Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from this week’s session with career transition coach and consultant Randy Block.
When times are tough, a lot of professionals turn to consulting. Of course, there are professionals who have been consulting for a number of years, as well as recently unemployed executives who look at consulting as a way to say they are not unemployed.
In this week’s coach call, two consultants were wondering about how to deal with personal branding issues in order to find more work. Both have been long-time consultants, offering services to large companies for more than 20 years. Jeff has decided that he wants a full-time position that includes a salary and benefits, while Linda has decided that she wants to expand her consulting operation because she likes getting paid for performance.
In Jeff’s case, he feels he is being hindered by the consulting label on his resume. Once the hiring manager sees that he is a consultant, they just stop reading. How can he alter this perception and sell his experience?
Randy points out that you need to have a solid handle on what you have to offer. His documents demonstrate deep knowledge in specific areas of technology and marketing, but is there a true “brand” that differentiates him?
These days, companies are hiring specifically to drive revenue or increase product. The question you need to answer, whether you are in Jeff’s situation or Linda’s, is how are you going to bring in more money? You need to be able to identify a company’s point of pain and address it.
It’s also important to understand that in the world of human resources, it’s understood that you don’t hire consultants right away as full time employees. You hire consultants as consultants and see how they perform; kick the tires before you sign them full time.
There is no magic bullet here, and most hiring managers will immediately ask themselves why this consultant is applying for a job? Randy noted that by 2010, 40 percent of all professionals in the United States will be working as 1099 workers. That means you need to take charge of your career, and get a handle on your personal brand. Randy also recommended Job Shift by William Bridges to help you get started. You also should plan to join us in December for the next Experts Connection teleseminar, “Social Media for Small Businesses and Solo Entrepreneurs: How to Level the Playing Field,” which has real benefits for consultants.
