ProfessorBlackOps Consulting 25 yrs First Time and Day on the Bench.. Bench Time Real Talk. скачать в хорошем качестве

ProfessorBlackOps Consulting 25 yrs First Time and Day on the Bench.. Bench Time Real Talk.

ProfessorBlackOps Consulting 25 yrs First Time and Day on the Bench.. Bench Time Real Talk. Be visible Even though you’re on the bench, be sure to come into the office every day. Introduce yourself to any Senior Managers or Partners that work in your local office. Let them know that you are available for any work they may have. You could work on finding any open bids, writing proposal, visual and design work, editing PowerPoint slides, etc. Be sure to be quick and thorough with anything you do. Anything that will help you showcase your skills will be beneficial to your career in the long run. This is an excellent way to not only expand your network but can lead to better project opportunities in the future. Reach out If you’re working at a large consulting firm, send out some emails to any Senior Managers or Partners working in a field you’re interested in. Make yourself available as a resource. Most consulting firms have a staffing team that tracks and manages the bench. Proactively reach out to them and share your CV with them. Your name will end up circulating and do some good. In my own experience creating a well-designed, but, brief PowerPoint slide deck about myself, my skill set, and work experiences has proved extremely beneficial. If you don’t have such collaterals, use the bench time to update your CV and create a 1-page PowerPoint CV that you can share, both internally and to prospective clients. Just remember, the three R’s of business: relationships, relationships, relationships. Business development Business development work is your opportunity to learn about sales without a lot of pressure. If you are solo in your area, start building templates and material to increase your company’s Intellectual Property in that area. Think back to all those engagement when you wished you had a template for X or a tool for Y. Now is the time to develop all those tools. Of course, you’ll have to put up with some grunt work that you would usually delegate to the Interns. You’ll probably be doing all sorts of assorted work that you might think is beneath you. But, this is also your chance to impress some big wigs, get your name out there, and help the company a little. Learning & Development Consulting is a knowledge-business. Consulting firms are in the business of renting brains for money. Most consulting companies will either offer either in-house training or possibly sponsor professional certifications to grow their people and increase their billing rates. Often, it’s cheaper for the firm to offer these sorts of courses than to lose consultants. It’s all about keeping people engaged in a knowledge business. Sign up for anything you can get your name on. Non-billable work Though not billable to clients, you can pick up valuable skills, such as invoicing, client relations work, publications, sending follow-up emails, etc. through non-billable work. Again, not the most glamorous work out there, but important stuff that makes consulting work and could benefit you. You could also check out the pro bono and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives your firm supports. You’ll get a chance to deploy your skills to help non-profits and charitable causes. In exchange, you’ll gather connections and critical experience, just to name two! Knowledge management At the end of the day, consulting is fundamentally a people-oriented business. It depends on consultants’ experience and expertise. You can’t build on the wealth of completed projects if you don’t know what happened in the past. This is is where the corporate intranet or shared folder comes in super-handy. Your work doesn’t have to be original or ground-breaking. As a matter of fact, if you solved a problem the same way as someone else, that’s the beginning of validating an approach. In consulting, this is called a best practise and is extremely valuable. In many consulting engagements, reinventing the wheel is sometimes inevitable. But, you should do what you can to learn from the experience. Use your bench time to put your name out there as an expert. Relax a bit Most consultants are motivated, driven individuals that make the most of their time. Projects come and go depending on the time of year. So, take a step back and relax. In fact, taking breaks has been shown to be an integral component of success. You don’t just work an 8 hour day when you are billable. You’ll do a full day for the client. Then, you have all the internal activities, such as telcos, HR work, internal training, expense reports, time tracking, etc. As a result, when you are on the bench, there is this unwritten rule that you are entitled to some down time and recovery. So, if you have done your professional development, then use the down time go focus on your personal stuff.