#38 Is Working With A Consultant or Consulting Any Good?

Welcome back to another episode of Invest In You. This week our serial entrepreneurs, Fredrik and Charlie, talk about Consulting. What’s it all about? What does a consultant actually do? How do you start a career as a consultant? Answers to all these and more are in this episode as Fredrik talks through his own experiences of consulting over many years. Key Takeaways What Is A Consultant? A consultant is someone who tries to help companies solve problems they might have. Ideally, a consultant is external to the organization to avoid any bias they might have if they were internal to that company. What Are The Downsides To Being A Consultant? There are some downsides to being a consultant, not least that you can end up living out of a suitcase for long periods of time. As a consultant, you are rarely still working for a company at the implementation phase of a project. This can mean that your ideas, suggestions and plans aren’t always implemented in the way you set out. How Do You Get A Job As A Consultant? Anyone can be a consultant, there is no direct qualification needed to be a consultant. Many MBA students aim for a career as a consultant. Working for a big four company or the next tier down of companies can be helpful. There is always the option of setting up your own consultancy which can be very rewarding but it can be difficult getting your foot in the door with larger clients. How Hard Is It To Get Customers? If you’re good and you’re good at selling then it’s easy. Sometimes getting involved in bigger projects where you might be a smaller cog can be a really effective way of learning, and meeting potential customers. Always try to improve your network and continue learning. Consultancy As A Career? Consultancy is a great career, often highly paid and highly rewarding. As a consultant you’re constantly learning new things, and using creativity to solve problems to ultimately help people. Best Moments ‘You can have the best trainers in the world but if you don’t have the implementation then nothing will happen.’ ‘It’s useful to hire consultants for specific tasks.’ ‘You’re paid well, and you can help solve big, relevant problems.’ ‘If you’re really good, and you’re really good at selling getting customers is easy, if you’re not so good and you don’t like selling, it’s impossible.’ ‘Mentoring and Consulting have many similarities.’ Valuable Resources http://fundx.globalAbout the HostSerial entrepreneurs Fredrik, Charlie and Ivan Sandvall love sharing ideas and interviewing world-class entrepreneurs and influencers. Invest in You is about investments, entrepreneurship personal development and doing fun things. They hope to inspire you to take action, helping others and yourself plus enjoying the journey we call life. Contact Method Fredrik Sandvall fredriksandvall.com linkedin.com/in/sandvall/ https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/ @FredrikinLondon Invest In You Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1nvestinyou/ Charlie’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRYA8B8P29M-OzUrpfiP5Iw