This is how a well is dug, dear reader.
Jesse Sumrak suggestion:
Don’t try to be the go-to marketing consultant for every industry and every business. Instead, be the best in a single, highly focused niche. think about it. If you were hiring a construction company to build your home, would you hire a (a) residential, (b) commercial, (c) industrial or (d) general construction company? You might choose a home construction company, right? That’s because they are professionals for the specific task you want to accomplish. You don’t care that they can build other things too – you just want them to build your home.
If you’re not sure where to focus your energy, ask your instructor. You can also consult with network members whose opinions you value. Ask where the most promising opportunities are and where they think your talents are best used.
When the work is exhausting and the results are trivial, it’s time to reassess the situation. You are trying to dig a hole 25 feet wide.
Your ultimate goal is to find a niche that piques your curiosity and leverages your strengths.You’ll know you’re in the right field when you Motivated to get up in the morning Your clients always admire your ideas.
To help you keep these ideas fresh, we’ve prepared a series of business courses featuring some of the brightest minds in the business world. Want to learn better negotiation skills? The incomparable Diamond John has covered that. Need help overcoming obstacles to achieve your goals? Joe De Sena’s advice is full of actionable advice.
Take a moment now to review the lessons See which ones will provide the biggest boost to your consulting career.
