How To Start An IT Consulting Career In 2023
Choosing a career path isn’t always a walk in the park because of the many factors to consider. To help make the right career choice, you’ll have to evaluate things such as your passion and capability. There are various professional careers you can consider today. One of them is information technology (IT) consulting.
As an IT consultant, you’ll provide expertise, advice, and guidance to organizations to help them successfully manage their technology. Below are examples of IT consulting services you can offer to clients:
- Cybersecurity;
- Software development and maintenance;
- Cloud computing;
- Data backup and recovery;
- IT infrastructure management;
- Communication services; and so on.
Starting a career in IT consulting offers several benefits. To begin with, the demand for skilled IT consultants is said to continue to increase yearly. Today, businesses greatly rely on IT services to enhance operational efficiencies. Therefore, going in this direction enables you to generate more revenue, earn a livelihood and build wealth.
Additionally, a career in IT consulting allows you to work with clients across sectors, thus exposing you to different business models and environments. As such, you can learn new things and boost your IT skills. BoomTechIT is a good example of a company that has done well in the IT consulting sector. You can visit their website or any similar firm to understand this career better.
Starting A Career As An IT Consultant
To become an IT consultant professional and start your own company, there are several steps to take. They include the following:
- Earn A Bachelor’s Degree
Unlike most other careers, such as medicine and law, which requires one to have a bachelor’s degree, it isn’t a mandatory requirement for IT consultants. Nonetheless, earning a bachelor’s degree in information technology or related areas is vital to help market yourself as a qualified professional.
If you’re going to look for a white-collar job, many employers will want to see your qualifications. And even if you’re going to start your IT consulting firm, earning a bachelor’s degree is vital. Many clients will want you to have the right professional qualifications to hire you. Without a bachelor’s degree in a technology-related field, it’d be difficult for you to succeed in an IT consulting career.
Choosing the right college or university is the best place to start to earn a bachelor’s degree. The school will provide a solid foundation of skills required for IT consultants. And you’ll be equipped with the knowledge of the various business models and how you can integrate your IT skills into them. Once you complete your education, you’ll obtain qualification certificates and increase your chances of finding a job in an IT consulting company or working as an independent service provider.
- Gain Work Experience
Once you earn a bachelor’s degree, the next step is to gain work experience. Whether you plan to find employment or start your own IT consulting firm, gaining work experience is vital. Many employers or clients will require you to have enough experience in the field to hire you.
There are several ways to gain IT consulting experience. One of them is to seek internship opportunities. Several IT firms today offer internship positions for IT students and fresh graduates, so you can find one and enhance your skills.
Apart from that, consider working as a volunteer in businesses, non-profit making organizations, and government agencies. This way, you can gain practical experience and build your portfolio.
Another good way to improve your experience as an IT consultant is by networking and collaborating. You can achieve that by attending IT professionals’ seminars, workshops, and conferences. Plus, consider joining and participating in online IT communities such as social media to expose yourself to the IT consulting world.
- Develop Your Soft Skills
Most people concentrate on technical skills when getting into an IT consulting career. Little do they know that soft skills are equally important for success. In addition to boosting your tech skills, focus on sharpening your soft skills. Below of key soft skills to develop as an upcoming IT consultant:
- Communication Skills
You’ll need better communication skills to understand clients’ needs. Without proper communication, building good relations with clients would be difficult. Therefore, develop both verbal and written communication skills so that you can convey information to clients in a clear way so that they can understand you.
- Collaboration Skills
As an IT consultant, you’ll be collaborating with colleagues and clients. Therefore, possessing the ability to work in a team is vital for success in your career.
That said, work towards enhancing your ability to build strong relations and collaborate with others to achieve shared IT objectives in a firm. By collaboration, you can learn from others and gain new insights into delivering effective solutions for your client’s needs.
- Problem-Solving Skills
The primary reason clients will hire you is to help them solve their technology-related problems. Henceforth, you should have the ability to solve problems. Possessing problem-solving skills allows you to analyze IT problems, identify their root causes, and develop strategies to address them effectively.
Having the abovementioned soft skills can give you an advantage by being people smart as well.
Being an IT consultant is not an easy feat yet if you make the right moves, you’ll be off to a great start.
Starting An IT Consulting Business
Once you finish your education, gain work experience, and develop soft skills, you’re now a qualified professional. From there, you can seek employment or start your own IT consulting company. Nevertheless, running your own firm offers significant benefits. For instance, it offers flexibility in terms of your time, business strategy, and the services you offer since, essentially, you become your own boss.
Here are key steps when building your IT consulting company:
- Decide On Your Business Entity
The basic step when starting your IT consulting firm is choosing your business entity. It refers to the legal structure of your company. Your selection will directly impact your IT company as it’ll determine how you share the income and how you pay taxes to the government. And it determines how personal assets can be used to cover the company’s debts.
Below are the four common business entities for IT consulting firms:
- Sole Proprietorship
A sole proprietorship is a business structure owned and managed by an individual.
As the sole owner of your IT consulting company, you’ll assume all legal and financial responsibilities of the business. One disadvantage of sole proprietorship entities is that there’s no legal distinction between the company and the owner, so you can lose your personal assets if something goes wrong and the company isn’t able to settle all its liabilities.
- Partnership Company
A partnership is where two or more people own a company. They share responsibilities and profits according to the ratios they’ve agreed to.
Running your IT firm as a partnership can be beneficial as it allows you to get complementary expertise and skills. It enables you to increase your client reach as well.
- Corporation
Corporation is another common business entity for IT consulting firms. A corporation is treated as a separate and distinct entity from its owners. Thus, it offers limited liability protection to its shareholders or owners.
- Limited Liability Company
A limited liability company (LLC) is a business entity that combines the characteristics of a partnership and a corporation. It offers limited liability protection to owners while providing a pass-through tax advantage to the company. An LLC is the best option if you want to avoid double taxation.
Sometimes choosing the best business entity for your IT consulting firm can be difficult. For this reason, be sure to hire a business lawyer to help you make the right choice.
- Pick A Business Name
Once you choose your business entity type, the next important step is to create a company name. This is an official title by which your IT firm will be known and legally recognized.
Ideally, the business name is used as a company identifier, especially for marketing. Hence, strive to create a unique company name.
When creating a name for your IT consulting company, the most important thing is to conduct a business name search to confirm its availability. If available, preserve it to ensure no other person registers their businesses with it. Ensure you create a name that reflects your brand and complies with the state’s business naming guidelines.
- Register Your Business To Obtain Necessary Licenses And Permits
It’s a legal requirement to register your business prior to you launching it. Therefore, ensure you list your IT consulting company with the state. You’ll want to file all the necessary documents with the secretary of state to achieve that. Depending on your business entity, there are various documents to prepare. Here are examples:
- Partnership deeds for a partnership company;
- Articles of Association for a Corporation;
- An operating agreement for an LLC; and the like.
Once the office of the secretary of the state is satisfied with your document filing, they’ll register your IT consulting company and give you an operating license. From there, apply for the necessary permits, including professional certifications, data protection certifications, and permits for home-based businesses if you run your IT consulting firm from home.
Having an IT consulting business is a great adventure. With the abovementioned points, hopefully, you’ll experience success in the technology sector.
Takeaway
IT consulting is a great career to consider in 2023. It allows you to offer technology services to clients and increases your chances of making more money. Obtaining the relevant education, gaining experience, and developing soft skills are effective strategies for starting a career in IT consulting. Once you become a qualified IT consultant, you can start your firm by following the steps described in this post.
