Consultancy tips

What is consulting? And what’s in it for you?

20 Feb 2020
Our recruiters speak with potential new consultants every day. These meetings often bring up similar questions such as "What is consulting?", "Why should I become a consultant?" and "Do you think I would make a good consultant?”

For this reason, we have decided to write a number of articles on consulting. In these articles, we will answer frequently asked questions on consulting. At the same time, we invite you to share your questions on consulting.

Navigate this article:

It is our goal to help people find challenging and rewarding jobs and to connect them with the projects and companies that need them most. You may or may not have considered a job as a consultant before. In any case, with this article, we want to paint an honest picture of the job. Because a career in consulting has great benefits!

In this first article, we describe in short how consulting works and why so many others already decided to become a consultant.

What is consulting?

Consulting or consultancy is often seen as “giving advice”. But consulting is usually much more than that.

As a consultant, you help other companies prepare, lead or implement projects. You put your knowledge and experience at the disposal of the client to provide extra knowledge, skills or manpower for the duration of the project.

Consulting at Pauwels Consulting

Pauwels Consulting’s consultants work full-time or part-time on one or several projects for clients at home or abroad. Our consultants give advice and they work in the field, individually or in teams.

The majority of our consultants are permanently employed at Pauwels Consulting, but we also work with independent consultants.

Consultants who are permanently employed receive training, coaching and projects from Pauwels Consulting. All administrative work is taken care of as well. Independent consultants work for Pauwels Consulting for the duration of their project.

Having said this, we always invest in long-term relationships with our employees and partners. That’s why we always strive to keep good independent consultants on board.

Would you like to know if consultancy is something for you?

The benefits of consulting

Pauwels Consulting now employs more than 850 consultants. Each of our consultants has a unique story.

The specific benefits of consulting are different for everyone, but the following benefits are commonly heard:

1. As a consultant you have a varied job

Consulting is perhaps one of the most varied jobs. In contrast to a permanent job at one employer, consultancy offers you the opportunity to exchange your working environment quicker and more often.

As a consultant, you have to leave your comfort zone on a regular basis. You have to prove yourself every single day. This is challenging and intensive, but you’ll probably be learning new things every day and you’ll get to know many new people along the way.

And despite what you may think: you can also be a consultant with fixed employment. This option gives you all the variation and challenges of consulting with the security of a permanent contract!

2. As a consultant you can quickly broaden your knowledge and experience

When you start a new job you often learn many new things. But more often than not the challenges eventually wane. With consultancy, you change projects frequently. This will keep your job challenging and rewarding.

As a consultant, you are expected to bring a fresh, open-minded outlook. You have to be able to resolve problems based on knowledge and experience gathered from previous projects. That is the added value of a good consultant.

3. As a consultant you can expand your professional network quickly and thoroughly

If you change projects, project teams and clients you will grow a large network. This will provide help, inspiration and eventually probably also opportunities to steer your career in the direction you want.

As a consultant, you are expected to be a linchpin. You are expected to combine the knowledge, skills and people needed to tackle a project or to solve a problem.

Growing a powerful network is not a bonus. It is a requirement.

Are you interested in consulting?

People are often not aware of their opportunities as a consultant. They often do not know the sector, they are afraid of change, or they are satisfied (or at least not unhappy) with their current job.

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Maxime van Belle Content Marketeer