Technical I.T Consultant

Companies such as Accenture offer placement and graduate Consultancy positions, however, they are not entirely easy to get into. Consultancy is something you don't do out of college and will require a huge amount of experience as well as the technicial ability to even be considered a consultant. A placement will be a very good start as if you work very hard, you'll likely to be offered a graduate position. Speak to peternem. :)
 
I've been a contractor for 10 years now. Started on Helpdesk, now I'm a Consultant/Project Lead working on an Windows NT/2000 to XP Migration (I've done 5 of these in 5 years now)

One thing you have to get used to as a Contractor. Not always being listened too. Even today, my boss (Consultants have bosses too!) was saying to me that my original Project plan was correct, and he'd wished they'd listened to me earlier (thats about the 5th time I've heard that in this project!)

Dont dis a Helpdesker. Fair enough, they can be stupid, and some of them are in their 40's, but its a great starting point. It can get you noticed. My first Helpdesk job was £5.50 an hour. 10 years later, I dont get up for less than £250 a day, and that's gotta be a contract close to home. Get me in London, and I'll be charging you a minimum of £350 a day. And there absoutely no shortage of work

Being a contractor is the best thing ever. Colin P quoted this: -

"Long hours, up at 7am out of work for 6pm.
No sick pay
No holiday pay
No pension pay
Most of the time 1 weeks notice.
Not sure of your next job
80% of the time, working away from home and staying in B&B's
Constantly looking for recipts to hand to the tax man.
NO room for error - you are employed as you know what you are doing. Basicly you have to be better and faster than the staff they have already, if your any good.

I would not recomend this life if you have kids, buying a house, family, large debts or you like having a social life in the week, then this is not for you."

Very dramatic mate! Its not really like that is it? I've never had a 11 hour standard day, never ever had a contract with one weeks notice (I've had 11 contracts in 10 years) and what dyou mean no room for error? Contractors are human too! LOL

As for the house, kids, large debt or social life comment. What are you on about? I have 2 kids, mortgage, debts and a social life! If youre careful, there are zero pitfalls to being a contractor. You earn 2 or 3 times more than the permies, and employers dont expect too much from you!
 
benktlottie said:
Very dramatic mate! Its not really like that is it? I've never had a 11 hour standard day, never ever had a contract with one weeks notice (I've had 11 contracts in 10 years) and what do you mean no room for error? Contractors are human too! LOL

As for the house, kids, large debt or social life comment. What are you on about? I have 2 kids, mortgage, debts and a social life! If you're careful, there are zero pitfalls to being a contractor. You earn 2 or 3 times more than the permies, and employers don't expect too much from you!
Click to expand...

That comment made me chuckle too...

I've got a handful of MCP's, and less GCSE's, and I fell into contracting after 2.5 years as an IT Technician/Manager with a very small company in Leicester.

Since then I've had contracts with Accenture, EMIS, CSC, DLA Piper, Fujitsu and EDS in the last couple of years as I've worked my way up, earning the annual equivalent of between £25k-£40k+, with little more than a bit of common sense, a problem-solving logic, and a nice suit.

I deliberately avoided helpdesk roles as aside from being bloody boring, I like working with people rather than being tied to a desk all day. Desktop Support was the way forward for me. People skills, a positive attitude, and being prepared to chase agencies are just as key as any of the technical skills you're likely to pick up along the way.

The people that bleat about no holiday, sickness, pension, etc, are generally the one's that haven't budgeted properly, as while they are technically correct, this is easily managed with the help of a decent accountant.

Above and beyond anything else, the two single most important requirements I have found during my 2 years as a contractor are a driving license, and flexibility. I'd need to take my socks off to count the number of cities I've worked in, and not being afraid to work non standard hours for a few months for the right role will certainly help your cause.

You take the good with the bad, I've had to drive a 200 mile round trip to Chesterfield only to get laid off two weeks before Christmas because they'd ballsed up, but I've also been paid an £800 weeks wage for doing a single 6 hour day including travel time.

The Arabs will have to find another plane to crash into another big building before I'll go back to a permanent role...
 
God damn I love these threads I really do, as an I.T career-ist myself it's great to get all this feedback from so many experienced guys. :D

I recently (3.5 months ago) got a job with a major company and am now finding that my rate of learning has gone up exponentially... I look after an office and am the sole I.T. guy there so I have had to get my head around a lot of things I didn't have experience with previously.

Hoping in the next few years to learn SQL, get my Cisco certs, and just work like a beeyatch to get to the point where I can eventually (years down the line) start consulting and start to command a hefty fee for my work.

I enjoy infrastructure and networking the most out of what i've done so am going to do my best to specialise in that field... I love the Cisco material and would find designing networks a very interesting thing to do. Working towards the all-encompassing "systems analyst" title would be a good thing, but the road will be long. :)
 
Last edited:
I am a consultant and trainer and have been doing that for about a year and a half but before that I started out on the helpdesk after getting a graduate job at my current company I am working at. I agree with Sid The Turtle on the points he has made in this thread. However, I would say if you want to get promoted quicker then don't just hope you get noticed, you have got to make yourself stand out from the crowd in some way.

Just be sure that consultancy is what you want. As others have stated, its not a 9 - 5 job. You could find yourself staying in dodgy hotels and travelling the length and breadth of the country to go to client sites. Also being shy is not an option, you have to have great people skills as you will be meeting new people all the time.
 
