While opening the Bitex 2003 magazine you are probably obsessed with the title and favored the idea of a career as an IT consultant, either on a part-time or on a full-time basis. The article will address several issues you might need to be concerned with in starting and building a successful and profitable consulting career.

Why Be a Consultant?

In his famous book "Flawless Consulting" Peter Block says about consultant, " Anybody away from home more than fifty miles with a brief case". Moreover, he borrows your watch to tell you the time and keeps the watch. This is just an opinion. However, the basic question that comes to your mind is, why should I become an IT consultant? The best answer I can give is that as a consultant you will find yourself facing challenges and opportunities that would usually be unavailable to a person working in a large corporation, at least for a long while. In other words, IT consulting business offers you myriad opportunities that that one probably would not face until much later in a traditional Information Systems career. In addition to above, Peter says that we use consultant for: Special skill and knowledge, outsiders needed to do a tough job or make an unpopular decision which is otherwise hard to take, unbiased assessment and temporary staffing need and coping with hiring freeze.

Why People Use IT Consultants?

The importance of processing information in all areas of business, government, and the home has become increasingly evident in recent years. There has been much concern recently regarding the quality of education that students receive at all levels, from elementary school through college and university. One way is to use a IT consultant is to avoid the hiring of high paid computing staff and to pay the fringe benefits for a job that would not last a year. Additionally, many of the IT staff attends professional seminars, continuing-education classes, workshops and other professional development courses often at company expense.

An organization may be able to justify the expense of one or more IT personnel through a cost-benefit analysis; there might be enough IT-related work providing tangible and intangible benefits to the firm that more than compensates for the salaries and benefits. Another reason for a client to use IT consulting service is that IT industry is rapidly evolving into a number of subspecialties, in a manner reminiscent of the legal and medical fields. Database management system, multimedia applications, Networking, Client-server applications, Web design, programming in the new languages such as C++, Java and so on are all examples of new technical development that need special skill. A client may employ several general-application programmers, but the implementation of a local-area network might require additional expertise from someone specializing in communication. Moreover, the international trend of downsizing of large corporations has meant that even the largest firms utilize outside consulting and software services on a regular basis what we call an "outsourcing".

What Clients Look for in an IT Consultant?

When a person hires an IT consultant, he or she is looking for more than just technical expertise. If an individual or business representative is to commit funds to you in exchange for your services, you should possess the traits that make someone feel comfortable in what is likely a strange and foreboding world of Information Technology. These traits include:

1. Someone who understands the general principles of a client's business: In order to propose a solution to a business's problem or opportunity, you need to understand the intricacies of a client's business. If you are hired to design a realtor's property management Information Systems, you must understand the unique characteristics of property management: what types of information are stored, how often this information is updated, and what reports are important to a property manager. This is not to say that prior to your first meeting with your client you must know his business intimately. Only when you understand the intricacy of client's business can you successfully evaluate commercial software or design a new application for that client.
2. Someone who speaks the language of the business: Your client will likely question your capabilities if you require a translation of every industry-specific acronym or term used. You probably won't know every such term, but you should be able to discuss business operations without saying, "What does this mean?" every five minutes.
3. Someone who doesn't use technical computing jargon: Your client should not have to ask you for a translation every time you describe a computer topic related to his business. Your vocabulary should be purged of terms such as "reentrant", coprocessor," subroutine," "instruction set," and "virtual memory" when talking to your client. If you must explain some of these computer concepts to your client describe what you are talking about in English without delivering a fort-five minute lecture about, for example, miracles of virtual memory. Remember your client is paying you to perform several functions, one of which is to make computing more understandable and less threatening.
4. Someone who proposes sensible, cost-effective solutions: If a customer requires an application system to manage large data files and access the information quickly, a built-in type system based upon tape drives would obviously not be a sensible solution because of the relatively slow access time. Similarly, a client who needs a computer to manage several mailing lists and simplified accounting applications probably does not need a $25,000, 32-bit multi-user system with five workstations. Remember that what is appropriate for one client may not necessarily be appropriate for another, even in similar circumstances.
5. Someone who appears to be a businessperson: This does not mean that every meeting should be conducted in a three-piece suit. You should dress according to the "dress code" of your respective clients because they feel more comfortable talking to someone who is similarly attired. A three-piece suit would probably be appropriate for a meeting with the branch manager of a large bank, but a sport jacket and tie may be more flexible in line for a meeting with a record store manager. The key is to be flexible but look professional.

