I have certainly seen it happen, and I understand the skepticism.  I have had every possible range of experience working with consultants, from the very good to the very bad to the simply mediocre and useless.

Why use consultants?

A recent (September 2010) CASE article by Andrea Jarrell called “Help Wanted: Making the most of consultant expertise” identifies the following factors to help universities (or any organisation, really) identify when they might need a consultant:

Four factors generally cause institutions to seek outside expertise: scope, know-how, objectivity, and politics.  The first two are fairly obvious: Is the job simply too big for campus professionals to handle in addition to their regular responsibilities? Is the expertise required to accomplish your goals lacking on campus? If the answer is yes to one or both of these questions, you need help from a consultant. Even if you have the time and expertise on campus to handle the proposed project, you may need the objectivity of outside counsel to ensure success.

I recently helped co-ordinate the work of a branding agency to help Wales’ newest university re-name and re-brand, and despite expected complaints from some at how much was spent developing a “logo,” I know first-hand how much work was involved from the research and benchmarking stages through to the advocacy and lobbying and internal communications and then the part that everyone sees – the brand identity.  It didn’t go perfectly, and everyone learned from the process, which is to be expected.  But I also know for a fact there is absolutely no way either I or my team or even a working group of academic and administrative professionals could have achieved the necessary output without professional assistance, for all the reasons listed in the article above.

Working expectations – beyond the “brief”

And now I’ve moved from briefing and coordinating the work of consultants to being one myself. Reflecting on my experience, I think the key to a successful working relationship is to spent the time at the outset agreeing the terms of the arrangement.  And by this I don’t simply mean the contract and what constitutes breaches, setting deadlines, etc.  But rather a very frank discussion about working styles and expectations. As one of my favourite teachers used to say, “you can’t staple your head to the paper.”  Meaning, it may all be “up there” but if you don’t spell it out, how can anyone possibly know what you mean?

So talk about preferences – email vs. phone vs. chat; experience managing these types of projects (on the client side) – do they need help and guidance?; pros and cons of being fully involved in each stage of the project; time commitments and availability; learning/thinking/feedback styles – do you go with your gut or do you like to digest and think about it first? And so on…this can take place before the contract is awarded even, so that both parties clearly understand what they’re getting into.

I find it strange that so much time is spent hiring permanent or even contract staff in terms of the application process and interviews, trying to figure out if the person is the right “fit” for the organisation, but the same types of consideration aren’t part of the equation in hiring a consultant.  It’s understandable, but I think both the client and the consultant would benefit from similar discussions so that the decision isn’t simply based on previous experience/recommendations or cost/benefit but rather on the interpersonal relationship the partnership brings to the team.

The (near) future of consulting

It’s a tough time to try to work with universities – with massive budget cuts, it’s hard to imagine that financial resources will be made available for consultancy-based projects. However, with the increasing competitiveness and need to source and develop additional revenue streams, given the above criteria, hiring consultants and interim managers is a logical stop-gap measure when longer-term funding is unknown. The options are endless too – it’s no longer just a matter of having someone come in and do a bit of research and leave you with a 100+ page report for you to read and implement (although if that’s all you’re after…!) but rather consultants can be used in house where staffing gaps might exist or to implement particular projects or to train staff on new ways of working – or all of the above!

The right partner can be worth their weight in gold if used effectively, particularly if flexible and as committed to the success of your organisation as you are. In this way, you are not chained to them if it’s not working, but if it is – the link is solid, and they don’t just walk away at the end of the project with no concern for the effectiveness of the implementation of their recommendations and ideas.

In my experience, however, a degree is very helpful to working in HE, for several reasons.

1) It shows you have an interest in, and an aptitude for, the central service/product on offer by the university or college you are applying to – education is at the core of their business and their values, and you would be best placed if you can demonstrate the role it has had in your life as well.

