Here's how you can transition into consulting roles in your late career as an IT Strategy professional.

O conhecimento e os skills de "pensamento e estruturação estratégica" são muito valiosos e úteis em qualquer segmento ou indústria. E isos também vale para as consultorias, as quais oferecem esse tipo de oferta de serviço, geralmente sob uma perspectiva "premium". Mas creio que vale a pena, quando se pensa em efetuar uma transição consultor, que o profissional avalie e reflita sobre a própria forma de atuar como "consultor', algo que é ligeiramente diferente de atuar do lado do balcão enquanto "cliente". Existem alguns skills (em especial os soft) essenciais para desempenhar com excelência esse papel!

Within the last 5+ years I have seen large enterprises rapidly moving towards consolidating their IT services vendors. Vendors who were brought in to provide various services in the past are seeing their way out, while a few retained selected vendors now have the opportunity to take on more ownership and end-to-end responsibility in delivering a scope of work. Thought leadership, Ideation, Business Architecture and Co-Innovation capabilities remains to be the new expectations of the customer. Therefore, I believe that Software services companies focusing on above, aspiring and strategizing to go up the Value Stick will find larger, sustainable and long-term business opportunities.

Transitioning into consulting roles in your late career as an IT Strategy professional can be a rewarding and fulfilling move. Here are some steps you might consider: Identify Your Expertise: Leverage your years of experience in IT Strategy to identify areas where you have deep expertise. This could be in areas like enterprise architecture, digital transformation, IT governance, or cybersecurity. Understand the Consulting Landscape: Research different types of consulting roles that exist in your area of expertise. This could range from independent consulting to working for a large consulting firm. Network: Connect with professionals who are already in consulting roles. Good Luck!

Transitioning into consulting roles later in my career as an IT Strategy professional was a deliberate choice. With a strong foundation in Governance, Risk, and Compliance, along with expertise in Project Management and Business Process Management, I recognized the value I could offer as a consultant. By weighing my options and assessing my desires, I determined that consulting was the path best suited for me. Leveraging my skills coupled with a deep understanding of audit processes, I embarked on this new journey with confidence. Enjoying it all made consulting a natural progression for me. Take a deep dive within yourself and determine if that is what you desire to do and go for it.

Transitioning into consulting roles in your late career as an IT strategy professional involves leveraging your extensive experience to offer expert advice. Focus on building a strong personal brand, highlighting your industry expertise and successful projects. Network with industry peers and join professional organizations. Consider obtaining relevant certifications and developing a niche specialization. Utilize online platforms to share insights and connect with potential clients. Emphasize your ability to deliver strategic value and practical solutions, positioning yourself as a trusted advisor in IT strategy.

I had spent the better part of my career passionately focused on developing and mentoring other professionals. I simply passed along the things I’ve learned and developed on my own to help others be their best. I never had the thought that I could leverage these great people later in life because they “owed me one.” Some of my protégés went on to rather lucrative positions, not completely due to me, but my coaching helped. When I announced my retirement, I was pleasantly surprised by those same people who asked me onto their teams because they understood my value and ability to positively contribute. Not only am I adding value to their goals but am helping to mentor a new generation. It has turned out to be very rewarding.

Networking is key for a consulting role. We have so many tools available already that we can make use of to get our network list grown. Networking allows us 1. To keep updated with our surroundings on what's the current buzz. 2. Networking also builds confidence and helps us improve our speaking skills.

This is the number one way to transition to any part of IT at any point of your career. Networking with your peers is an absolute must it allows you to widen your perspective and also allows you to get information on the current IT landscape to strategies accordingly. Your network is your net worth.

Transitioning into consulting in your late career as an IT Strategy professional can be highly rewarding. Leverage your extensive experience and network to establish credibility. Focus on niche areas where you have deep expertise. Build a personal brand through thought leadership—write articles, speak at industry events, and engage on social media. Offer pro bono work to build a consulting portfolio. Develop strong soft skills like communication and problem-solving. By positioning yourself as a trusted advisor, you can successfully shift into consulting and provide valuable insights to clients.

Build your brand, don’t be shy or stay behind others. Highlight your contributions and network with like minded leaders. Stay in the company of brilliant and honest leaders who are passionate about serving customers so that you can pickup good traits of business and exchange ideas.

It’s true that in consulting world, personal brand matters a lot. Personal brand can only be created by your history of accomplishing/ solving real problems. How have you personally contributed your role in solving problems, what are you bringing on table matters a lot. For personal brand building trust is of most importance. Your customers perception and your gravitas in solving pressing issues( knowledge of business & flair of technology) will make you stand out. Theoretical blog writing, publishing high level white papers, etc are secondary.

