What do you do if you want to stand out as an IT Consulting professional?

Focus on building authentic relationships based on mutual respect and trust rather than solely on transactional exchanges. Invest time in getting to know your contacts on a personal level, understanding their needs, challenges, and aspirations. By cultivating genuine connections, you lay the foundation for long-term collaborations and partnerships that extend beyond immediate business opportunities.

In the last 10 years as a consultant between IT and business, I have seen that the ability to advise your customers depends critically on the trust you build. Of course, knowledge is important, but it will not make the difference. In many cases, recommendations are based on empathy, the ability to put yourself in your interlocutor's shoes and common sense. That's why you have to be recognised as a trustworthy person, that's why your relationships have to be as strong as possible. This will lead to contacts introducing or recommending you to other potential clients.

Connect and network with people on LinkedIn. Participate in online communities and discussions related to IT Consulting. This will help you build a strong network.

Demonstrate your commitment to staying current with industry trends and advancements by including ongoing learning and development initiatives in your resume and portfolio. Highlight relevant courses, certifications, or professional development activities that showcase your dedication to continuous improvement and mastery of new technologies.

Focus on delivering exceptional value to clients by staying updated on the latest technologies and industry trends, cultivating strong communication and interpersonal skills, building a reputation for reliability and innovation, and continuously seeking opportunities for professional development and growth.

If what you want to work on is your personal brand as an IT consultant, I think you should have a portfolio of services as narrow as possible. Specializing in a specific topic is differential in an environment of war for talent. A professional with, for example, 25 years of experience will necessarily have a very good CV. Therefore, when it comes to highlighting your work and capabilities, use references from relevant people.

Continuously learning new skills and technologies helps you stand out as an IT Consulting professional. For instance, gaining expertise in emerging areas like artificial intelligence, blockchain, or cloud solutions can set you apart from peers who may only focus on more traditional IT domains. In my experience, staying ahead of technology trends not only enhances your value to clients but also positions you as a forward-thinking consultant. I’ve found it helpful to allocate regular time for online courses and certifications. A common mistake is to become complacent with current knowledge without seeking to expand. By proactively enhancing your skill set, you ensure that you remain competitive and in demand.

Approach your professional development with a mindset of continuous learning and growth. View challenges as opportunities for development and seek out new skills and knowledge that will enhance your effectiveness as an IT consultant.

Continuous improvement is a must in IT Consultancy. There are new thing coming into market every year. Knowing all the trends, such as the last big things, Blockchain, AI, IoT and Cloud will definitely help you pass through challenging situations, because clients will ask EVERYTHING about those things: * What they are, * How much would it cost, * Would it work for them, * How would it work for them, * Is it feasible, * Are there compliance requirements to fill, * Would the current compliance accomplishments still be met, And many more will be asked, and you MUST be ready for all. Be in close contact with key vendors, follow industry researchers such as Gartner and Forrester, attend international IT related events to keep up to date.

Stay up-to-date on the latest trends and innovations in IT. Take online courses or attend workshops to expand your skill set. Learn and grow your skills consistently.

Write blog posts or articles on relevant IT topics. Contribute to online forums and discussions. This will help you to share about your skills and expertise to the community.

Be willing to adapt to changing client needs and project requirements. Develop a positive and can-do attitude. Be a strong communicator who can effectively explain complex technical concepts to non-technical clients with real-world examples. Being flexible and adaptable is the key.

The best thing that would promote you is the work you have done. This is a very niche market, and the high scale IT Consultants get their reputation via word of mouth. The word of mouth can be your biggest marketing campaign and this campaign is directly correlated to how you do your job, how you treat people, how happy your customers are. If you want to stand out in this area, create value, deliver results, give options to your clients. Prepare multiple scenarios, make a pros and cons list for each one and propose your choice. Even if they choose an option other than your recommendation, do not take it personally. Keep your network alive and up to date with new compliance requirements, threats, actionable information and warnings.