Posted By clairel Well yes anyone who is a consultant on here has experience of starting out as a consultant! Do not go it alone in the firt instance try and get a job with a consultancy firm to learn the ropes. To be very honest consultancy is not for everyone and so give it a try first. You have to juggle a lot of clients, be able to manage your own diary, be very self sufficient, be prepared to travel a lot, be prepared to be cover all topics in all industries and therefore be able to cope with being out of your comfort zone sometimes. Don't foget all the paperwork too. Odd things like not having colleagues you see and talk to on a daily basis can make it lonely sometimes too. You can't have a bad day, you've always got to put on a smile and show enthusiasm however bad a day you're having. Colleagues may forgive you having a bad day but clients won't. However, consultancy ticked the right boxes for me as I couldn't work in the same place day in day out. It's varied, challenging and interesting but can be dull, monotonous and frustrating at times too. Many clients want you there as an insurance policy or to do all the work for them so you have to be able to say 'no' and also be prepared for the fact that a lot of what you say will be ignored. Feels good when clients actually take it all on board though. Like I say find a consultancy who are prepared to give you a shot and train you. Ring round and be proactive. Don't wait for the advertisement. It is not a straight transition if you are used to working in one place. Many won't hire you without being at least MIOSH as they can't sell you so sell yourself.