Steps towards becoming the best Software Consultant

Working as a Software Developer and working as a Software Consultant are two sides of the same coin. The only difference is that as a Software Consultant, you’re all by yourself while as a Software Developer; you are under the umbrella of your employer. Surviving in the competitive market of Software Consulting is no easy task. You always have to keep an edge over others and cut your way through the competition. You can and should take up Software Consultancy as a career, but also take enough efforts to make the most of your choice. We have listed down few steps, which may prove to be beneficial on this journey towards becoming a software consultant:

Equip yourself with the required qualifications:
Along with your degree in Software Engineering, there are a lot of courses that will aid you in your career as a software consultant. Look out for them, do your research and then choose courses with proper accreditation. Courses in Software development, testing, QTP, web designing, troubleshooting will undoubtedly prove beneficial in the long run.

Apply for a job as a software engineer:
No matter how bad you want to start off as a consultant, you need to cross this step of doing a job as a Software Developer. While it may not give you the exact platform you’re looking out for, it is a good warm-up for you on your path to becoming a good, reliable and experienced Software Consultant. This work experience may run into a few years.

Find out your niche area:
There is a wide range of areas where softwares are required. Understand where exactly your interest lies and start developing your skill sets in that particular area. Make yourself the master of the area of your choice and prepare yourself well enough to cover all aspects of it.

Look out for an internship or part-time job:
Find out a firm where you will get the required exposure in your chosen field. Internships and part-time jobs help a lot in understanding minute aspects, which you may not come across in your educational training.

Interact with other Software Engineers:
Networking is essential. That’s the only way you get to know the latest trends and developments in your field. And keeping yourself up-to-date is more important in this competitive market. Networking will also help you in later stages when you launch your consultancy.

Launch your consultancy:
Here, you need to have your plan ready. Take your time and formulate all the crucial aspects. The financial aspects need to be given most importance. Determining your charges will also require some research of fellow-consultants.

Marketingand publicity:
You cannot sit still and expects clients to approach you by themselves. You have to contact them initially and talk about the services that you’re launching. You can begin by providing free seminars and presentations in various organisations to get a hold on your clients.

Create an appealing website and brochures and also ensure you have an active social media presence.

Create an impactful portfolio:
Make sure you highlight all your success stories as and when you achieve them. This will create confidence among your clients and prospective clients and help you get more work.

Manage your time properly:
Initial stages will be demanding, but you can loosen up a bit in the later stages. Manage your time and work schedules in a proper way. Don’t burden yourself with extra work and give your clients a reason to complain.

Manage your finances well:
You may not have a steady flow of income as consulting is for a particular project only. So whatever your income is, keep a record of it and use it wisely.

I hope this article helps you. Wishing you all the success in this challenging path that you’re about to choose!