2) Higher education is an increasingly complex and dynamic industry, and advanced studies lend themselves to the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are valued in that kind of environment.  Having a degree doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be a flexible, adaptable, pro-active employee, but it may show that you have a pre-disposition towards this.

3) Working with others who have advanced degrees and/or who are at the top of their field – you won’t automatically be able to get the respect you deserve from a fellow staff member just because you’ve got some letters behind your name, but when you’re working in a place that places a great deal of importance on teaching and research, you may find it easier if you know your quantitative from qualitative evidence, and are able to demonstrate this tangibly not only from your professional working history, but also from having taken appropriate courses at some stage in your career.

All of this will of course depend to a certain extent the role that you have as well as your relationship with your peers and of course the institutional culture where you work.  But in my experience, you will likely find it easier to get settled in a new role if you have had some prior experience of university-level study and how a university organizes itself.  And certainly as a hiring manager, with all else being equal, I would certainly prioritise an applicant or a candidate for promotion who showed a continuing interest in their own personal and/or professional education, and would certainly encourage him or her to take courses at the institution.

Another option to consider is joining professional networks and memberships.  Most professionals working in higher education (on either the academic or administrative side) hold multiple memberships of relevant professional organisations, which are also selective and often also require studies at an appropriate level in order to gain membership.

There may be a “degree” of academic snobbery at work here, in that members of the academy expect that others in the organisation should have achieved a similar standard of education. But when you think about it in terms of an institution’s brand values and mission in society, what does it say if they conclude a degree isn’t important to success?

1)      I want to change jobs because I can’t stand my manager: Even if this is true, you should never ever badmouth your current employer/manager/colleagues in an interview, no matter how right you can be feeling this way. Your prospective employers just don’t want to know about it and are likely to think that it’s you who is the trouble-maker and the problematic employee.

2)      I’m interested in this position because the money is good: Certainly, when deciding to apply for a new role, the money it pays is something you have considered. But this is different to admitting that money is your sole motivation for wanting this job – not the challenge of it, not the career development, not the good prospects, just money. If you say this, your prospective employers will think that you may leave them as soon as a better financial opportunity arises.

3)      I want to relocate to be with my boyfriend/girlfriend: Although I have heard of cases in which the candidate got the job even after such a response, it’s better not to risk giving it. If your assessors are more conservative, they may reject you for an answer like this, as they may think that you’re only interested in the job because it will help you be in the same city as your partner.

4)      I want the job because I like dealing with people: This must be by far the most commonplace answer given in interviews, as well as the most content-insignificant. Working for a University (and for most organisations), you do deal with people on a frequent basis, so that’s taken for granted. Beyond that, your prospective managers will want to hear more about what motivated you to apply, what your career aspirations are and how you see yourself within the role and the organization.

It goes without saying that each one of us has different resolutions in mind, but here are some of the most common ones and some tips to make them work.

Resolution #1: Find a new job – if this is your goal for the new year, make sure you keep a constant eye on print and online job adverts, network as much as you can and make your entourage aware that you’re looking for a new job. All these may give you good leads. Once you find the positions you’re interested in, make sure your applications are tailored to each specific one and that they clearly demonstrate what benefits you can bring to the organizations you’re applying to.

Resolution #2: Get a promotion – you will first need to talk to your managers and find out what their plans are for promotions or new positions that are of a higher level than yours, which you may be suitable to apply for. Make them aware that you are eager for progression and development and work hard to prove to them that you’re worth considering for a promotion. How? There are lots of ways but generally speaking, showing willingness and flexibility, approaching your work with interest, working towards achieving better results and grasping any opportunity for training and development should communicate your message.

Resolution #3: Stay unaffected by the any job cuts: In such tough times for higher education, your goals may be more realistic, such as to simply keep your job. Although redundancies can affect anyone at any time without necessarily meaning that the persons affected were not good in their job, try to follow the tips in resolution #2. They will help you stand out as an invaluable employee and your managers will think twice about letting you go if they have to face the dilemma.

