Consultancy? - A SLA 2018 Panel reflection

I picked my SLA sessions very carefully this year, and Tuesday morning’s ‘How to Get Started as a Consultant’ was a priority.

Recently, I’ve been considering where I want my career to go. For the last several weeks, I feel rather at an impasse. When I was still a MLIS student, I had a very clear idea of what path in libraries I wanted to take. Currently, I am so far blown off-course, I don’t even recognize the landmarks. I don’t necessarily regret the career choices I have made, but they are certainly not the ones I thought I would make. Part of it is opportunities available, certainly part of it is money. More than once, I found myself in a position when I did not have the time to take my time to find “that job”, and instead needed to take a job, any job, which would pay me. It has made for an interesting, twisty path through special libraries, but I now also find myself wanting to get back on track; find more permanency, more stability.

Surely, going the way of a Consultant is not the way to go. And if I gleamed anything from that session, it’s not. It can take months to find your stability when working for yourself. I did it once. Freshly-minted librarian/archivist, I couldn’t find a permanent FT job, so I consulted. Took on short-term gigs until I was able to find something FT (the job of which, was my first unexpected bend in the road). And I enjoyed it. The thrill of a new project. The having a completion set. Always learning something new. Always a new experience. I was also in my late 20s, had roommates who, if needed, helped cover me for groceries or a utility bill. None of which are still true.

But Chrissy Geluk and Cindy Shamel also discussed the time needed to get started. The savings needed to cushion yourself until you first break even, then finally start making money. The strategy needed to find customers and market your skills. Starting a consultant business is a business in itself.

So while the panel was informative, and the discussion something I’ll keep in mind, it is something to perhaps consider further along in my career.

In the meantime, if anyone is hiring a remote-friendly postion where they need someone with… Reference, Information Literacy, Cataloging, Metadata, Archives, Data Asset Management skillsets… let’s talk.