Totally agree! But there's a flip side. I once met a consultant who drank content creation Kool-Aid. He churned out articles, but they felt robotic. Client saw through it. The best consultants I know? They listen deeply, then craft solutions. Their brand isn't about them, it's about the impact they deliver.

A brand helps to sell who you are. It also lets others associate your skills above others. Consider your sector when posting and remember this is your personal advert so give time and consideration to everything you write or say.

From debugging code to debugging corporate strategies: IT professionals make the seamless transition into consulting, proving that debugging knows no bounds.

To succeed in consulting as a late-career IT Strategy professional, you must clearly demonstrate value to your clients. Understand their unique challenges and offer tailored solutions. Leverage your experience to provide insights that drive growth and efficiency. Offer a free initial consultation or workshop to showcase your expertise. Delivering tangible results will build your reputation and lead to referrals and repeat business.

Absolutely! Beyond the fancy reports, real impact comes from understanding the client's WHY. Sure, data's key, but have you seen a confused exec stare at charts? We have to connect the dots to their goals, and their sleepless nights! Then the solutions click. Free consultations are great - coffee chats are even better. Human connection builds trust, makes the magic happen.

IT Strategy Consulting: Seek environments that celebrate your skills. Recognize your value, showcase your experience, and trust that the market always needs problem-solvers with valuable insights. Overcome ageism that attempts to sideline experienced professionals with comments like "think outside the box." Resist early retirement and replacement by younger "cheaper" employees. Companies that abuse staff risk legal issues and don’t deserve you. Engage in Value! Embrace opportunities that expect excellence, energize you, and create success. Value your worth and transform your career and clients' businesses. Ever forward with the winners—you’ll always deliver value and growth. Your expertise is invaluable and your potential limitless.

Time-box all your activities, especially in your Outlook calendar. This practice allows you to track billable hours and maximise quality time. Keeping detailed records of what you did, when, and with whom will save you time in many situations.

Stay current but don’t forget about the basics. It’s important to keep up to date, but often people have to reflex to throw away the existing basic know how while acquiring the new. It’s important to build the new upon the strong base of what works. Don’t change a winning team.

Stay ahead by engaging and learning customer needs and keep up your technical and management skills. Bring innovation and initiatives to customers with latest advances.

Be curious and learn all the way. Being curious means we are always looking for opportunities to gather more knowledge which brings in more value to an individual and professional environment.

Para poder brindar un buen servicio de consultoría es muy importante mantenerse actualizado en las necesidades de la industria con la que trabajemos, junto con las soluciones que funcionan y las que no (de estas últimas consideramos que se aprende mucho).

Getting hands-on is an important aspect to be successful as a consultant. One has to constantly understand technology, methods, changing business landscape, business practices etc. For example, cloud tech was not envisaged at this scale a few years back. The individual contributors at the junior-most level in revenue-earning roles are the ones helping higher-ups to help them succeed. So technology by itself does not help and will not help, however, suitably adopted in solutions, it will help the organizations deliver better value to its stakeholders.

IT strategy is about aligning IT technologies and capabilities with the business goals of the organisation. When transitioning to an (external) consulting role, building an in-depth understanding of the organization's business goals becomes equally important to maintaining an up to date understanding of emerging technical possibilities and best practices.

Transitioning from an IT strategy role to a consulting career involves leveraging your existing skills while developing new competencies. Start by identifying the skills and experiences. Enhance consulting skills in client management, communication, and business development. Networking is very crucial, connect with industry professionals and seek mentorship from experienced consultants. Gain consulting experience through freelance work or consulting-like projects within your current organization. Build a strong personal brand by sharing insights online and showcasing your expertise. Stay updated on industry trends and continuously refine your skills to adapt to the consulting profession.

Remember that IT Strategy is not completely about the technology. The first focus is IT alignment to business. The second priority is to understand the client's definition of IT Value and structure your services toward that. These two cores are supported by technology and innovation, which should not exist just as their own means. There are a lot of deeply technical people out there. As an IT Strategist, you do not need deep expertise across the board. Leverage the technical professionals who work at your client's business for their knowledge. Keep yourself above the technical fray and focus on the two points above.

Don’t… If you work in a good place with a good culture and people you like. Stay where you are. So many people leave a good job because they’re chasing a dream someone else told them they should have. You want to find your dream job? Create it where you are. Create value and you can create a place you want to work

Reach out to professionals in consulting firms, attend industry events, and connect with people who can provide insights and referrals. Highlight your leadership abilities, data analysis experience, and stakeholder management skills. Showcase how you’ve driven impact across different business segments, functions, and industries. Turn your experience into an asset by emphasizing your expertise and crafting a strong narrative about how your path has led you to consulting. Some experienced hires choose to pursue an MBA to enhance their qualifications and network. Position your current work experience in a way that aligns with consulting skills and responsibilities. Leverage your IT Strategy background to your advantage.