What’s a consultant? ‘Someone who takes your watch to tell you the time.’ Or, ‘someone 50 miles from home.’ We’ve all heard these jokes. The reality is there are many more of us telling time and being more than 50 miles from home working as consultants.
Why are there these jokes? Most consulting is project work providing a customer with a vague product based on trust. Consultants take advantage of changes in technology and complexity, which result in client confusion and uncertainty. These cause fear which consultants can assuage for a certain price. Consultants can offer ‘peace of mind’ because they have special knowledge, know-how, objectivity, and independence.
In consulting, there is the serendipity as well. Your career success is based on your abilities and attitude. But, there is also the X factor – the serendipity factor. You’ve planned, executed and are prepared. You’ve exposed yourself to new people, knowledge, processes, and projects. You may be ahead or behind the market curve. But, things recycle. When the timing is right for your new skills or ideas, then they’ll pop. Or, you may end up with a successful, accidental career.
Life Lesson Earned: You’ll learn that you do have options and that choice is empowering. You can develop new career objectives. It’s frightening that jobs and work are becoming so fluid. However, it’s more important than ever to explore options, push your personal boundaries, take risks, and make moves. The answers are not easy. You may have to push beyond your comfort zone and take risks to find those enriching opportunities. And then, there is the serendipity factor. But things come to those who are prepared.