Other Opportunities

Career transition what does it mean for you? Since 2011 I have been amazed at the extraordinarily high percentage of people seeking employment in the same employment sector, with the same job description at the same level. The majority have had the same job for many years, usually with the same level of remuneration and little thought about whether they even like their job. Their career has been like a train journey on the same track, waiting for the next monthly salary payment, without consideration to investigate opportunities. Redundancy is often the first occasion to evaluate their career, work-to-home life mix, and whether they even like the job they do. 

Franchising
Some people recognise that the time has arrived to make a change but have little thought about how to start and what the opportunities are. Some refer to their lack of all-round knowledge and understanding but want to have their own business. What can they do and where can they begin? Franchising can be the solution, a business that is already established with an operating system and an entire successful business model in place. The franchise business is still relatively new to the UK and not as big as in North America and Australia where prime-time television includes programmes about franchising opportunities and businesses such as Undercover Boss. You buy the rights to run the business using the corporate identity, model, and processes and pay a turnover/profit levy to the franchisor who provides the training and support to run the business. The UK franchise market is unregulated, and you need to be thorough in your research with realistic expectations and above all obtain legal advice with a practice experienced in the franchise market. The large high street banks can also provide information and advice as well as loan funding. Start with the British Franchise Association and consider attending one of their courses before making any other decisions about franchising. Visit thebf.or 

Self-employment
Throughout your career, you will have often sighed or spoken in frustration “Why like that when it could be like this?” This statement demonstrates the strength of your knowledge and understanding and recognition that it could be better. There a very few unique new ideas but if you can do something, cheaper, better, and more profitable you have every chance to succeed in doing exactly that with your own business. Is self-employment an opportunity for you and what would it entail if you decided to give it a try? 

Consultancy
What about providing your services as a consultant? Consultants offer expert research, solutions, and experience to improve business performance. They are problem-solvers who go into a business to offer objective insights and help put suggested strategies into place.  

Have you got what it takes to become a consultant?  

• Do you have a well-developed network?  
• Are you self-directed?  
• Do you have an impressive portfolio filled with client success stories? 

If the answers are yes, then you might be ready for this career transition.

Consultants are hired to provide expert research, solutions, and experience to improve business performance. They are problem-solvers who go into a business to offer objective insights and help put suggested strategies into place. 

Depending on client needs, the consultant may simply be there to share knowledge, information, and advice as the organisation implements changes as a result of the consultant’s guidance. 

In other situations, the consultant could be delivering implementation directly. The consultant must be able to successfully: 

• Work with stakeholders to set goals for the relationship. 
• Learn the existing processes and systems in an organisation. 
• Perform analysis and diagnose issues. 
• Translate data into concrete action items. 
• Communicate effectively to multiple stakeholders. 
• Oversee and track results.
• Demonstrate their impact. 

You will need to demonstrate: 

• Strong verbal and written skills 
• Leadership 
• Critical and analytical thinking 
• Excellent organisational skills 
• Flexibility
• Self-motivation 
• Soft skills particularly people, management, and communications 

Consultants are usually highly experienced and educated often with an MBA to supplement their business knowledge. However, the decision to use a consultant usually comes down to what the organization needs and how well you can sell your offer as a consultant. 

Postgraduate Masters courses such as Management Consultancy and Organisational Change from Birkbeck University of London (https://www.bbk.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/management-consultancy-and-organisational-change) and Management and Consultancy from Manchester Metropolitan University (https://www.mmu.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/course/msc-management-and-consultancy) are becoming increasingly recognised as a good starting point for those wanting to follow this career path. 

Certification programs also exist, but as with Master’s degrees, are not essential. You can find details about Certified Management Consultants at https://www.cmc-global.org/content/cmc and Project Management Professionals (PMP) at https://www.pmi.org/certifications/project-management-pmp  

Where to start 

• Identify your area of expertise 
• Choose your target market
• Decide your geographical area of work 
• Create your business offer 
• Set your rates 
• Set your SMART goals 
• Get yourself a website to promote your services 
• Start promoting yourself and get business networking
• Create a repeat process to attract and secure clients

A good business accountancy practice will be able to help you with your business offer, rates, and SMART goals as well as provide advice about the market for your services, how and where to promote yourself, and the effective business networking groups operating in your area. 

Interim management
Maybe you’re looking for a stopgap opportunity? Interim Management could be that stopgap or a career opportunity. You’ll usually be heavily overqualified and experienced in the role and able to come in, above politics, to deliver a task in a short time frame and then move on to the next interim management role.  

Start with a visit to the Institute of Interim Management (IIM) www.ii.org.uk and download a copy of their most recent Interim Management Survey. This includes graphical and contextual analysis of each element in the following sections enabling the reader to interpret the collective findings for themselves:  

• About You – The Interim Executive  
• About the Market  
• About the Economic Climate  
• About IR35  
• Your Last Assignment and the Market
• About the Interim Service Providers  

And finally, detailed information, including winners’ details, website links, etc., for the four tiers of Interim Service Provider (ISP) Rankings and Top Individual Consultants:  

• The IIM Interim Service Provider Rankings 

Then speak with them about the subject and their introductory seminar for Early Interim Managers.  

Your next stop is The Interim Management Association (IMA), (www.interim-management-purchasing.co.uk) a trade association of  service providers/recruitment agencies specialising in the provision of interim managers. It is a specialist sector group of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). This is where you will find the people and organisations that will help you find your clients. 

Interim Management is not for everyone, but many have found it a stop-gap when needed whilst others have adopted it as their career choice, appreciating the periodic working and freedom that comes with it.