As the year nears its end, some of you may already have secured a consultant role for next year, while others are still in pursuit, and many more of you will have additional training ahead before you can step up. Regardless of where you are on this journey, now is the perfect time to start to consider how private consulting might integrate into your overall portfolio of work – and your life.

To make this planning more manageable, it helps to consider your short-term and long-term goals. Your career as a junior consultant might look very different from the consultant you envision yourself being 10 years from now. Here are a few key questions to help guide your reflections:

• What percentage of my work will private practice comprise (number of sessions)? Break this down into time periods i.e. first three years, the next three years and so on.
   
• What other roles, paid or unpaid, do I want to pursue and how many sessions will I dedicate to each of these? Again, consider how this evolves over time. Keep in mind that new opportunities or interests might emerge as your career progresses.
   
• What other life commitments or personal plans should I factor in? Ensuring your career aligns with your broader life goals is crucial for long-term fulfillment.

Once you have reflected on these aspects, it is time to develop actionable steps to achieve these goals. This is a process that requires deep thought and ongoing planning to ensure you are positioned to pursue a path that suits both your professional and personal aspirations

If you missed Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, we encourage you to revisit them as you begin planning. Additionally, it is important to remain flexible - having a Plan A, Plan B, and even a Plan C will help you stay on track, even if your circumstances change.

We will dive deeper into this decision-making process in the next few ‘Stepping up to Consultant’ resources. If there are any specific topics you would like us to cover, please reach out at [email protected].