In the past, recent college graduates would begin looking for one company to provide them with long-term employment. Up until the 1970s, it wasn't uncommon for people to consider themselves "career employees," who stayed with the same company throughout their professional careers. In the 1980s, a new model began to emerge, and now, that model is becoming more and more attractive to an entire generation of young workers. It's called consulting, and Jay Venor BC business professional, is somewhat of an expert in the field.
Unlike paid employees, who work on the tasks they're given and deliver a product within a specific time period that they do not set, consultants may work for many different companies at the same time. They can accept projects that they'd like to work on, and reject other projects for any reason at all. This can be beneficial, but as Jay Venor of BC quickly points out, there can be some pitfalls to watch out for. Where an employee is always guaranteed work, a consultant is hired and rehired on every new project. Deliver poor quality, and you might not be given more work. It's an issue all consultants must keep in mind at all times.
In addition, Jay Venor says, consultants must always be keeping an eye out for new work and new projects. Their current clients may wrap up their projects, leaving them with no work, or they may lose clients altogether due to funding or performance issues. Where employees may not need to look for new jobs and hone their reputations in their work, consultants must always be doing PR work, networking and looking for new opportunities. This can become a full-time obsession.
For Jay Venor, BC professional, consulting has been an ideal career, and he enjoys the flexibility and variability that his work provides. But he also knows that the insecurity that comes with the consulting role can be nerve-wracking for some people. Those people might do better in a standard employer/employee relationship, leaving the consulting to those who have the ability to stomach insecurity and variability.
