4 ms·

Ask HN: Is consulting a safer career path than software engineering?

10 points by putnam 9y ago

narag 9y ago
What's the difference? Not trying to be sarcastic (I'm in my first direct contract in more than ten years) just
twobyfour 9y ago
Do you mean management consulting vs software engineering? Or do you mean working in software development as a consultant (contractor) rather than a full-time employee?
BjoernKW 9y ago
Consulting as in 'self-employed' in my opinion is a safer career path than becoming a full-time employee. If you're working full-time you only have one client. If you're self-employed you usually have multiple clients at a time, which mitigates risk. Moreover, if you work for somebody else part of that deal is that your employer gets to keep most of the value you create with your work in exchange for relative job security, benefits, social security etc. Software engineering as an industry is particularly amenable to becoming an entrepreneur and being self-employed because there's a lot less risk involved than in many other industries (less upfront investment required; huge, increasing demand for the foreseeable future). Therefore the traditional argument for working full-time in order to mitigate risk doesn't really hold for software engineering.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- juicyfroot 9y ago
  This. Get multiple sources of income: Real estate rentals, consulting, bitcoin mining, etc. Most people know me as a "software engineering consultant" but little do they know that my passion is being a landlord/real estate investor and counting money.
- bradknowles 9y ago
  It is vitally important to know yourself before making that kind of leap. Some people are really good at the technical stuff, but suck at the business side, and couldn’t keep a consulting company running profitably if their lives depended on it. Some people don’t want to spend eight-nine-ten-eleven-twelve-plus hours a day doing the “real” work, only to then need to spend another few to several hours a day doing all the schmoozing, business development, book-keeping, etc... that are necessary to running a successful consulting company. Some people don’t multi-task well, or even at all. These are all things you need to learn about yourself before you dive in headfirst in running your own consulting company.
  - BjoernKW 9y ago
    I agree that knowing yourself is essential before taking any big leap. In fact, knowing yourself is the foundation of anything in life. I'd say though that there's no better - perhaps even no other - way to learn these particular things than by doing them. So, if you absolutely hate networking, talking to people and the more technical stuff that comes with a business like bookkeeping then yes: Being a self-employed consultant probably isn't for you. On the other hand you might just think you hate these aspects of running a successful business because you never really did them yourself and only have a vague idea about them. Going down this path can be a great learning experience that can help you discover talents you didn't know you had. I think people tend to underestimate what they're capable of, which often is especially true for technical types when it comes to anything related to human communication. I've seen quite few self-proclaimed introverts and "I just want to code." people become great presenters and teachers. Being an employee is something of a default case so many settle for that. Perhaps that's the 'reasonable' thing to do, especially when you're starting out and need to learn anything at all (including the skills you might later be selling as consulting services). It needn't be the end goal, though.
    - bradknowles 9y ago
      Agreed, these are things you need to learn about yourself, and really the only way to do that is to try it firsthand. Been there, done that. Hence the response to which you replied. ;)
bradknowles 9y ago
I’m a consultant. I do software engineering. I don’t see how these are two different things.
- suckboi 9y ago
  yea. The question kinda sucks but I sure could use front end software job in Chicago. I'd be perfect for a place that could let me grow... let me blossom... let me M A K E

10 points by putnam 9y ago

What's the difference? Not trying to be sarcastic (I'm in my first direct contract in more than ten years) just

Do you mean management consulting vs software engineering? Or do you mean working in software development as a consultant (contractor) rather than a full-time employee?

BjoernKW 9y ago

Consulting as in 'self-employed' in my opinion is a safer career path than becoming a full-time employee. If you're working full-time you only have one client. If you're self-employed you usually have multiple clients at a time, which mitigates risk. Moreover, if you work for somebody else part of that deal is that your employer gets to keep most of the value you create with your work in exchange for relative job security, benefits, social security etc. Software engineering as an industry is particularly amenable to becoming an entrepreneur and being self-employed because there's a lot less risk involved than in many other industries (less upfront investment required; huge, increasing demand for the foreseeable future). Therefore the traditional argument for working full-time in order to mitigate risk doesn't really hold for software engineering.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
juicyfroot 9y ago
This. Get multiple sources of income: Real estate rentals, consulting, bitcoin mining, etc. Most people know me as a "software engineering consultant" but little do they know that my passion is being a landlord/real estate investor and counting money.
bradknowles 9y ago
It is vitally important to know yourself before making that kind of leap. Some people are really good at the technical stuff, but suck at the business side, and couldn’t keep a consulting company running profitably if their lives depended on it. Some people don’t want to spend eight-nine-ten-eleven-twelve-plus hours a day doing the “real” work, only to then need to spend another few to several hours a day doing all the schmoozing, business development, book-keeping, etc... that are necessary to running a successful consulting company. Some people don’t multi-task well, or even at all. These are all things you need to learn about yourself before you dive in headfirst in running your own consulting company.
- BjoernKW 9y ago
  I agree that knowing yourself is essential before taking any big leap. In fact, knowing yourself is the foundation of anything in life. I'd say though that there's no better - perhaps even no other - way to learn these particular things than by doing them. So, if you absolutely hate networking, talking to people and the more technical stuff that comes with a business like bookkeeping then yes: Being a self-employed consultant probably isn't for you. On the other hand you might just think you hate these aspects of running a successful business because you never really did them yourself and only have a vague idea about them. Going down this path can be a great learning experience that can help you discover talents you didn't know you had. I think people tend to underestimate what they're capable of, which often is especially true for technical types when it comes to anything related to human communication. I've seen quite few self-proclaimed introverts and "I just want to code." people become great presenters and teachers. Being an employee is something of a default case so many settle for that. Perhaps that's the 'reasonable' thing to do, especially when you're starting out and need to learn anything at all (including the skills you might later be selling as consulting services). It needn't be the end goal, though.
  - bradknowles 9y ago
    Agreed, these are things you need to learn about yourself, and really the only way to do that is to try it firsthand. Been there, done that. Hence the response to which you replied. ;)

bradknowles 9y ago

I’m a consultant. I do software engineering. I don’t see how these are two different things.

suckboi 9y ago
yea. The question kinda sucks but I sure could use front end software job in Chicago. I'd be perfect for a place that could let me grow... let me blossom... let me M A K E