by Matt Gill
It’s no secret that, for a variety of reasons, companies are opting to utilize consultants in place of full time hires. For a bit more info on the trend, check out the article from Harvard Business Review ”The Rise of the Supertemp.”
Over nearly the last ten years I’ve worked as retained executive recruiter, for the last five or so years I’ve also helped my clients identify ”Supertemps” or consultants. As more companies transition a higher percentage of their employee base to consultants, it’s clear that it’s a viable career option to consider. But, just as in any career move, there are positives and negatives that need to be weighed. It’s pretty easy to come up with your lists.
Positives: Flexibility, choose my clients, tell them what I really think.
Negatives: Business pipeline, insurance, collections.
These are by no means complete but you get the idea. The challenge with your list is to identify which items are really important to you and which ones on the negative list are going to chafe the most. What I’ve learned over the last five years working directly with people who have made the consultant transition – some successfully, some not – the two most common reasons the consultant career doesn’t work are:
Business Pipeline
This week I spoke to one of the very first people I met when I began working with Consultants. She said it has taken her the last five years to develop a business pipeline that is robust enough that the thought of where her next client is coming from doesn’t keep her up at night. Five years! Statistics put the average CMO tenure at 24 months, so that’s more than two career stops for a CMO.
Remember, this is a career decision you are considering and you have to be in it for the long haul. Be prepared to be your EVP of Business Development. Networking, sales, proposals, presentations, compensation negotiation – these things must be constantly going on. The biggest mistake I’ have heard consultants admit to is taking their eye off of business development. It’s very easy to get a great new client for a six month gig, put your head down and six months later you have nothing to transition to.
Flying Solo
It gets lonely. Out of the gate you need to build a peer network. One that you can talk shop with. In many cases your clients can’t be your sounding board because they hired you for solutions. Another consultant friend of mine said that when he found himself talking to his dog about retention strategy, he knew it was time he had to create a peer group he could talk with about the business problems he was solving. Without a doubt, this is the one aspect of consulting that is the most commonly underestimated as a significant negative.
If you are considering the career move to becoming a consultant, MENG has a robust consultant SIG and the members are very eager to provide support. I’m happy to share more of what I’ve learned in a phone conversation and by all means, comments from active consultants on their experience is most welcome!
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Matt Gill Matt Gill is the Managing Partner at MICA Consulting Group, a consulting and recruiting firm connecting people in Marketing, Interactive, Creative and Advertising. He is a marketing recruiter across industries. If you think he can help with your job search, connect with him on LinkedIn. He’ll do what he can to be of help. He can also be found on Twitter at @matt_gill_4. |
