Consulting can be a great way to bridge the gap between full-time employment and retirement. That’ s why I wanted to share three key points from a recent NY Times article that highlights consulting as a second-act career:
1. Consider working with a staffing firm to launch your consulting career. Not everyone is cut out to work as a solopreneur. That’s why I often recommend people consider launching their consulting careers by affiliating with a staffing agency. The article highlights a number of firms that specialize in contracting out boomers including:
YourEncore (hires consultants in consumer goods, life sciences and food sciences).
Patina Solutions (hires managers with at least 25 years’ experience in a variety of industries).
Wahve (Work at Home Vintage Employees), based in Avon, Conn., courts employees in the insurance industry.
In addition to the firms outlined in this piece, be sure to check out some of the other firms mentioned in my list of 100 Great Second-Act Career Sites.
2. Pay rates can be significantly higher than your old job, but… Since consultants work on as-needed basis, and normally don’t receive benefits, their hourly rate tends to be higher than on-staff employees – often at least double the base pay of a full-time salary. But rates might be more tempered when working through an agency. For example, the article notes that Wahve says its hourly rate ranges from $16 to $25, although up to $50 an hour is offered for more complex responsibilities.
3. Computer skills are key to success. Many consulting jobs can be handled remotely. But to do so successfully, your computer skills must be up-to-date. As Carole Shulman, director of administration and human resources at Signature says in the NY Times post, “If the older workers were not computer literate or tech-savvy, it wouldn’t work.”
To learn more, you can access the full NY Times article here.