1)      Relevance to your experience or background: Although the UK higher education industry is generally more open than other industries to diverse work profiles, you still stand a better chance of being successful if the job spec fits your professional background.

2)      Relevance to your professional goals: Especially if you’re looking at new positions to apply to as a way to help you go further and develop your career, this is very critical. You need to make sure that you apply to those posts that will help take this next step and go where you aim to go.

3)      Levels of enthusiasm about the post: If your feelings about an advertised job are moderate, then it may be better to re-think about it. Although you may not realize, your enthusiasm (or lack of) will reflect through your application and your writing style, so a moderately or fakely enthusiastic application will probably be rejected in favour of the more genuine ones. So why waste your time in the first place?

4)      The actual job spec: It may sound odd, but lots of people don’t look through the job description before making an application. Make sure you do read through it carefully and thoroughly as it’s this description that will tell you what you can expect to do on a daily basis. If the description fits what you had in mind as a satisfactory role, then go ahead. If not, don’t bother, as you’ll quickly become miserable even if you are offered the position.

5)      The organization advertising the post: Make sure you do want to work for the organization concerned, or that you do want to try and see how it is. In other words, if you have positive feelings about your prospective employer, it’s probably worth trying. If for any reason you have doubts or concerns, then maybe you should think twice before applying.

6)      The commute: How far away is the organization from your home? How far away are you prepared to travel and how would you commute on a daily basis? Would you have to drive there or is it accessible by public transport? Would your daily commute be easy / tolerable for you or would it quickly turn into a daily nightmare? The final choice is always personal, but as general advice, try to apply to places that are no farther than an hour away either by car or by public transport, or it may become too tiring after a while.

Why move internally?

Here are the best reasons for you to consider applying for an internal vacancy in your institution, as opposed to joining a new institution.

1)      Familiar environment: If you’re afraid of changing environments, then moving to another department in the same institution will solve this problem for you. You won’t have to change your commute, your daily routine or your familiar surroundings, and you will still know a lot of the people you will be meeting on a daily basis.

2)      Less competition: Positions advertised internally are not available to the general public, which greatly eliminates competition to just a few applicants. While externally advertised positions tend to attract between 30 and 60 applications per post, internal positions normally attract much lower interest – in some cases no more than 2 to 3 applicants. If you also consider that not every applicant may be well suited for the position, you can see how your chances of being offered the post are very much boosted.

3)      Known competitors: One of the most stressful parts of a selection process is knowing that, no matter how good a candidate you are and how well you are prepared, there’s always a good chance that someone may come across as even stronger. When applying for an internal vacancy, it’s likely that you may actually know who else in the institution is going for the position, which will give you the rare chance to prepare for the interview knowing your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.

4)      It’s still a change: You may stay within the same institution, but you will also get the change you were looking for. You will still move into a different department, meet new people, find yourself with new work conditions and policies, and possibly the challenge of a different work subject.

So, are you still thinking about it?

Here are a few tips to do well:

1)      Focus on delivering results: As mentioned above, the situations you are given to face as part of the role playing task may be purposefully exaggerated, in order to add to the tension you are already feeling. Your assessors will add difficulties as they will want to see how easily you give up, so prove them wrong. Never give up and try to find ways to resolve the situation no matter how difficult it is. Your aim should be for the difficult “client”, “colleague” or “manager” to feel satisfied.

2)      Keep calm: Role playing can indeed be quite nerve-wracking, but don’t give in. Stay calm and keep your composure even in a challenging scenario. If you break down and let your stress and/or discomfort show, this can be as serious as to disqualify you for the position, as your assessors will get the impression that you can’t stand pressure.

3)      Never lose your temper: Another challenge of a role playing exercise is that it can make you lose your temper. Especially if someone is yelling at you throwing offenses, it can be quite tough not to return the bad behaviour. But don’t fall in this trap. It is just role playing after all. If you can’t keep your composure in what you know is a staged task, then your assessor will have every right to think that you can be ten times worse if something similar happens in real life.

