5 personality traits that characterize the good consultant

As a freelance IT consultant, you operate in a world that is ever-changing and always challenging. You have to be of a special breed to achieve success, and even though there is no fixed formula for successful consultants, there are however some characteristic personality traits that are prevalent in the best consultants. Here we present some of the key personality traits that characterize a good freelance IT consultant.

You are self-contained

When you start in a new organization, as a consultant, your charisma has a great influence on how well you will get off to a good start in the organization. If you radiate self-confidence - knowing who you are, and what you stand for – both personally and professionally, people tend to get more easily drawn towards you. Furthermore, when you are self-contained, people are more inclined to see you as a sparring partner because of your soothing presence and calmness that surrounds you and your work. Part of this quality is also knowing when it is necessary to step in and when it is not.

You show commitment

You are dedicated to what you do, and you have a positive and communicable attitude towards the challenges that you and your colleagues face. Your passion for your craft and the project you have taken on is undeniable. And you are not afraid to show your commitment throughout the whole process – from the preliminary interview until the end of your project.

Your unmistakable engagement affects the people you work with, and it advances both the cooperation, but also the energy. You have a ‘can-do’- attitude which gives the client comfort in knowing that you have the competences and ability to reach the target.

You are self-aware and have self-insight

Most people who are self-contained also tend to have a great amount of self-awareness and self-insight. These are important qualities for a freelance IT consultant, as it is important that you are confident and know your limitations, but also honest and open about these.

Thus, you know exactly what your strongest sides are, and you manage to properly bring them out. On the contrary to this, you also know and are able to compensate for your weaker sides, while also able, to be honest about them. As a good freelance consultant, you are complacent in a humble way and you give a clear impression of what your key competences are, and how you can bring value to the client.

You are good at matching expectations

During the process of searching for a job to starting one, there will be several times where you will need to adjust expectations. Therefore, you know when to adjust both your own expectations but also the client’s or the supplier of consultants’. If you manage to match expectations throughout the whole process, you are then more easily able to avoid possible conflicts. A good consultant is also characterized by the ability to efficiently manage these situations.

You are professional

Naturally, professionalism is also characteristic of good freelance consultants. You are a professional from A-Z in your work. You familiarize yourself with things both before the consultant-interview, but also before starting a new assignment. You put the client’s needs ahead of your own, and you know that your job, first and foremost is to create value for the client.

Furthermore, being professional also entails treating your team members as equals and not talking bad about others. You follow through, you do as you say, and you are able to handle criticism. You know how to juggle the many different roles of the job, so you can leave the best possible impression.