Archive for the “On the Job” CategoryIf you're spending a lot of time at your client's site working hand-in-hand with regular employees, there are certain behaviors you should focus and certain ones you should avoid. Here are some suggestions for what to do once you've started a new consulting job. Consultant ProfessionalismPosted by IT Consultant in On the JobA CTO blogger made some observations about consulting and how to maintain a respectable level of professionalism. The 5 areas of focus he discussed are described below with my own perspective thrown in to the mix. Read the rest of this entry » It is very, very rare for a piece of software to go on to be a huge revenue generator for a company. As such, it's a bad idea to get in to an arrangement where your services will be paid via future profits from the project. The numbers may sound very attractive, but neither you or the client are likely to be in a good position to truly assess the risk of failure. Read the rest of this entry » At some point you're going to be tempted to work for free. That is, a potential client will subtly or not so subtly request a freebie. This could be in the form of recommendations or even a plan of how you would proceed with a certain project. And why shouldn't client's try to get something free? We all do it, after all. Read the rest of this entry » Office Politics and ConsultantsPosted by IT Consultant in On the JobNo matter how good the people are to work with at your client's location, office politics will abound. That's the reality of corporate America. As a consultant you will have choices to make as to how to deal with the political issues that come your way. Read the rest of this entry » Never Say You're a ConsultantPosted by IT Consultant in On the JobMost people don't care what your employment status is. As long as you're doing your work and helping others do theirs, they don't care if your an old-timer, new employee, consultant, or intern. So unless asked, don't make your status known. Instead, behave like an employee and you're more likely to be treated like one. Read the rest of this entry » It can be tempting to work overtime so that you're perceived as a team player but to feel guilty asking for payment for these hours. It has been my experience that this sets a bad precedent and you should almost always bill for any time that you spent working. Read the rest of this entry » Go to LunchPosted by IT Consultant in On the JobIf you're lucky, your co-workers, be they consultants or employees, will ask you to go to lunch on your first day as a consultant. Under no circumstances should you refuse. If you brought lunch, toss it. If you're not interested in the cuisine, suck it up. One of your primary goals when starting a contract is to fit in with the team and going to lunch is an easy way to start that process. Read the rest of this entry » |
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