Lucifurr said:
I am a consultant and trainer and have been doing that for about a year and a half but before that I started out on the helpdesk after getting a graduate job at my current company I am working at. I agree with Sid The Turtle on the points he has made in this thread. However, I would say if you want to get promoted quicker then don't just hope you get noticed, you have got to make yourself stand out from the crowd in some way.

Just be sure that consultancy is what you want. As others have stated, its not a 9 - 5 job. You could find yourself staying in dodgy hotels and travelling the length and breadth of the country to go to client sites. Also being shy is not an option, you have to have great people skills as you will be meeting new people all the time.
Click to expand...

A Consultant after only a year and a half? You sure? ;) Makes me smile when I get CV's through titled in great big bold capitalised Ariel IT CONSULTANT when they have 2 years Helpdesk experience. You should see them try and blag Network Topology, SQL databases, Migration and Project strategy or Test scenarios. We soon weed out the 'Consultants' ! LOL

Anyway, one of the best part of my current consultancy is the staying away. I get to run a tab up at very nice hotels, and it means one or two nights away from the wife and kids! Absolute bliss...
 
LOL, Heres another quote from COLINP: -

"As for consultants. id expect them to have 10+ years of doing what they are asked to do, have contacts in other works for ideas and good deals. They should know what they are doing within the 2nd week of starting a new job, be able to get on with 99% of people they see and be knowaldgable about the job. "

Your right, 10 years + experience and knowledgable in their respected areas. But...get on with 99% of people ??? Not a chance, I get on with one man. the bill payer! Consultants never share ideas as someone else can then use them and may get a job over you. And knowing what they are doing within the 2nd week of the job - no chance, you have to know what the client wants and expect BEFORE you start the role. No fannying around for 2 weeks. The first 2 weeks is spent wining and dining to find out who can get what done for you to make you look good. Its manipulation more than anything...

COLINP, one day you will be a consultant, but I get the impression you work too hard mate. Consultants dont work hard, they consult. We basically provide ideas, and tell clients how to run a project and spend their money for them. Then we go...
 
benktlottie said:
I've been a contractor for 10 years now. Started on Helpdesk, now I'm a Consultant/Project Lead working on an Windows NT/2000 to XP Migration (I've done 5 of these in 5 years now)
Click to expand...
Just to clarify to people reading this thread, as it was confusing my myself, is that a contractor and a consultant are two separate things. Unless of course you're a contracting-consultant... *brain explodes*
 
SiD the Turtle said:
Just to clarify to people reading this thread, as it was confusing my myself, is that a contractor and a consultant are two separate things. Unless of course you're a contracting-consultant... *brain explodes*
Click to expand...

Sorry, youre right. Contractors are people who do work on a contract basis. Consultants, consult due to their expertise. I am a contracting Consultant. I consult on a contract basis. I dont do this 'permie, work for the same company' thing. :)
 
Lucifurr said:
I am a consultant and trainer and have been doing that for about a year and a half but before that I started out on the helpdesk after getting a graduate job at my current company I am working at. I agree with Sid The Turtle on the points he has made in this thread. However, I would say if you want to get promoted quicker then don't just hope you get noticed, you have got to make yourself stand out from the crowd in some way.

Just be sure that consultancy is what you want. As others have stated, its not a 9 - 5 job. You could find yourself staying in dodgy hotels and travelling the length and breadth of the country to go to client sites. Also being shy is not an option, you have to have great people skills as you will be meeting new people all the time.
Click to expand...

I have great people skills and am a very outgoing socialble person, I also hold a full driving license and car, I have no commitments and this will not likely change 3 years down the line. The job would be right for me :D (sound like im actually applying for a job here :p )
 
I think I accidently gave the illusion I have a vast technical knowledge in IT in a recent application...I only know basic C programming / html / css, but can work out most things on my own given time... now im worried they are going to assess me by making me fix broken programs etc... i've opened a can of worms :)
 
These are the lines I am wanting to go along.

I am doing my GCSE's at the minute and I'm going to college in September to do an NV3 Level 3 Technical course.

Does it sound like I am on the right tracks for a career in I.T?
 
Hyper said:
These are the lines I am wanting to go along.

I am doing my GCSE's at the minute and I'm going to college in September to do an NV3 Level 3 Technical course.

Does it sound like I am on the right tracks for a career in I.T?
Click to expand...

Why are you not doing your A Level's a much more recognised qualification. I have a NV3 in Business mind and the course was easy enough
 
Because I didn't want to stay on at 6th form and spotted this course at college.

Its a one year course but can be extended to a second year after the first and apparently that is enough to get me into Uni afterwards :confused:
 
Unless you go on a graduate IT program, standard real world qualifications dont really count for much in IT.

If I'm employing, then I look for experience first. Then I'll look at qualifications. If it was a Helpdesk role, I would take on someone with no experience if they had an A+ qualification, or an NVQ in a computer related field. You have to have something about you though during the interview. If you sat there and you came across as outgoing, friendly and humerous then I would overlook qualifications and experience.

For a more technical role, I would definately take you experience into account. If you came for a techie role with no experience, but you had an MCSE, I wouldnt even invite you in for an interview...whereas, if you has 2 years experience but no qualifications, I would invite you.

That sounds horrid, but at the end of the day, I need to know you can actually do the job. Why would I risk my position for you? :)
 
IT is all about experience - I started my career on an NHS helpdesk and now work for a small Consultancy firm on the Isle of Man.

Day to day varies but most of the work is focused around EMC SANs and Vmware clusters and the pay is handsome (only paying 10% tax helps too ;)) :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom