1. Being a consultant means you get to visit quite a few clients and resolve their issues by making recommendations. Since you visit a variety of clients you have to be on the ball by changing the way you think at every client. Every client is different in their own right and need specialised treatment. A benefit to you is that you get wider exposure to a number of different enviroments meaning you pick the best of things from each client and constantly grow your knowledge on how things can be done better and better.
2. Being a consultant is stressful, there are a lot of demands place on you by timelines, client commitments, and other internal work obligations. You will generally be dealing with a number of clients - the higher up you go on the chain the more clients you deal with and have to manage. This is why you have to have good time management skills and make sound judgements.
3. Being a consultant you have long hours but the flexiablity of balancing you life too e.g. say you have to go take you car in for servicing one day you can do that provided you can clear you diary for the day. There are time in liue policies or cash incentatives to work long hours.
4. Being a consultant is not a desk job - change in enviroment is a good thing (most of the time). IT Advisory can be a little bit of a desk job with report writing and the whole review process.
5. You have to keep up with technology - you will be doing a lot of reading and talking to find out the most current things in the market place e.g. if you client asks you whats the best device to get for emails on the run you need to know the answer whether it be a blackberry, pocket pc or other device depending on their situation. You don't want to look stupid in front of them by saying "I don't know", you can say it, but it should be followed up with "I will find out for you by tomorrow".
6. You have to be good at talking and writing - if not you will learn from your peers pretty quickly.
7. You have to be a person that can relate to people, its not all work all the time, you have to enjoy a conversation with them too e.g. rugby game, tennis, news, general conversation about things.
8. I like changing streams for a change - doing the same thing is boring.
9. You have to run with what is available at the time this changes from time to time but generally you will not be doing the same thing all the time.
10. Opportunities - you will get a lot of offers from clients to come on board if you are good and there is progression within the firm too. If you are good the opportunities will be there but in a bigger company the ladder is higher to climb. You must be asking why I haven't left, the answer is simple, I love what I do and it gives me exposure to a lot of different things.
