RACHEL, PRODUCT DIRECTOR

Rachel is nine years into a varied career which has already seen her working in venture capital, management consulting, start-ups and as a Board member of Europe’s top flight search site, Skycanner after they acquired her start-up, Zoombu, in December 2010. Rachel is now CEO & Founder of a product development company.

She kindly agreed to share her inspiring career story working at Sky Scanner with us:

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WHERE DO YOU WORK?

I previously worked as the Product Director for Skyscanner, Europe’s leading flight search engine. I now run my own product development company.

WHERE DID YOU START YOUR CAREER?

I studied engineering at Oxford University and my first role after graduating was with the venture capital firm Oxford Capital Partners, where I evaluated new science and technology investments. I really enjoyed the role and industry but felt that I wanted to gain broader business experience, so moved into a position as a management consultant with Diamond (recently acquired by PriceWaterHouse Coopers). Three years in, I got itchy feet and was keen to do something more hands-on. So when an opportunity to co-found a company came along, I jumped at the chance.

HOW MANY YEARS INTO YOUR CAREER ARE YOU?

Nine years since graduating.

HOW MANY COMPANIES HAVE YOU WORKED FOR SO FAR IN YOUR CAREER?

Four, but if you count the clients I worked with when consulting, more like nine. I also interned at an engineering consultancy during my degree, so that’s ten.

HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK DO YOU WORK?

That’s a difficult one, as I’m not sure what counts as a typical week! I’d say around 55 hours. I usually try to take weekends off.

WHO DO YOU REPORT TO?

At Skyscanner I reported directly to the CEO.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE YOUR PREVIOUS JOB?

I co-founded the travel search company Zoombu with a friend and colleague from university, Alistair Hann. We worked on the business for two years building up the core technology, partnerships and the team. Our business was acquired by Skyscanner in Dec 2010 and I was working with Skyscanner to make their travel search engine even better using what we learned at Zoombu.

WHAT ARE THE BEST BITS ABOUT THE JOB?

The culture at Skyscanner is brilliant –it’s very dynamic and innovative and every week is different. The company is now 100 people strong, profitable and growing quickly, but it still has the same start-up environment that I enjoyed about Zoombu. We’re creating lots of exciting new aspects to the product and the work of my team directly contributes to the bottom line, which is rewarding.

HOW DOES YOUR EXPERIENCE FROM YOUR PREVIOUS JOB(S), HELP YOU IN YOUR NEW ROLE?

Zoombu was tackling a lot of the same challenges as Skyscanner; travel search is a complex field of software engineering, and the business model is challenging to get right. Running a start-up is preparation for any role, but particularly fitting for my current role which is at the intersection of business and engineering and involves spinning many plates at any one time.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AT THE HEIGHT OF YOUR CAREER?

Running my own company, which I have just founded.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE BUILDING THEIR CAREER?

Don’t be afraid to try new opportunities or to take a leap into a new venture. It’s all too easy to get into the trap of waiting until the next promotion before trying something new, but if you’re not learning and constantly being challenged, it’s time to think about what’s next.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SIMILLAR SUCCESS STORIES

One of the key make or break challenges you’ll face as a freelance consultant is going to be your ability to market yourself to new and existing clients to find a new freelance project.

With a growing number of permanent consultants opting to sample life as a freelancer, a greater emphasis has been put on developing new business channels to find project work. It’s now difficult to rely on your trusted black book to keep your project flow healthy – it’s time to get out there and make new connections.Now to the key question – what are the possible channels to find new freelance projects?

Movemeon

Naturally, the first (and best) place to look for new freelance project roles is right here on the movemeon website (don’t blame us for being a little biased).

Existing clients

Good business development is not just about trying to market yourself to new clients. It’s imperative you maximize your existing relationships by keeping former clients updated on your availability/new skills. It could just be a subtle catch-up e-mail to a former client to ask how the project is going. You’ll be amazed by the amount of new work that’s generated from clients who magically think of a piece of work you’d be perfect for, now they know you’re available.

Your network

Keep things like your LinkedIn/Xing profile updated with availability/skills etc. This ensures you’re maximizing your chances of inward business development. There’s nothing nicer than a client knocking on your door with a new freelance project, but they’ll only be able to do so if you keep your profile updated.

