What background or degree/if at all do you need to be one?
In: 0
Generally speaking, consultants have a very specific set of knowledge and experience in SOMETHING, and it’s something a company might need at a very critical and pivotal point in its development but might not need it long term enough to justify hiring someone to maintain the availability of that skill set long term.
A company may be looking to expand operations, and might need to know the most cost effective way to do that. So they might temporarily employ a consultant who knows a lot about that particular industry and the best practices to do so. They aren’t hiring this person on a permanent basis because they only need that particular knowledge base for a particular period of time, thus not justifying doing a permanent hiring. So the consultant is brought in, advises the company on whatever that consultant is particularly knowledgeable and skilled about, and then the project ends and the consultant moves on.
Think of it as a rented brain. You have a project that needs a specific skill but it’s not an ongoing need, so you hire a consultant. Rule of thumb is typically about 6 months: if you anticipate to need a skill for less than 6 months, it’s easier to hire a consultant than hire someone for a full-time position.
Generally speaking, consultants have a very specific set of knowledge and experience in SOMETHING, and it’s something a company might need at a very critical and pivotal point in its development but might not need it long term enough to justify hiring someone to maintain the availability of that skill set long term.
A company may be looking to expand operations, and might need to know the most cost effective way to do that. So they might temporarily employ a consultant who knows a lot about that particular industry and the best practices to do so. They aren’t hiring this person on a permanent basis because they only need that particular knowledge base for a particular period of time, thus not justifying doing a permanent hiring. So the consultant is brought in, advises the company on whatever that consultant is particularly knowledgeable and skilled about, and then the project ends and the consultant moves on.
A consultant is normally a contractor rather than an employee, hired on a temporary basis to help with a specific task or problem. They may be an employee of a big consulting company, but they are not an employee of the company they are assisting.
Usually consultants are helping the owners or managers run the company better. But that can involve a wide variety of specialties.
For example, I was on the vestry of a church and we hired a consultant who specialized in assisting religious organizations. None of the people on the vestry had such expertise, and we were between ministers, so he helped a lot.
Besides specializing in niche industries, consultants may also specialize in particular parts of business management like strategic planning, finance, HR, or IT. They may assist companies of all sizes in all industries.
Think of it as a rented brain. You have a project that needs a specific skill but it’s not an ongoing need, so you hire a consultant. Rule of thumb is typically about 6 months: if you anticipate to need a skill for less than 6 months, it’s easier to hire a consultant than hire someone for a full-time position.
A consultant is normally a contractor rather than an employee, hired on a temporary basis to help with a specific task or problem. They may be an employee of a big consulting company, but they are not an employee of the company they are assisting.
Usually consultants are helping the owners or managers run the company better. But that can involve a wide variety of specialties.
For example, I was on the vestry of a church and we hired a consultant who specialized in assisting religious organizations. None of the people on the vestry had such expertise, and we were between ministers, so he helped a lot.
Besides specializing in niche industries, consultants may also specialize in particular parts of business management like strategic planning, finance, HR, or IT. They may assist companies of all sizes in all industries.
Generally speaking, consultants have a very specific set of knowledge and experience in SOMETHING, and it’s something a company might need at a very critical and pivotal point in its development but might not need it long term enough to justify hiring someone to maintain the availability of that skill set long term.
A company may be looking to expand operations, and might need to know the most cost effective way to do that. So they might temporarily employ a consultant who knows a lot about that particular industry and the best practices to do so. They aren’t hiring this person on a permanent basis because they only need that particular knowledge base for a particular period of time, thus not justifying doing a permanent hiring. So the consultant is brought in, advises the company on whatever that consultant is particularly knowledgeable and skilled about, and then the project ends and the consultant moves on.
Think of it as a rented brain. You have a project that needs a specific skill but it’s not an ongoing need, so you hire a consultant. Rule of thumb is typically about 6 months: if you anticipate to need a skill for less than 6 months, it’s easier to hire a consultant than hire someone for a full-time position.
They’re typically highly skilled and experienced in fairly niche field.
Say your business needs to build a 30 story building for their new headquarters. There is probably no one in your firm who has done this before or even have any construction experience at all.
This is a big deal. You need someone with expertise who has a fiduciary duty to you to guide you through this process.
But once the building is done, you don’t need that person anymore. So you hire a consultant for the duration of the project.
A consultant is normally a contractor rather than an employee, hired on a temporary basis to help with a specific task or problem. They may be an employee of a big consulting company, but they are not an employee of the company they are assisting.
Usually consultants are helping the owners or managers run the company better. But that can involve a wide variety of specialties.
For example, I was on the vestry of a church and we hired a consultant who specialized in assisting religious organizations. None of the people on the vestry had such expertise, and we were between ministers, so he helped a lot.
Besides specializing in niche industries, consultants may also specialize in particular parts of business management like strategic planning, finance, HR, or IT. They may assist companies of all sizes in all industries.
Latest Answers