Busting 3 Common Myths about Switching from a Corporate Career to Consulting
Have you been on the corporate treadmill for a while and can’t help but feel curious about the world of consulting? I think it’s a normal evolution for anyone who’s tired of climbing the ladder, is worn out by office culture, or simply sees it as a new way to grow in their career.
Because I made the same jump several years ago, people often want to pick my brain on the transition process. Time and time again, we always end up discussing three common myths that seem to linger around the field of consulting.
In this article, I’m busting those myths. My hope in doing so is that you find helpful direction and maybe even a little reassurance as you explore your career potential.
Myth #1: “Consulting will bring me work-life balance”
If your idea of balance is a predictable schedule that doesn’t fluctuate from day to day, you won’t find it in consulting.
To me, balance suggests some sense of equanimity – that the weight is even on both sides of the scale. But in some ways you actually give up a lot of balance when you go out on your own. Every day varies wildly from the next, especially when you're managing overlapping timelines and deliverables against a roster of clients that want things ASAP.
That said, what consulting does afford is flexibility. Intense periods of work can more easily be matched with quieter, less-demanding stretches. That's the beauty of having more control over when and how you work. There will be times when you put in many more hours in a week than you ever did in corporate life. And then there will be times when planning an extended vacation or month-long summer break between projects is totally doable.
I always encourage folks to reframe how they think about this aspect of life as a consultant: you won’t necessarily find more balance in the day-to-day doing, but you will have a lot more flexibility and control over how and when the work gets done.
Myth #2: “Consulting is risky”
Want to know a statement that makes me bristle every time I hear it? “I could never be a consultant, it’s just way too risky.”
Sure, there are risks associated with running your own operation, but are they really greater or more unpredictable than the risks associated with working for an organization? I pose this question amidst a massive corporate layoff season that started in late 2022 and is still ongoing as of Q1 2023.
In corporate life, bosses leave, teams get reorganized, people get laid off, roles change on a dime. That’s a whole lot of uncertainty and a whole lot of risk, if you ask me.
While consulting may require us to do more things outside of our comfort zone (ahem, biz dev), it also provides a lot of stability. I know exactly what work is coming in, the quality of the work going out, and don't have to fear that some boss/board member/CEO is going to radically shake things up.
Personally, I don’t think consulting is any more risky than working for an organization, it’s just a different kind of risk. You gain control in some areas and lose it in others.
Anybody can learn to work this way, the real question is whether or not you can learn to feel more comfortable with a different definition of risk.
Myth #3: “I have to be ‘salesy’ to be successful”
The only way to win clients is by wining-and-dining them, hitting the golf course, and taking on a 24/7-sales mindset, right? WRONG.
There are a lot of different ways you can sell work. Every consultant has to find their own path for how they market and pitch themselves. It may sound cheesy, but being yourself is paramount. Believe in your skillset, figure out how to articulate it clearly, and then find the best format or scenario to share that information.
For example, I made a pitch deck when I first started consulting and never used it once. Why? I realized that I’m not particularly good at pitching and it just didn’t feel like me.
What does feel genuine to me is having real conversations with real humans. My favorite thing to do is to offer whiteboarding sessions to prospects. We get in a room to talk about their challenges, identify solutions, and end up having a brainstorm that helps us get to know one another. It also happens to be the best format for letting my abilities shine.
This is just what I’ve found to be successful for me. I encourage you to explore the ways in which you’re at your best, and how you can sell your work when you are.
Ready for more?
If you’re ready to take the plunge into the world of consulting, there are a lot of other things you need to consider, like:
The "paperwork" of striking out on your own
Determining your value proposition and potential offerings
How to price yourself
Doing the required emotional work before you become your own boss
Strategies for finding your first clients
It just so happens I’m offering a FREE webinar on this exact topic on Monday, 2/6, from 12-1 PM CST. I’ll talk about making the leap from corporate to independent consulting, and can answer any of your burning questions during the AMA portion of the session. Click here to sign up and learn more!