Possible Opportunity to be an IT consultant?

gc8dc95

I have been looking at different opportunities around my area to find professional and financial growth. I am currently at a large enterprise as Desktop Support II. It is a good job, but I want to expand my knowledge and move on. There is nothing within reach internally right now.

I have an interview for a position as an IT consultant for a small-medium solutions company. My question is what to expect and what is a typical day for a consultant?

I have done some research and see that it can vary, but I still dont quite have a grasp on what kind of tasks and skills would be utilized.

gespenstern

Consultant is a word that means basically nothing. You could be asked to do anything.

Technically it should be more of a senior position, and more project/architecture related as opposed to operations, but in reality...

VinnyCisco

It depends. I have been an "IT Consultant" for years here in NYC and I love it. Like the last reply, it doesn't mean much. It is more about the "role" they will fit you into. Typical day may not be any different as far as what you are already doing. But where it is much different depends on the Outside Source that is hiring you. Hourly Wage vs Salary. Benefits vs No Beneifts in many cases. Stability vs Contracted Time, etc.

I guess I would need to know more about what type of role is this "IT Consultant" position going to cover.

I learned way more being a consultant, but I understand my situation may be different since I am not in the same locale as you.

gc8dc95

Here is a brief overview of the Job posting:

We are looking for a systems and networking person who can perform billable technology tasks including troubleshooting and implementation projects. This is a great opportunity to work with a small company, work with a wide variety of technology and help people use technology to improve their organizations.

Need a person who is knowledgeable about technology but can communicate with non-technical people. Delivering value to the customer is a top priority.

Skills Summary

Primary skills that will be desired include:
•Communications skills
•Knowledge of the Break/Fix IT Environment
•Microsoft workstation - Microsoft Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1 and Microsoft Office 2003 and later
•Ability to work independently
•Microsoft server environments (Active Directory, Exchange/Mail Server, Terminal Services) – Prefer some education/classes in one of these areas
•Networking (exposure to routers, firewalls, VPNs, telecommunications)
•Anti-virus, Anti-SPAM and Anti-Spyware – AVG Experience preferred
•Virtual Machine environments – Exposure to VMWare preferred

You will need to be comfortable juggling several responsibilities with little supervision. You will be putting out fires, doing research, documenting your work, defining projects, breaking them into tasks, assigning them to available resources and managing the projects through to a successful conclusion. Most importantly you will be communicating with the office manager, consultants and clients… listening to the clients’ needs, using your expertise (and resources including your co-workers) to identify a solution, and then planning and carrying out that solution.

Essendon

That's your typical helpdesk/desktop support job by the looks of it. Titles dont mean much in IT, I was a 'consultant' too for my 2nd IT job but all I did was remotely install a silly software on people's computers. Dont get hung up on the title, just see if this is what you want to be doing.