Other freelancers

Networking with other freelancers is a great way to develop new business and share experiences/insight. If a freelancer is contacted about a role but is unavailable, a natural instinct is to refer someone else who matches the profile. This is particularly useful if you’re on the more junior end in terms of years of experience. Senior freelancers are always on the lookout for good junior consultants when building a team and with utilization rates remaining high at the junior end of freelancing, it’s always useful to be referred by another freelancer for new projects.

Agencies

Although not ideal, the majority of new projects that are not directly sourced will be through recruitment agencies. We suggest using 1-2 good agencies who are able to deliver a healthy project flow and operate with transparency and honesty. Be sure to read this article on what percentage of day rate you are really receiving – food for thought when thinking about day rates and using agencies.

Job boards/Career pages

Companies sometimes do advertise freelance project work on their careers page/through jobs boards so it’s always worth having a quick look once in a while.

Team up

If you’re finding new projects tough to come by and you have a specific skill/domain knowledge, find other freelancers with similar skills and team up. This will allow you to take on new larger projects and assemble teams to execute project work. An additional benefit of teaming up is, with a consulting ‘brand’, you’ll be developing brand equity through strong client reviews that should keep new project flow healthy as word spreads of your consulting offering. If you’re teaming up and need additional resources – Movemeon already partners with a number of smaller consultancies providing freelancers.

Word of mouth

If you build up a strong track record of solid performance as a freelancer, you’ll find clients contacting you directly. Good work speaks volumes, and clients will feel at ease engaging you because of your track record.

Network

It’s simple: the more potential clients you meet, the more likely it is one of them will call you with a new freelance project.These are just a few possible routes to finding new projects as a freelancer. It’s always worth bearing in mind that it’s difficult to predict future project flow – so it’s imperative you remain proactive in your business development. Don’t run the risk of assuming another project is waiting for you at the end of your current engagement; start your business development before your current project wraps up.

– The MMO Freelance team

Hope you enjoyed this article – we regularly publish our content on our LinkedIn page so if you want to keep in touch just click through.

While job hunting we think that having all or most of the requirements and being persuasive during the interview process are the most important drivers of our success with that job.Despite these aspects being really important, there is a third factor that we often undervalue: the timing of the application. Even if your profile is perfect for a position, having other candidates who applied before in more advanced stages can really reduce your chances of getting the job. We had a look at our data and the result is impressive. Applying the first week gives you 8 times more chances of getting the job.Analysing when our candidates apply and who gets the job, we noticed that 15% of them applied the day when the job was posted. Even more impressive is that half of them applied within the first week (53%) and 70% in the first two weeks.Looking at freelance jobs, we saw that being among the first candidates to apply is even more critical: 35% of successful candidates apply the day when the job is posted and 82% within one week.These numbers show that having all the requirements for a position and doing great during interviews are not the only relevant factors in getting a job. Make sure to always be one of the first appliers for a job you like, in particular for the most popular ones.Based on the above, receiving a notification as soon as a job is posted can be key for getting that job. That’s the reason why we suggest you turn your job alerts on and update your preferences to see all the jobs that match your skills and interests.Click here to see if your job alerts are on, and to update your preferences

Movemeon: jobs, insight, events and career tips for (ex-)consultants and freelancers.Click here to create a free account and access all our opportunities.

Why consulting and tech skills are the perfect combination for the future world of work

Most people enter consulting as it opens doors. Or, to put another way, it puts off having to make a decision. This is definitely not a bad thing when you’re a graduate; your knowledge of the potential careers out there is understandably limited.Consultancy offerers an opportunity to better understand what opportunities are out there, whilst not limiting your choices.

The adaptability of consultants

Consultancy opens doors for very good reasons.

• Firstly, it tends to attract “all-rounders”. The assessment process for consultants is focused on both logical/ structured thinking, and your potential to be strong at building client relationships.
• Secondly, consultants are then trained, normally for at least 24 months, in the consulting toolkit. The hard skills are regularly referred to as problem-solving, corporate presentation/ communications, analytics. However, in my opinion, the softer skills are just as important: attention to detail, a continual focus on personal development, ability to build client relationships/ stakeholder management.

The result is that ex-consultants can go into a wide variety of commercial, analytical and senior management roles.

The future of work

With the growth of technology, new jobs have been created. In particular, we’ve seen a huge growth in product management, data science, AI and analytics roles. The challenge in the market is one of supply and demand: there are far more opportunities than there are people with relevant experience.This has resulted in two things:

• An increase in the salary paid
• More flexibility in the backgrounds of candidates

Setting yourself apart

Despite the supply-demand imbalance, product management roles, in particular, are extremely competitive.Combining a background in consultancy with a technological understanding can really set you apart. The grounding from consulting in structured thinking, commercial acumen and senior stakeholder management combined with knowledge of tech, will put you in a unique position to help drive tech products and platforms forward.

