Can anyone become a Consultant? Is it an easy job? There is no experience or certifications required to become a consultant?
Today, we are going to bust some common myths related to the consulting industry. Many people claim themselves as entrepreneurs, consultants, and gurus that help to grow your business. But is everyone good enough to call themselves a consultant? Why do experience and expertise matter? Let us discuss these things in detail.
Who is a consultant? Why Is it a broad term?
Well, a consultant can be defined according to the roles he/she is performing for a company. There are different roles in a project and they are hired specifically for that role. For Example- Tech Experts, Business Analysts, Project Managers, Administrators, Developers, etc.
But if you are looking for a general definition, a consultant can be a person that is hired by an organization to provide guidance and a roadmap of the risks associated with the project through his experience, technical knowledge, and communication skills.
Why do organizations hire a consultant?
We know you might be thinking why do such big and small companies hire consultants when they can train their employees for the role?
The simple answer is that the consultants have the necessary experience and required expertise through which they guide their peers, build a blueprint of the threats associated with the project, and make sure everything is done at the right timing. This helps the companies to manage the process smoothly and increases productivity too.
Let’s look at some of the myths associated with the consulting business:
Myth 1: ‘A Consultant is enough to get the job done’.
This is one of the common myths in the consulting business. Many people think that hiring one person for the complete project is enough. However, it does not work like this. A consultant acts as a manager or a project coordinator in a team. They can not handle everything by themselves. They help the team by providing guidance, reviews, and feedback using their experience.
Myth 2: ‘A Consultant works for limited hours while the team does all the job’.
The role of a consultant is to make sure everything is going smoothly. There is no duplication of efforts, feeling of envy, or any new risks in the project. They have to make a blueprint in the beginning and distribute the responsibilities equally to get the job done on time and efficiently.
Myth 3: ‘Anyone can become a Consultant’.
Anyone can indeed become a consultant but to become a successful consultant in the market. One should complete certain certifications and field-related education qualifications. They can not take everything for granted because of the dynamic future. With the introduction of futuristic tools and technologies, the consultants need to keep upgrading themselves with the latest trends in the market.
Myth 4: ‘Consulting is an easy profession’.
Many of you might be thinking that consulting is a relaxing job. There is hardly anything that can make the job difficult. But guess what? You are wrong!
Consulting takes time and effort. A person needs to be professionally qualified and experienced. It takes many years to become an expert in one field. Moreover, the growing competition, uncertain future changes, building clients’ trust, and attracting new customers make it riskier and hard to sustain.
Myth 5: ‘Consultants are overpaid for their work’.
On average, a person spends almost twice the time as compared to other professions to become a successful consultant. Many employees in a company think that project managers charge more than the ‘regular’ price for their services. However, the amount is charged for the experience and the expertise needed to manage the project. It is not ‘everyone’s cup of tea’. Also, building and maintaining customers’ trust, getting leads, and building goodwill also make it more difficult for the consultants.
Summary
To put it in a nutshell, we would say, consulting is not at all an easy profession. One has to invest crucial years of their life to make the rest of the years successful. The above-mentioned myths are the most common ones in the market.
- Many successful entrepreneurs were once students. They had the urge to make their careers and names in the global market.
- Big companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon were once operating from a small room but look at them now. It happened because they believed in their ideas and stuck to them.
- Hiring a consultant makes the task easy, productive, and efficient.
- Everyone can become a consultant but it takes commitment to become a ‘successful’
We at Inthera are a team of experienced and trustworthy consultants that are guiding and helping people to grow their businesses since 2013.