being a consultant...

so...my 1st project ended...and to much appreciation from the higher ups..! after the final presentation the team (comprising 4) went to Ricks (taj's pub, in delhi) and had a nice 2 hrs chilling time. bonding...so as to say. thats when you realize a lot of things about consulting that are usually behind gold doors in bschool...

1. Consulting is an extremely demanding profession. and unlike other areas (possibly)...the work only increases as you go higher up. so basically..even though you might leave at 4...and no one shall question you...its not that you get to see a movie in the evening. you basically leave to work from home..!

2. The biggest effect that such a profession has...is not on you...but your spouse. infact...the success of any consultant (especially a guy) should definitely be attributed to his wife. dont know if i can say the same for a female consult...cause i think she wud hv been better off without her husband...! :)

3. Its all about priortizing..! work...and life. no one shall ever tell you that its a 9-5 job..but then no one shall also tell you...YOU HAVE TO WORK 24/7...! its all about what you want to do...and how...! its all about...what you think is important..and in V's words...someone who places work in front of family all the time...will never make it big...

4. there will always be times (though 28 days is too less a duration for me to have faced one) when you shall question your existence as a consult. why am i here...what am i getting travelling 5 days a week..away frm family...building mileage points...! and then shall come the final client meeting. wherein the client will almost kiss your feet...or would kiss somewhere else if it wasnt for gay laws...! thats when you shall realize...what you get staying a consultant is not something everyone can boast off...


and all this is true...i am slowly realizing it . my 1st client places so much of trust in us...that when we show them the numbers...they actually stand up in amazement...and go..."holy shit..we never thought of that...we have to change directions"...and i think..."is he really serious. i mean..would one of the world's largest gas company change direction because a 25 yr old plugged in numbers in an excel sheet and did some macro shit"...! but yes...he will.

and thats when you feel scared. and burdened. and responsible. its a sexy burden though...cause on your analysis depends a decision...! that could possibly..."change directions"...! and then..you work...you work like an ass...take every move in a calculated fashion...jst to make sure that you dont let the other side down...

and then friday comes...and you go for a movie...and suddenly..you are not that important anymore...and yet...you love the break...

..cause monday...will be another long week...

i guess so far...i love being a consultant...! :)

~a

PS: To be on the safe side...and its always good to be that ways...i would want to put a disclaimer on the above. The client conversations are all fictitious...! And only indicative of the 'potential' of a consultant. At no point of time should anyone reading this, make any judgement calls on certain companies...and worse still...speculate on business issues...!