A passport for the tech industry

Combining a background in consultancy with a technological understanding can really set you apart. The grounding from consulting in structured thinking, commercial acumen and senior stakeholder management combined with knowledge of tech, will put you in a unique position to help drive tech products and platforms forward. This will help you to really differentiate yourself as a future leader in a tech business.

If you are looking to hire and would like more information - Click here to speak to our team

One of the key aims of MMO Freelance is to help our freelance members connect with each other. Through freelance events, guest blogs and personal introductions, we’re hoping to create a freelance network that is better connected and hopefully able to lend a helping hand to each other through project leads, introductions, or just a Friday beer.

Here’s a guest blog from one of our freelance members – Helen, a former McKinsey Consultant.Are you looking for a freelance opportunity as well? Click here to browse all our live jobs

How long have you been a freelance consultant? & what is your industry focus?

I’ve been a freelancer for just over 18 months. I focus on the non-profit sector, which includes government, public sector, big charities (mostly international NGOs because that’s my professional background) and some philanthropic organisations.

Why did you decide to become a freelance consultant?

It was a long process, actually. I was working at Comic Relief, my previous role, on a temporary basis – I had agreed to go and help them set up Red Nose Day in America. It was always on a part-time basis, and I was approaching the end of that contract, and starting to think about what I wanted to do next. I was quite clear that I wanted to do more of a portfolio of things: continue with the strategy work because I loved it, but also increase the amount of creativity and the number of workshops I was doing.So I decided to go freelance for two reasons:•more flexibility, being able to work in a different way ;•The variety of things I wanted to achieve was difficult in a ‘traditional’ role. I couldn’t find a job that did all the things I wanted to do, so I designed my own job instead.

What most surprised you about the change from perm to freelance?

Some things were as expected. The things that surprised me the most were how much I liked the flexibility. There was really no downside. I’d been a bit worried that there would be a negative aspect that I hadn’t anticipated. The freedom that comes with only representing yourself is really refreshing – I hadn’t really anticipated that, much as it is obvious looking back.

What one thing would you really want to know, If you were to just be considering the move to freelance consulting now?

I’d want to be really clear why I was making the transition because you have to manage your time really actively. When I went freelance, I wanted to be really flexible and have variety in my work. I didn’t want to be working full-time, and I wanted to work across a number of different projects at once. I could have taken the first project that came along, a 6-month project with one client. That would technically also have been freelance, but it would not have fulfilled any of the goals I had. So being really clear why you want to move into freelance work, and then building your career around that, is really important.

One main pro & one main con of freelance consulting?

Pro: Flexibility. I’m very fortunate to be able to work from almost anywhere and on almost anything.Con: Zero visibility of what’s coming down the pipe. Again, you have to be really comfortable with uncertainty. For me, that’s partly by design, as I chose to do a model where I was working across multiple clients at the same time rather than working on one big project. If I’d done the one big project model, it would have been easier to create a project pipeline because you can say “well, I have 3 months until the end of my project so I will start to look for work.” Whereas as it is, that would be really hard because I’m always doing something for someone and that work goes up and down in its intensity. So it’s difficult to build in future-proofing and know a long time in advance when I will be able to take on more work.

Would you consider going back to perm?

I don’t think I’d go back to permanent consulting, but I would go back to other permanent work, were the job right. It’s about knowing what you want. I’m pretty clear what the job would have to look like and I’m not sure it exists at the moment!

Looking for a freelance opportunity?Click here to have a look at our live jobs

Not a member yet?Click here to create a free account

One of the key aims of MMO Freelance is to help our freelance members connect with each other. Through freelance events, guest blogs and personal introductions, we’re hoping to create a freelance network that is better connected and hopefully able to lend a helping hand to each other through project leads, introductions, or just a Friday beer.

Here’s a guest blog from one of our northern freelance members – Becci Blues, a former OC&C Consultant.

When a (wo)man is tired of London they are tired of life

According to Samuel Johnson. Sorry Sam, but I beg to differ.

