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Day In The Life Of A Contractor

Thinking of heading into IT consulting? Then you don’t want to miss the insight and advice from Doug Berg who started two companies, techies.com, an online job board and training center for tech professionals, and also HotGigs , a company that brings consultants together with the staffing firms that recruit them and the companies that hire them. He’s worked with job candidates and consultants for many years, serving as a consultant, an employee, a hiring manager and I’ve managed contract workers.

What’s it like in the consulting trenches? Browsing the blogosphere, I’ve come across some really insightful peeks into the consulting life (and a few not-so-insightful as well).

Take Justin Opitz. This Boston-based developer is definitely on the insightful side of my list. He has published what could be a credo for many consultants: How to work with recruiters. He doesn’t mince words; he talks about how to keep focused on your goals and walk away from projects that don’t fit, how to deal with recruiters who won’t take no for an answer…and how to keep your project search on a professional level.

What stands out the most for me, though, is the phrase he uses toward the end: Mutually profitable relationship. In my experience, that says it all: A recruiter on your side might mean the difference between success and scraping by, and if you approach a recruiter call with that mindset you’re more likely headed for success.

Consultant and recruiter Daniel Sweet of the blog FRACAT (Free Resume And Career Toolbox) has posted one of the nicest comparisons of consultant vs. contractors I’ve seen in awhile. If you’re not sure which you are, or why you should care, read it.

He’s also got an eye-opener on the mind of the recruiter that’s an interesting counterpoint to Justin’s perspective. He may not always be diplomatic but certainly is fun…and good stuff to keep in mind when you’re establishing that mutually profitable relationship.

Himawan Nugroho spent his time between jobs last year as a contractor…and discovered it offered a level of control and empowerment that he’d never had before (although he now works for Cisco in Singapore). It’s an interesting look at the art of contracting outside the US. He’s also got an excellent set of tips for organizing your life as a self-employed expert.

Lastly, a word from The Donald. He’s sure as heck not a consultant, but Mr. Trump does have an excellent post on selling (or not selling) yourself…and I think it translates well to consultants who need to toot their own horns. Worth reading.

So…if you wanted to leave a few pearls of consulting wisdom to your peers just starting out, what would you say? Think you could do a better job than some of the bloggers I’ve listed here? Have an issue you just can’t figure out? Let me know, and we might publish it here.

Cheers-

Doug

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