Please Help Answer this Question: How to Be a Consultant?

You have questions. You may have answers. Let's co-create a knowledge base that helps us all.

What do you call someone who is unemployed? A consultant! I was told that joke last year and found it funny. Now, it's less funny and way more real.

I have one consultant contract, which is validating. I feel needed. Like my skills matter. But I’m probably doing it all wrong. Now I could have another contract and I don’t want to screw it up.

What are Leading Practices in Consulting?

I do not have a standard consulting template. I’m often signing whatever they send me. I don’t know if I should sign as a person or use the multi-member LLC that I created years ago.

I wonder how to write deliverables that can be checked off and billed for. And when should I bill for my services—at each deliverable or when the contract ends. Lord knows I need to make money now!

How do I show myself open to employment while consulting?

I really want a full-time job. Or at least I think I do. This leads me to questions like:

• How do I show that I’m open for employment while also open for consulting?

• Do employers care or am I overthinking it?

• Will consulting lead to job offers faster than what I’m doing now?

• Could it be a way to wiggle myself in?

• Or will I really be happier—and make more money—as a consultant?

Most importantly, what do I charge?

I used to mark myself against the unofficially official USAID maximum daily rate, but we are in a brave new world now.

I’ve been told I should change way more than $100/hour for my skills at my level, but what does that mean? How much is too much? Or am I already overcharging?

Co-create a Consulting Knowledge Base

I wanted to find someone to speak to us on this topic, but then I realized we already have many experienced, professional consultants in our midst. Career Pivot is now 10,000 members strong—woohoo!

Please ask and answer questions in the chat

Please ask all those questions you’ve wondered about. Step up and answer if you have consulting experience. Both questions and answers help your peers understand how to be better consultants.

Get upgraded to a paid subscription

I will upgrade the top three people with the best questions or answers in the chat to a free paid subscription as a thank you for helping us think through consulting.

Note that you can get the upgrade by asking questions—you do not need to have all the answers. No one does.

Side note—free LinkedIn Premium upgrades are still available, too.

Please RSVP for a Consulting AMA

You can also help me create a Consulting Ask Me Anything session for paid subscribers on Thursday, March 27 at noon EST.

This AMA will be truly interactive. We’ll expand on the chat Q&A and answer your pressing questions, too.

Our goal is that everyone who attends will be skilled in the consulting process. Hey, this is my goal too!

Paid subscribers can RSVP for this session now.