As a strategy consultant freelancing in Yorkshire and the north of England, life is pretty awesome. Don’t get me wrong, my love affair with London that started as a fresh-faced graduate continues to this day. It’s a dynamic, fabulous city full of interesting people doing inspirational things. London was where I started my career at OC&C, later moving to Amazon (at the time-based in glamorous Slough but let’s stretch our imaginations and include that in London). I’d always had a passion for retail and working first on projects for leading multinationals, and then operationally for the market leading online retailer was in equal parts challenging and rewarding. And it didn’t hurt that my role at Amazon involved buying a lot of shoes.London had served me well.

Gouda life

However, a few years down the line the grass was starting to look greener elsewhere. To be specific, the soft grass of North Yorkshire was looking particularly appealing. So in 2014, looking for new challenges and a garden, I moved to the beautiful, ancient city of York and embarked on a crazy, fun-filled and somewhat smelly 18 months running my own award-winning cheese business. It had always been an ambition of mine to run my own retail business and whilst the cheese business was a gouda (sorry) and delicious introduction to the world of small and startup businesses, I eventually decided it wasn’t going to grow to be the right business for me. In late 2015 I sold the business and found myself based in beautiful Yorkshire and looking for the next challenge.With my CV now encompassing strategy consulting and operational skills from businesses large and micro, I decided it was time to go back to consulting. Wanting to remain (to some extent!) master of my own destiny, freelance consulting seemed the way forward, operating across all sectors but specialising in retail and charity, having undertaken and thoroughly enjoyed several pro bono projects alongside my retail experience.

Freelance

I am now in the process of building my freelance network in the north, and whilst it’s not quite trail blazing, it is certainly a little unusual as a freelancer to be based outside London. The upside is that there are fewer people with my specific skill set, knowledge of local markets, and willingness to be based on projects north of Watford Gap. The downside is that there are fewer projects, and making the right contacts to find out about opportunities takes a little bit of creativity.In reality, if I were London-based I’d probably keep my eye out on Movemeon, sign up to a few agencies and I’d hope to have a fair stream of work in the pipeline. But then I’ve never been one to take the easy option!Movemeon have been invaluable in helping me explore the options for freelancing in and around Yorkshire and further afield. The importance of establishing a strong network of local contacts is coming through clearly, and one area I am hoping to strengthen is my connections to other freelance consultants working in the north of England. The goal would be to set up a boutique network of consultants allowing us to share contacts, experiences, and the odd coffee, raising profiles and increasing access to projects.Perhaps you are looking for a way into new companies, perhaps you want to explore a new sector or want to be able to offer a trusted, alternative consultant to your clients when you are too busy to take on more work. Whatever you are interested in, let’s chat!If you are a freelance consultant based in and around Yorkshire or the North of England or know someone who is (or perhaps you’re just thinking about it), I’d love to chat. Drop me an email at rebecca@bluesstrategy.comAnd if you don’t live in Yorkshire you should come to visit – it’s only 1hr 50 minutes from London on the train and the grass really is greener.– by Becci

One of the key aims of MMO Freelance is to help our freelance members connect with each other. Through freelance events, guest blogs and personal introductions, we’re hoping to create a freelance network that is better connected and hopefully able to lend a helping hand to each other through project leads, introductions, or just a Friday beer.Here’s a guest blog from one of our freelance members – Florin, a former PwC consultant.

How long have you been a freelance consultant?

and what is your industry focus?My first big contract was in 2014 with Holidog, a French marketplace start-up for pet owners, but that turned into a permanent stint rather after just a couple of weeks. I’d say I have started seeing myself as a full-time independent consultant about a year ago. Since then, I’ve worked with a couple of start-ups (FinTech, PropTech) as well as corporate clients in Banking, Insurance and Telco. I focus on a rather broad space –helping my clients make use of the ever-evolving technology landscape to stay on top of their game, innovate, enter new markets or find a product-market fit for new services. Having been a consultant and a tech entrepreneur, knowing the challenges on both sides, that really helps tailor my proposition and add credibility.

Why did you decide to become a freelance consultant?

A lot of people start freelancing to fill a period of transition. Certainly, that’s what happened with me. I had been a consultant for 5 years, then started working with start-ups during a sabbatical. One of those contracts became a permanent gig which lasted 2.5 years. At the end of it, I found myself wondering: do I go back to consulting? – which I almost did – or do I do my own thing? And eventually, the entrepreneurial spirit prevailed. Doing my own thing is important and my key strength is, in fact, being a consultant – the two came together, a bit like a Venn diagram.

