When evaluating taking a contract, many people will take into consideration the following:
- Is this a good fit for my skill set?
- Are the client’s expectations in line with what I can deliver?
- Is this a cultural fit?
- How much will the position pay?
- What is the expense reimbursement policy?
- What will the travel be like?
- How long will it take in travel time to get to the client site each week?
- What are the requirements with regards to travel to the client site?
- Is there flexibility to work remotely?
The answers to all of the questions above give the consultant insight into what they are going to be dealing with in this current situation.
But, what about the future?
As a consultant, the contracts you get in the future should be easier to obtain than the contracts you attempt to get at the beginning of your career. However this isn’t always the case. Unfortunately, failure to pay attention to one specific criteria not mentioned above, can result in challenges in securing your next project.
That main criteria is, “How will this next project, when completed, make me more marketable to the clients I seek?”
If you have a goal to be in contracting for an extended period of time (longer than two years), you should have the mindset of establishing a body of work that will make you more attractive to clients in the future.
So, when you are evaluating your next contracts, along with the questions above, stop and think about how your consulting profile will look with the projects you are considering. Will it help you be viewed as a specialist that clients will seek or a contractor who just took the first contract they could find?
This is well written. I believe we should all strive to do our best to produce award winning teams even when we don’t win the awards. Do your best now, and for the future. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!