It may be that you need to add a completely new section to the list. Hence the reason for displaying the matrix in individual sections for each topic area, so that it is as flexible as possible to accommodate your I.T. offerings.
Some items may appear in more than one list, such as "perl" which can be used for web based programming, or general "text" handling use, so you can rate your skills by context if you so wish. E.g. You may be a rating 4 for perl on text based applications, but using it for web based applications, not as proficient, therefore in this context you are a rating 3. In this way, you ave identified an area where you might want to expand your knowledge.
Please don't just include current skillsets, but skills you would wish to have in future or to work towards. Also, include any certifications you have, or would like to have. Feel free to include as little or as much information and I.T. related topics as you like. However, it is beneficial to add as much as possible.
We have provided a few examples, to start you off. These are only provided to guide you, and is not set in stone. There will be many I.T. technical or business skills not listed in this example matrix.
Once completed, please rate each subject according to the information provided below.
Each skill/certification area is rated by the following numbers:
5 = Expert in this skill
4 = Above average
3 = Average
2 = Further training required
1 = Aware of, or interested in this topic.
If you have no knowledge or skill or have no interest in an area you just leave the topic blank.
Office PC Skills |
| Topic | MS Excel | MS Word | MS Powerpoint | MS Project | MS Visio | MS Access | Lotus Notes |
| Rating 1 - 5 |
| Other |
|
| Rating 1-5 |
Programming - Web |
| Topic | Java | Javascript | HTML | PHP | Perl | ASP | Mysql |
| Rating 1 - 5 |
| Other |
|
| Rating 1-5 |
Programming - General |
| Topic | Java | MSDOS batch files | Unix shell scripting | Visual Basic | Perl | C++ | VB Macros |
| Rating 1 - 5 |
| Other |
|
| Rating 1-5 |
Soft Skills |
| Topic | Report writing | Time management | Presentaion | Project planning | Project management | Communication skills |
| Rating 1 - 5 |
| Other |
|
| Rating 1-5 |
Other areas to include could be:
Qualifications
Business skills
Database skills
Mentoring/Training skills
Specialist skills
Any other areas you feel are missing from this list, as long as they are related to I.T. in either a business, or a technical capacity.
What makes a good I.T. consultant?
The challenge quiz attempted to identify your motivations in becoming an I.T. consultant. Motivation is a quality which is required, but is of no use unless you have some kind of "expertise" to offer your clients. You should not try to take on tasks which are beyond your knowledge and experience. However, a good consultant will know how to obtain the expertise that they currently don't have, or sub-contract/delegate tasks to others due to time constraints.
It helps if you are a good negotiator, in order to gain business with clients, and to sub-contract some of the work to programmers and other consultants. There are pitfalls to involving other consultants though, as (obviously) you don't want to lose the business to a potential rival. The boundaries of any deal with clients and others who may be able to assist you in your work would need to be clearly defined at the outset.
Interpersonal skills and technical qualifications also come into play. However, knowledge of the business of I.T. consultancy is just as (if not more than) important than pieces of paper. The bottom line with I.T. consultancy is that you are providing "value for money", just as is the case with any other consultancy.
In this case value for money can mean a number of things:
- Increasing your clients profits
- Reducing expenses
- Boosting efficiency
- Increasing employee retention
- Solving communication problems
- Persuading employees who are resistant to change
- Reducing operational risk
This can be summed up in one word, "Credibility". To have credibility you will need, all or at least some, of the following factors. In order of importance these are:
1. Previous achievements., including case histories and testimonials.
2. Professional referees.
3. Skills you can demonstrate e.g. oracle programming or database design experience.
4. On the job training or experience.
5. Awards.
6. Certificates and licences.
7. Higher education.
It may be that you are just starting out from college and therefore you will not have all of these skills. However, if you are confident of your ability whereby you know more than your potential clients on a particular topic, and you can find enough of these types of client, you could always build up your reputation on a part time basis or start out with what you know. It may be that you can gain some experience in other I.T. jobs first, which is a topic we discuss later on in this introduction.
