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British Computer Society The Chartered Institute for IT Consultancy Specialist Group
British Computer Society
The Chartered Institute for IT
HOW TO BE A CONSULTANT
a programme for new and aspiring consultants
• What’s different about being a consultant
• Using methods, tools & resources
• Helping people to change
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 2
Dr Alan Warr, Chair of the BCS
Consultancy Specialist Group
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 3
British Computer Society
The Chartered Institute for IT
HOW TO BE A CONSULTANT
a programme for new and aspiring consultants
by Simon Wallace CITP, MBCS
31st March 2021
How To Be A Consultant 31st March 2021 4
Typical Routes Into IT
Consultancy
IT Expert /
IT Profession
Specialist
How To Be A Consultant
Consultancy
Student /
Training IT Consultant
Graduate
Programme
You don’t need
to be tecky to Business
become a Business World Expert /
consultant! Specialist
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 5
How To Be A Consultant
a programme for new and aspiring consultants
Managing
Teams & Projects and
Relationships Mixed Teams
Interviews, Solution
Client Fact Finding Design and
Relationships Fees, and Evidence
Buy In Helping
Being a Commerciality, Analysis and
Problem People to
Consultant Contracts and
Solving Change
Presentation Finance Report
Creativity
What’s Skills Quality Writing
Different Successful
Ethics and and Risk
about being a Delivery and
Behaviour Using Management Getting
Consultant Selling Beyond
Methods, Decisions
Your
Tools and Thought Made and
Work
Trust & Resources Leadership Delivered Professionalism
Influencing and Capabilities
Reputation Organisation
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 6
British Computer Society
The Chartered Institute for IT
HOW TO BE A CONSULTANT
a programme for new and aspiring consultants
Wednesday What’s different about being a consultant Wednesday Creativity
31 March 2021 Using methods, tools & resources 21 July 2021 Presentation skills
Helping people to change Quality & risk management
Wednesday Being a consultant Wednesday Trust & influencing
28 April 2021 Interviews, fact-finding & evidence 29 September 2021 Solution design & buy-in
Managing projects & mixed teams Teams & relationships
Wednesday Ethics & behaviours Wednesday Thought leadership and reputation
26 May 2021 Analysis & problem solving 27 October 2021 Getting decisions made & delivered
Client relationships Successful delivery and beyond
Wednesday Selling your work
30 June 2021 Report writing
Fees, commerciality, contracts & finance
How To Be A Consultant 31st March 2021 8
Zoom In
Host & BCS ConSIG Panellists
Questionmaster
Guest Speaker (15-20 mins)
10-15 mins contributions + Q&A Guest Speakers (for part 2 & 3)
Experienced Consultants (encouraged to attend and contribute)
Audience (encouraged to ask questions)
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 9
How To Be a Consultant
Managing
Teams & Projects and
Relationships Mixed Teams
Interviews, Solution
Client Fact Finding Design and
Relationships and Evidence
Fees, Buy In
Analysis and Helping
Being a Commerciality,
Problem People to
Consultant Contracts and
Solving Change
Finance
Presentation Report
Creativity
What’s Skills Writing
Quality
Different Successful
Ethics and and Risk
about being a Delivery and
Behaviour Management
Consultant Using Getting Beyond
Selling
Methods, Decisions
Your
Tools and Thought Made and
Work
Trust & Resources Leadership Delivered
Influencing and
Reputation
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 10
What is a Consultant?
What definitions have you heard?
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 11What is a Consultant?
▪ A consultant is someone contracted for
a limited time for their specialised
knowledge and skills that client
organisations may wish to benefit
from, to assist with a specific need.
▪ You might be doing so as an employee
or associate of a consulting firm or as
a sole practitioner, contracted directly
to the client.
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 12Types of IT Project Worker
Consultancy Freelance Temporary
Associate Consultant Employee
Of Client
Consultancy Permanent
Employee Employee
Software or of Client
Agency Freelance
Service Supplier Worker IT Contractor
Employee
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 13Employee vs Freelance
Employed
▪ Steady job
▪ Colleagues and coaches
▪ Fed with work
▪ Career progression
▪ Training
Consultancy Freelance Temporary
▪ Holidays
Associate Consultant Employee
▪ Paid even when not doing client work
Of Client
▪ Infrastructure, equipment and support
▪ Back office (eg finance & HR)
Consultancy Permanent
Employee Freelance Employee
Software or ▪ Profit from your own of Client
success
Agency Freelance
Service Supplier ▪ Freedom / flexibility
Worker IT Contractor
▪ Choose your own assignments
Employee
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant ▪ Reputation in your own name 14You are the product for sale
Demonstrate you
£ ££ ££
▪ Understand what is required
▪ Have the right knowledge
▪ Have strong relevant
experience
▪ Have a professional attitude
▪ Will communicate well with
client personnel at all levels
▪ Have friendly rapport with the
purchaser
as part of the best team the client could ever hire!
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 15Another day, another assignment,
another client, another location
Fun or nightmare? For better or worse:
▪ Travel
▪ Meet new people
▪ Join new teams
▪ Learn about different businesses
▪ Use different methods, tools and
techniques
▪ Develop your experience
▪ Grow your CV
Consultant is thrown out of a plane without a ▪ Move on to a better job!
parachute. Luckily she lands in the deep end.
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 16But maybe doing that more
remotely nowadays?
What are the pros and cons?
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 17Be a team player but remember
you’re not one of them
▪ Good relationship with key client people
▪ Friendly, helpful, co-operative
▪ Impartial – reserve judgement and don’t
take sides
▪ Put the client first, but
▪ Protect your own interests
▪ Good ethics, attitudes & behaviours
▪ If it’s not going well you could be straight
out of the door!
▪ btw – careful about giving and receiving
entertainment or gifts
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 18Client People
▪ You might contend with “lack of understanding, doubt, resistance, resentment, occasional
hostility and illogical behaviours”
▪ Client people are often an essential element of your work:
‒ Sales process
‒ Fact finding
‒ Designs and decisions
‒ Testing
‒ Procedures
‒ Training
‒ Buy-In
‒ Support
▪ Need for strong sponsorship
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 19Charging for your services
▪ Pricing
▪ Type of contract:
‒ employment contract
‒ secondment
‒ time & materials
‒ fixed price RISK
‒ capped fees
‒ contingency / success fees
‒ stage payments
▪ Plus expenses, overtime, travelling time, VAT
▪ Allow for down time, holidays, pensions, business expenses etc?
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 20Your Observations, Comments
and Questions
The End
31st March 2021 How To Be A Consultant 21British Computer Society
The Chartered Institute for IT
HOW TO BE A CONSULTANT
a programme for new and aspiring consultants
by Simon Wallace CITP, MBCS
31st March 2021
How To Be A Consultant 31st March 2021 22You can also read
