How to Get Into Consulting – Five Great Tips

If you're ready for a career change, you're probably weighing all of your options. Skipping around the corporate world until you find the perfect job is one way to get into a new career, but it's probably the least efficient. Moreover, it's a sure way to find yourself continually going back to square one. That's why consulting is such a great career choice, especially if you have a certain amount of knowledge and experience that you've gained throughout your life and career up to this point. Of course, there's not a clear path into the field of consulting, and there are no degrees or certifications that you can earn to call yourself a consultant. Thankfully, I've got a few tips that can help you if you're wondering how to get into consulting.

#1 – Recognize and Inventory Your Skills

Regardless of your age, status or position, if you've spent time in the working world, you've already developed a number of essential consulting skills. This is especially true if you've been put into any sort of leadership position. Knowing how to make positive things happen is at the core of consulting; understanding how your skill set helps you effect positive change is a great first step if you're interested in joining the field.

#2 – Work on Your Resume

This tip goes hand-in-hand with tip #1. Potential clients are going to be looking for people who have the skills to help them drive results. A chronological resume showing that you've spent time at Company A followed by a stint at Company B does nothing to prove your skills. Turn your resume into a skills-based CV, and you'll find yourself getting more calls and more consulting opportunities.

#3 – Take a Modern Approach

If you've been employed in the corporate world for a while, it's probably been a while since you've gone through the process of finding a new job. In addition to modernizing your resume, you should also make sure that you're using technology to your advantage. Social and business networking through sites like LinkedIn is essential. Using that smartphone for organizing your contacts and calendar instead of playing the latest time-killing game is also vital to your success.

#4 – Refine Your Listening Skills

If you've been working in an unfulfilling job for a while, there's a good chance that you've been tuning out of meetings and other interactions simply because you're no longer engaged or challenged. Becoming a consultant will require you to change your ways completely. Listening to your clients is the first and most important step in helping them achieve results, which is why focusing on your listening skills is one of the first things you should do if you're wondering how to get into consulting.

#5 – See Yourself as a Successful Consultant

If you can't envision yourself as a successful consultant, it's unlikely that you'll ever become one. A positive attitude and a vision of success are key ingredients in the formation of any consulting practice, which is why it's so important to be able to see yourself working successfully in the field. Doing so keeps your goals and aspirations at the forefront of your mind, and it motivates you to make the right choices on your path to a new career as an independent consultant.

If you're wondering how to get into consulting, these tips provide a great starting point. However, it's important to note that they will only take you so far. The good news is that implementing these bits of advice will put you on the right path to consulting success while priming your mind for a lucrative life in the field of consulting. When combined with hard work, desire and perseverance on your part, a great career will be yours for the taking.

Have you been wondering how to get into consulting? The resources of Ex3 Matters can help. Start by reading Buddy Hobart's free eBook, “Experience Matters.” Then download your free consulting guides for more terrific information.