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I’d like to talk about software consulting, which is an industry that’s made a big impact on my career. Also a disclaimer: this is a reflection of my own work experience so do read it with a grain of salt, it does not reflect the point of view of my employer or ICS. The intended audience for this article is the software engineer contemplating on getting into consulting, or the ICS grad that is deciding the path to start his or her career. Hopefully I will cover some points in helping you decide whether or not consulting is right for you and your career.
Looking for a challenge?
First, if you need a challenge and want different things thrown at you simultaneously while juggling 3 balls and running away from a big angry/scary bear, this is for you :) Jokes aside, being a consultant is about standing up to the obstacles your clients is facing, and punching it in the face.
Variety of experiences
Usually consulting gigs are short term projects typically 1-2 months. There are lots of benefits tied to this. Number 1, you will get a lot of exposure to different businesses, industries, corporate cultures, as well as people. This was appealing to me because I wanted to try different things and be a jack-of-all-trades (or aka expert-of-none :P). This experience helped me narrow down what role and what industry is the most interesting to me. It’s kind of like picking your major in college, except you get to test drive each major for a few weeks. The number 2 good benefit is that you never get bored solving the same problem, or looking at the same piece of code/module/architecture constantly. You get to work with different teams, solutions, and problems (I realize this is both good and bad, so really depends on the individual).
Publicity / Exposure
I’m sure this differs between consulting firms but I’ve worked on a few projects that are products with a large reach, and highly visible to the public. Not to say all of my projects are highly visible but it is very important and fulfilling to see the end product launch to say “hey, I was on the team that made it happen.” Your mileage may vary on this one, but if you want it hard enough I’m sure it’ll come to you.
Customer Facing
I guess it’s the stereotype that the “software guys” are geeks who like to hide in the corner and code. We despise human interaction! But it’s interesting how ICS emphasized the role of communication in software. I’ve since then took that to heart and tried my best in being clear and consistent in communication. In consulting, they call this “soft skills.” I believe consulting is the best way to develop your soft skills. Since you are at the client’s site and you interact with them on a day-to-day basis, you get to practice your soft skills quite often. Practice makes perfect.
Our Product is “YOU”
Consulting firms belong in the service industry, and the way they make their money is by billing clients by the hour for the amount of work done. The consultant’s bill rate obviously will vary in the type of skills, amount of experience, and skill level he/she possesses. Essentially, the consulting company is selling the consultant’s expertise, skills, and experience. This is important because it’s in the firm’s best interest to invest in you, their best selling product! Another way to think of this is, a consultant’s bill rate is directly related to the company’s earning ability.
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I’ve only scratched the surface on this topic, there’s so much more to talk about! (like travel, perks, work/life balance). I’m sure many others have consulting experience who can chime in on this as well. I’ll leave the next topics for a future post.
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