Career Management with Jason Alba Last year I was in Silicon Valley on a book tour. I was scared to death for two reasons: First, I had never been on a book tour. Seriously, what if no one came? What if someone hated my book and threw it at me during a presentation?? Second, I found it awkward to go to the heart of technology and teach them the basics of online networking. Didn't the Silicon Valley people eat, breath and sleep this stuff? What could I possibly teach them? No need to fear, the trip was excellent and I'm scheduled to head out in February, which I'm really excited about!
Anyway, while in Silicon Valley I met with a lot of professionals in transition, many of which had a job title of "consultant." I had never seen so many consultants in one place, and was amazed, until someone told me that a consultant in Silicon Valley means someone who is in transition.
Interesting!
Perhaps in Silicon Valley "consultant" carries a weird connotation, but elsewhere it doesn't (as much). If I call from out of state and find our you are a consultant I'm impressed. If you are consulting to Silicon Valley companies (think Google, Yahoo, Salesforce.com, etc.) I'm super-impressed. You aren't out of work, unemployed, or in transition, you are consulting with some of the top tech companies in the world!
Here's what I learned about this tactic of being a "consultant:"- It's easier to network when you are a consultant. Too often job seekers come across as, well, job seekers. They somehow miss the value of networking and focus to much on asking for stuff (like, a job, which is the wrong thing to ask for). As a consultant you are a professional who has something to offer, not someone who is needy.
- It's good for your pride to be a consultant. When I lost my job I went from Jason the General Manager to Jason the unemployed guy. It was humiliating and hard to understand at times. I questioned past relationships that I think were in place because of my title, which seemed to slowly go away. Going from something to nothing is not fun. Funny thing is, I was still a professional, just like you are - I have come to realize that my stature didn't change, but my employment status did.
- You can make money as a consultant. If you declare your expertise, and can back it up, people might just pay you for it! I've seen this with my friends in transition as well as with myself. I double-dog-dare you to write down one thing that you have expertise in, and think about what you could offer in a 1/3/8 hour consultation session!
- Being a consultant can open new doors, or introduce you to new opportunities. This is probably the reason there are so many consultants there, so they can get their foot in the doors of target companies. Would it be easier to go to Yahoo and get paid $500 to consult for a couple of hours, or would it be easier to try and network your way in as a job seeker? Maybe you try both tactics (I only use Yahoo because they are a huge company).
- Consultants can be hired and put a hold on their consulting business. When you become a consultant you are not necessarily committing to a long-term gig - if you get a job you can put your consultancy on hold and take the job. Which is exactly what happens.
One of the worst things you can do in your job search is to lose your identity (point #2). It's demoralizing and confusing, and it usually shows when you give your thirty second pitch. Perhaps it's time to be a consultant?
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Jason Alba created JibberJobber.com to replace the job search spreadsheet. If you need help organizing a job search, or your professional contacts, sign up on JibberJobber.com. Jason also authored I'm on LinkedIn -- Now What??? and coauthored I'm on Facebook -- Now What???, both of which are designed to help professionals get more value out of these social networking tools. Learn more about Jason at http://twitter.com/jasonalba.
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