| Topic Name: |
Career Changer needs help. |
| Message Name: |
My advice is realistic |
| Date Posted: |
02/11/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
You say you're trying to be constructive, but how many IT consulting companies can you name that truly operate on a model that allows consultants to only serve a single metro area?
Many companies are actually sincere about creating a work-life balance, but if times are tight, the bottom line is you will be sent where there is work.
You could try it as a contractor, but I don't think that would provide the income stability you'd want with a growing family.
My blunt (and hopefully constructive) advice is to be very wary of any propspective consulting employer who promises you only local work. That may mean they have a good local project at the moment, but that could change in the near future and you'll find their priorities will no longer match yours. |
| Message: |
Dingleberry,
I assure you that such consulting companies exist. I am also sure you can appreciate why I'm not eager to name them. I can tell you that they are not household names, but they have clients that most certainly are.
Consultancies with a regional model are typically not interested in system integration or single-tool expertise engagements. They are not going to offer PeopleSoft or SAP "experts", for example. As I stated in my first message, though, it stands to reason that if you have in-demand skills, there is no reason to leave town.
I will say that these firms are very selective and it would be difficult or impossible for a neophyte to break into one of them.
This is not to say that the warning you offer at the end of your message is not good advice. I am simply stating that there is a lot more to consulting than the Big Five (thankfully.)
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