If you’ve been considering consulting as the next stage in your career, you’re not alone. Many CPAs become part-time or full-time consultants prior to retirement. Others choose consulting because they want greater flexibility and control over their schedules. Some consult between full-time jobs, or on the side while working full time.
Opportunities for accounting consultants are high right now. “It’s a consultant’s market,” said Don Plato, vice president at Robert Half Management Resources. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for accountants and auditors was 1.7% in the third quarter of 2018, well below the national unemployment rate of 3.7%.
Since so few accountants are unemployed, open positions are going vacant for longer, and organizations are likely to consider hiring consultants on a short-term basis, said Maureen Hoersten, COO at Chicago-based staffing firm LaSalle Network. It can take three to four months to fill a high-level vacancy, such as a CFO or controller position, and organizations may hire a consultant in the meantime. They may also seek consultants because they are expanding or relocating and need someone to assist during a transition or to help implement software.
If you’re thinking of becoming a consultant, however, there are some things you need to know about the consulting landscape first, and some vital questions to ask yourself.