What most surprised you?

About the change from perm to freelanceWhat surprised me most is how many ‘established’, large companies use independent consultants even on strategic questions. Having worked with 20-30 major clients before, I can’t recall coming across independents unless it was a project management support role, with very confined attributions. I think the consulting industry is going through a transition period though, and the gig-economy has definitely matured so I can post-rationalise it. It’s still surprising when you find yourself in the middle of it.

What one thing would you really want to know?

If you were to just be considering the move to freelance consulting nowWell – I did it progressively, following a sabbatical and a long stint with a start-up so I warmed up to it, didn’t jump into the cold water so to speak. Certainly, there are a lot of projects out there and of course, there is movemeon that can really really help take the first steps, but the space is competitive, no question. The most important element long term is the relationships that one builds along the way and of course, the credibility you gain through this network. Other than that, what I didn’t expect or plan for was the cyclicality that even larger consulting firms experience. That becomes even more tangible as an independent consultant. I remember having pushed about 17 full-blown proposals one month which finally resulted in one project. I was drained at the end of that period. Another one of those proposals resulted in the client asking me to do a different project a couple of weeks later so I guess the ratio wasn’t that bad in the end; but even so, that specific time was rather daunting.What followed after was a period when I actually had to turn down work. It may seem like a great problem to have but still needs a well thought-through approach – think of a repeated game in game-theory. That’s definitely a major aspect that I’d underline – to be comfortable with the cyclicality of things. On a different note – I am really happy to have a talk about ups and downs with anyone who has questions. Absolutely, do reach out if you read this.

One main pro & one main con of freelance consulting?

Ohh, there are a lot of pros. The obvious ones are the flexibility and having the actual choice of really working on projects that one wants to work on. Financially it’s not too bad either. The cons are the uncertainty around what happens at the end of a project – but at least it’s in your own hands. And of course, not having an actual team of analysts help with proposals or critical deadlines. Overall, I think I work much longer hours than I was in any other previous role, but it feels very different. It’s all an investment into myself, so it’s much easier to do the late hours and the weekends. And of course, being occasionally able to ‘pull’ these hours from a beach or a pool is a big plus as well.

Would you consider going back to perm?

I wouldn’t exclude it completely but certainly not in the short-term. I am enjoying freelancing too much to commit to something full-time even though a role like that may exist somewhere. Maybe I would have given a different answer a couple of months back, but after one year, I’m looking at the whole game differently anyway. I’m not ‘just’ freelancing but building a consulting practice. Through the start-up work, I have access to a very strong network of designers, product managers, data scientists that could help me downstream, after an initial strategy piece. Certainly, that’s where I see this going. It’s very early days though so who knows how it evolves, but ideally, this is my permanent role.

Looking for a freelance opportunity?

Click here to have a look at our live jobs

Not a member yet?

Click here to create a free account

One of the key aims of MMO Freelance is to help our freelance members connect with each other. Through freelance events, guest blogs and personal introductions, we’re hoping to create a freelance network that is better connected and hopefully able to lend a helping hand to each other through project leads, introductions, or just a Friday beer.Here’s a guest blog from one of our freelance members – Matt, a formerLEK Consultant.Are you looking for a freelance opportunity as well?Click hereto browse all our live roles

Why did you decide to become a freelance consultant?

After working at LEK for more than 3 years, and spreading my time out across multiple offices and continents, I decided that it was time to get some new experiences outside the institutional consulting bubble. Although I hadn’t found a full-time role I was interested in committing to, I felt like the time was right to make a move. Freelancing seemed to be the sensible middle ground. It offered maximal flexibility, good money, and it gave me the luxury of time to decide the direction I wanted to go in.

What most surprised you?

About the change from perm to freelanceHow easy it was to make the move from full time to freelance. There are so many people who have done it before that are willing to give you guidance and there are many organisations out there to make your move easy and smooth. Movemeon was an incredible resource while I was making the transition, it gave me the confidence of knowing that there was ample work out there that would actually interest me.

What one thing would you really want to know?

If you were to just be considering the move to freelance consulting nowHow easy it is to make the move, and to escape the treadmill of a large consulting firm.I remember feeling the typical angst you associate with stepping into the unknown and leaving without another ‘real’ job. It seemed like a common story, being ready to move on but being afraid to take a leap of faith unless conditions were perfect. So just do it, if you are ready to leave, just leave. Take a break, pick up a few months of freelance work while you get some perspective on what you really want. You can always go back to full time consulting if things don’t work out in a way that sits right with you. It’s important to remember that you spend a majority of your time in the workplace and if you need a change, for whatever reason, it’s down to you to make it happen. Freelancing may seem daunting at first but with all the resources out there at your disposal, like movemeon, it’s really not as scary as you think.