Characteristics and Background of a Successful IT Consultant

A successful IT consultant needs an appropriate mix of computer and business skills to build and manage a consulting firm. Additionally, certain personality traits and general skills tend to be characteristic of a successful consultant. In his book Consulting: The complete Guide to a Profitable Career, Robert Kelley cites an Association of Management Consultants (AMC) study the lists essential attributes of successful consultants. The most important appear to be:

Ability to deal with people Professional etiquette Integrity Self-confidence Objectivity Creativity Problem-solving skills Written & verbal communications skills Ambition

Other studies have cited variations of these characteristics, but these could be considered the minimum set of traits a consultant should possess. A consultant must also be able to operate successfully in an environment of uncertainty.
An IT consultant's primary assets are his computer/Information Systems/Information Technology knowledge, of course. You are being hired as an expert in your field to analyze problems and opportunities for a client. Unless you can propose commonsense solutions to solve problems or exploit opportunities, you may quickly find yourself with a failing practice. The essential computing skills you need to possess are:

· Demonstrated ability
· In-dept knowledge
· Knowing where to find the answer
· Familiarity with hardware requirements
· Familiarity with software
· Programming
· Systems Analysis & Design/Project Management
· Networking and Multimedia applications
· Database and SQL

Obviously, you may find yourself contracting for outside assistance in certain area. Besides that your business skills should include:

· Marketing
· Finance & Accounting
· Business Law
· Personnel
· General Management

Who Should Not Be an IT Consultant?

So far we have covered the best of best of the consulting, pointed out several attractions of consulting profession along with the associated responsibilities, skills, etc. You should now examine your own attributes to see if you should seriously consider a consulting career. As we believe everyone's situation is different, of course. What we have provided in the previous sections are just guidelines. You should, however, give thought to wait on your consulting career if you:

1. Have little experience: As you have just a basic "textbook" understanding of computing and Information technology with little practical experience in system design and implementation.
2. Have insufficient business knowledge or aptitude: Many graduates of computer science departments associated with engineering colleges filled their electives and core courses with engineering, liberal arts or other general-studies classes. So the computing people lacks in business related courses or they lacks in general business aptitude. Whatever the case is, a successful consulting demands the sufficient business knowledge and skills.
3. Feel uncomfortable with lack of job security: Someone who does not like to take risks may only feel secure working 8hours per day 5 days a week with regular fortnightly paycheck. But as a consultant get ready to accept set backs as you will likely face periods where no matter what you do or how much you advertise, no one seeks your services.
4. Take setbacks as personal defeats: We have seen many "sure" contracts suddenly cancelled. So one must be able to shrug off each setback and look ahead, learn from any mistakes that one has made. Don't view each bad turn of events as a personal loss.

Some Misconceptions About Consultants

People have some misconceptions about the consultants as they have for other professionals. (1) The most common is that consultants leave the job in the middle. (2) Consultancy firms goes out of business. (3) Consultants steel clients' secret. (4) Consultants are unqualified. (5) Project goes out of budget. (6) Late deliveries or poor product by the consultants. All or some of these are universally experienced misconceptions. But again these misconceptions are subjective may be or may not be applicable to your case. But as a consultant one must keep in mind that how other people perceive about your image.

Conclusively consultants must get themselves abreast of the latest technological innovations and development in their profession. Must get themselves familiarized with the technology through continuing education classes, workshops and seminars. Must participate in trade and vendor showcases. Must contribute to the technological and business associations and societies such as Association of IT Users, Data Processing Management Associations, Information Resources Management Association and other computer societies of your region. Contribute and advertise in the professional magazines and above all run the IT consulting practice as a true business and marketing firm.

Dr Afzaal H. Seyal - is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Computing & Info Systems, Institute of Technology Brunei and is Hon. Fellow of PKBD. His research interest covers the behavioral part of the IT such as adoption diffusion and usage of IT/ICT. He has published over thirty paper in the various International computing journals and in the proceedings of International conferences.

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