Consider Joining a Consulting Firm As a First Step In Your Consulting Career

Jun 30, 2015 12:00:00 AM · by Ashley Wetmore

As managing partner of a healthcare IT consulting/staff augmentation firm, I’m always having conversations with people who are looking to enter the consulting marketplace.

Many of the people with whom I speak are employees of hospital IT or informatics organizations, and are considering transitioning from full-time to consulting. See our past blog post.

One of their main concerns is trying to figure out what’s in their best interest: joining a consulting firm as an employee or becoming and independent/contract consultant (being paid an hourly rate for their work).

For many people, joining a consulting firm and being part of an organization just “feels” like a safer step. Most hospital employees are used to receiving a salary. Having the salary and bench time that comes with joining a consulting firm provides many of them with a sense of security while going through a major career change. Since financial security is a very important factor, this route typically strikes them as a smart way to enter the world of consulting.

But along with money, here are a few other reasons why you might, or should, consider joining a consulting firm as a first step in your consulting career. Once you’ve gotten these aspects figured out, it might be a bit easier for you to venture into the world of contract consulting.

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