Why did you go back to perm?

The right full-time role came around in a small healthcare company that I couldn’t turn down. It was offering me the opportunity to utilise the expertise I gained from my first career as a doctor with the skills I had learnt from consulting. If this specific role hadn’t come around, I think I would still be happily freelancing.

Looking for a freelance opportunity?

Click here to have a look at our live jobs

Not a member yet?

Click here to create a free account

Freelancers are happier, work fewer hours & are paid better

Since starting movemeon, we’ve noticed a trend of increasing interest in freelance consulting. In our first year of operating, just 20% of our members were interested in hearing about freelance roles. In the start of 2019, this has more than doubled to just under 50%.This increased interest has driven increased quality. There have been some, often well talked about, structural changes that have supported this:

• Acceptance of new ways of working, and a change in expectations that people show long-term loyalty to a company
• Increase in the number of people setting up their own businesses

However, in this article, we wanted to dig a bit deeper into why people were being increasingly drawn to freelancing.

Our survey

We run an annual compensation survey for consultants and alumni. After a number of requests for more transparency in the market, this was our first year in sending a separate survey to freelancers.The conclusions were stark:

1. Freelancers are happier at work
2. Freelancers are happier with their pay
3. Freelancers work fewer hours

1. Freelancers are happier at work

We asked ex-consultants in full-time and freelance roles, how satisfied they were with their jobs. Freelance consultants averaged at 7.5 out of 10; those in full-time roles just 6.9.Given the size of the sample, this is a huge difference, and allows the simple conclusion – freelancers enjoy work more.In terms of why this is, there have been a few trends in the responses we’ve received:

• Control over what work you do: you get to decide not only who your clients are, but also what projects you do
• Control over when you work: just as importantly, many have cited the ability to control when they work as a key driver of satisfaction; work can fit around you and your schedule
• Less admin/ bureaucracy: many have mentioned they can concentrate on their project work without the internal admin/ bureaucracy to navigate

2. Freelancers are happier with their compensation

Whilst the average happiness of compensation was below that of job satisfaction (it was ever thus!), there are still stark differences. People in full-time roles averaged 6.6 out of 10 for satisfaction with their compensation; freelancers were 7.2.Across our respondents, the average compensation received from freelancing in the year was £118k, however, this encompasses a broad range of annual compensations from £15k to £227k.Unsurprisingly, utilisation (number of days worked as a percentage of total working days in a year) was the main driver of the differences, with the following distribution:

• Lower quartile utilisation: 44% (110 days)
• Median utilisation: 64% (160 days)
• Upper quartile utilisation: 80% (200 days)

3. Freelancers work fewer hours

An additional factor in the satisfaction of both compensation and work is the average hours worked per week. Freelancers worked 20% fewer hours per working week than full-time employees: 41.2 vs 51.3 hours.Interestingly, respondents suggested this wasn’t the result of fewer hours on client sites; instead, it was a direct result of:

• Being closer to the end client and being more aware of the required deliverables (i.e., increase in effectiveness as you lose the layers of communication)
• Less admin than in larger businesses

It was likened, by a few, to “agile delivery”.

Why should employers be happy about this

In one word – quality.When you’re procuring consulting support, it’s because there is a large potential opportunity. The biggest determinant of how much of that opportunity is realised is the quality of the work.The structural changes mentioned in the introduction laid a great foundation for freelancing to be accepted as a career choice. However, the numbers in this article show why it’s being seen as such an attractive career choice: freedom, fairer compensation and a more balanced lifestyle.It’s these changes that are the driving force between the quality of freelance consultants that we’re seeing in the marketplace. Gone are the days where freelance offered an alternative for someone who had been “managed out” of consulting – the new breed of freelance consultants have made the active decision to be freelancers. Whether it’s a temporary choice (between roles; whilst starting a business up) is irrelevant; the more important fact is it’s seen as more prestigious and attractive as a career choice.Businesses are therefore increasingly able to hire consultants who have not only been trained up by top consultancies but are their top performers. All at a fraction (20-30%) of the cost they would have hired them through a consultancy.