Why use consultants if hiring them is inherently more expensive than hiring your own staff? I have often been asked this question.

An IT consultant is hired when a company needs a temporary expert. When the need ends, the fixed-term consultancy contract also ends. The company hiring the consultant can be sure that the success of the IT project will not depend on technological know-how or attitude. With a senior-level project manager, you get not only expertise, but also quality and a passion for what you do. In the long run, hiring a consultant is usually cheaper for the company than hiring an in-house employee.

But what makes a good IT consultant?

I think that growing up as an IT consultant requires years of determined work. Good consultants also have certain qualities in common, such as expertise, outward orientation and the ability to adapt to different ways of working and different working environments. Of course, a large profession can accommodate different personalities, each with their own strengths. However, the most important quality for any consultant is the ability to take the client’s business forward.

So a good consultant will pinpoint his client’s pain points.

Ongoing technological transformations will change the way companies do business and work. An IT consultant is a versatile professional who follows different phenomena and trains to become an expert in new technologies. They are therefore able to develop the client’s business beyond the task for which they have been hired. Having identified the pain points in the client’s business, he brings constructive development proposals to the table.

It is very rare to jump straight from the school bench into the shoes of a consultant. Those who dream of becoming a consultant should therefore be aware that they need to develop their career with determination in order to eventually make it. You have to be prepared to do anything, to take on challenges that seem impossible and to learn the hard way.

The experience gained will eventually give you the confidence to take on bigger projects, where you will be responsible for the implementation of IT projects worth tens of millions of euros.

When talking about good consultants, it is worth remembering that the search for the best starts with a search for consultants. In my opinion, more emphasis should be placed on human qualities, in order to get the most out of the person’s attitude and ability to adapt to a wide range of working environments. Of course, technology and project skills are essential, but it is equally important to find out whether the person is solution-oriented, outgoing and not too focused on raising obstacles.