Message-ID: <35F4479D.976A5282@seaport.com> Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 13:52:45 -0700 From: William Hall <mailto:whall@SEAPORT.COM> Subject: Re: Advice on finding consultancy work To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
Dear Mr. Hopkins:As a consultant myself (in transportation), I have several thoughts.
First, it seems you are doing the right thing in keeping active professionally - the only thing it appears you lack is recent international experience. But keeping up professionally is the most important thing.
Second, have you approached the private sector? I am thinking of multinational firms with training requirements - new plant startups, transport and energy facility privatizations, and similar. You might try transport, oil, chemical and mining firms, as well as the large engineering companies that often manage such projects. Banks and financial firms might also be candidates. Marketing yourself in this environment is less straightforward than in the public sector. There may not be formal proposals or announcements of upcoming assignments. It can also be very difficult to find the officer in charge of hiring. But once in the door, you may well find the private sector less bureaucratic - once they know you and value your work, a phone call can lead directly to an assignment.
Third, you might find other individuals with your background and form some kind of partnership to scout for projects and share the resulting work. If you do this, your own assignments may be small, especially in the beginning, but at least you will get some exposure. And there is no substitute for the ideas that result from a collaborative effort - far better than to practice ones profession alone.
Finally, it will always be a bumpy road, no matter how much experience you have. Don't get discouraged. You have to love it. Consulting by its nature will always have periods of inactivity and frustration, regardless of the image some consultants will try to project. Just ask my wife!
Cheers,
Bill Hall -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- William J. Hall [mailto:whall@seaport.com] Seaport Consultants, Inc. 22515 91st Avenue West, Edmonds, WA, USA 98026 Tel: (425) 672-9020, Fax: (425) 672-8657 http://www.seaport.com Specialist consultants in the port and intermodal industries -----------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan Hopkins wrote:
> This is a request for some advice on how to get back in to the development
> field professionally. I am currently a training consultant based in the
> United Kingdom.
>
> I spent five years working in the Sudan and the Gambia on educational
> projects between 1977 and 1984, and during that time also acquired an M.Sc.
> in development and technology from the University of London. I then decided
> to spend some time developing some specific professional expertise, and am
> now a skilled training consultant, specialising in training needs analyses
> and the development of distance learning solutions. I have also published a
> book on designing information for intranets.
>
> Now that I have acquired this expertise I would like to find some short term
> assignments in the LDCs where my skills would be of value, but I am coming
> up against the old problem of not having enough perceived recent overseas
> experience. I would value any suggestions as to what I could do to get
> started again in the development field, so if anyone has any ideas or would
> like to know more about what I can do, please get in touch.
>
> Bryan Hopkins