Are you an IT Contractor or IT Consultant - Discuss...

[el_bell_end]

Not entirely sure about this persons view as an IT Consultant....

Mr Forrest believes there is a significant gap between IT contracting and IT consultancy, despite both being temporary tech roles suited to self-employment.

“Consultants strive to add value acting either as an advisor or by driving change in an organisation - or more often a combination of both,” he said.

“A contractor typically provides value through assured fulfilment of a project or operational role, where specific capabilities or skills are brought to an organisation”.

http://www.contractoruk.com/news/003558.html

[GreenerGrass]

I noticed him saying:
'Whereas IT contractors, he said, are hired when clients are not able or keen to recruit full-time, and provide specific technical work. “The bigger picture” is lower down their brief'

In fact, the bigger picture is at the very top of their brief, it's just a different picture - their own financial security rather than that of the client company, or their employer.

[ratewhore]

I'm not sure I agree with all he says. Sure, you do get contractors who's job it is to sit there 9-5 and do 'stuff'. But you also get contractors who consult, deliver change, add value, etc etc etc

The fact that he is a 'consultant' speaks volumes and it reads more like he wants to differentiate when it is not always possible. Maybe he is trying to do this to steer potential clients away from contract resource to paying the big bucks for the management consultancies.

[HYpno27]

The fact that he is a 'consultant' speaks volumes and it reads more like he wants to differentiate when it is not always possible. Maybe he is trying to do this to steer potential clients away from contract resource to paying the big bucks for the management consultancies.

Hmm, broadly agree with that statement, especially as the source is someone from toilet and douche

[Dow Jones]

Consultant vs Contractor

Consultant = person with specific knowledge that could be of benefit to some company
Contractor = person with arguable skills that could be of benefit to himself
Let's face it, when asked about what I did, I always replied: IT Consultant (or IT Director/of own Ltd. Co.), never as: IT Contractor, as it sounds more like a 2nd line support person (apologies to anyone offended).
After 12 years as an independent contractor, I have gone over to the other side, having worked in the investment banking sector and seen that the client prefers a group of consultants not only with good skills and know-how but also able to manage their own time and have a structure and own reporting lines rather than a group of complete strangers that usually undermine each other and possibly the project for their own needs. It's called professionalism.

[Ardesco]

Pfft,

My experiance of consultants is they float in ask everybody noddy questions and then write a generic report describing how the business should be run in and ideal world, unfortunatly we don't live in an ideal world.

You could probably copy a few paragraphs from a business processes textbook, change the name of the company as required and keep handing it out to every business you meet and charge them for consultancy. Nobody would know the difference.

[tay]

After 12 years as an independent contractor, I have gone over to the other side, having worked in the investment banking sector and seen that the client prefers a group of consultants not only with good skills and know-how but also able to manage their own time and have a structure and own reporting lines rather than a group of complete strangers that usually undermine each other and possibly the project for their own needs. It's called professionalism.

Classic, not a bad fishing trip.

[DimPrawn]

You Consultants, I sh!t on yer.


DimPrawn

Senior Consultant