A good consultant is a skillful, intuitive communicator with a wide vocabulary. They know when and how to bring a complementary tone to a customer's environment, and they can communicate their experience through a variety of media. As oral communicators, they are effective presenters able to state points clearly and concisely. Working as a personnel consultant involves tight deadlines and a heavy workload.
Successful consultants know this and have mastered the art of balancing hard work with downtime. That means you're not afraid to work hard, but you also know when it's time to take a step back. Success in the consulting industry is about demonstrating value and reliability. That means that you'll have to make sure that you comply with all the agreements you reach and meet the deadlines.
If you say you're going to attend a meeting, introduce yourself: responsibility goes a long way to building trust. Great consultants adapt easily to new projects, work cultures and colleagues. They come in, fit in and do their job. Their social skills and technical experience allow them to assume their functions quickly and easily.
The first thing that comes to most people's minds about consultants is that they have deep knowledge. They know your industry and area of expertise inside and out. But knowing a topic doesn't necessarily mean being able to share that knowledge and, more importantly, apply it to solve problems.