4)      Mind your body language: Just like in an interview, your body language in the role playing will matter. Keep good eye contact, maintain a confident body position, avoid fidgeting or showing nervousness, and remember to smile when appropriate. This will help you come across as a positive and suitable candidate.

A few tips to do well:

1)      Keep a balance: What the assessors are looking for in a group exercise may vary according to the position you are being assessed for. If you are applying for a managerial position, for example, it’s much more likely that they’ll be looking for good leadership and persuasion skills. In any case though, don’t overdo it with either dominating the conversation or sitting back and letting others take over, as it’s the balance between the two behaviour types that is usually sought.

2)      Contribute to the task: Make sure your contributions are of substance. If you speak just to be heard speaking without saying anything that will help the task go forward, your assessors will quickly pick up on that. And guess what – it will count against you. So make sure you pay attention to the conversation, and that you voice your opinions or critique clearly - ideally, backed up with evidence.

3)      Show team spirit: This means, show some basic courtesy – don’t interrupt others when they speak, don’t raise your voice even you disagree with something, don’t over-dominate the discussion, and do bring other members of the group to the conversation. It’s also essential that you listen to what other people have to say and that you show interest.

4)      Don’t lose your temper if others do: There is always a possibility that things can go wrong. One of the big challenges of bringing together a group of people who have never met before and who may even be competing for the same position, is that someone becomes impatient, angry or even verbally attacks other members of the group. Don’t fall in this trap as you’ll be automatically eliminated. If the fight doesn’t involve you, don’t take sides, but it may be a good idea to calmly remind to the group that fighting isn’t going to help the task and encourage them to move on. If the attack is against you, things are more complicated. Still, do try to remain calm, don’t argue with the person who’s insulting you and remind them that you’d rather get on with the exercise than fight.

5)       Choose an active role: Surveys have shown that people who choose the role of time-keeper or note-keeper in a group exercise, are less likely to be hired because they tend to become over-consumed with the task they’ve given themselves and forget to contribute to the exercise itself. While this is certainly not the case all the time, being active in the group is a tip to keep in mind.

Here are some tips:

1)      Be yourself:  Don’t try to guess what your assessors are looking for, because you might be surprised. Don’t try to give them what you think they want because your guesstimate may prove to be wrong. Be true to what you would have done in a similar situation in real life – that’s what your assessors will want to see.

2)      Try to finish the task: Part of the in-tray’s purpose is to put the candidate under time pressure. Failing to complete the task will show that pressure is a factor that can impact on your performance, which may even cost you the job.

3)      Use common sense: When completing the task, you will find out that some of the supposedly urgent matters are not that urgent at all. If you fall into the trap of prioritizing an email whose content is not really urgent, just because the message is marked as such, this will definitely count against you. So use your common sense and only give priority to those truly urgent messages.

4)      Get into the role: The in-tray task may not reflect the actual position you are applying for. Instead, it may ask you to pretend you are someone else – usually a senior level decision maker – for the purpose of the exercise. Make sure you get into the role’s shoes and use your best judgement to respond as if you truly were this imaginary person.

The purpose of the written task is not to assess how well you can write. Written tasks are designed to test your ability to act under pressure and turn out good results within a limited timeline. It is very likely that the written task will represent a challenge taken from the world of work, such as responding to a complaint email, and that you will be asked to complete it within ten minutes or so, to add pressure to it.

Here are some tips to do well:

1)      Don’t panic: As mentioned above, the real purpose of a written task is for your assessors to see how you can perform under pressure. So you need to show them that you can keep your composure and respond to challenges quickly and efficiently.

2)      Plan your time: This may sound silly if you are only given 10 or 15 minutes to complete the task, but is still necessary nonetheless. You need to allow yourself a couple of minutes to think, then a few minutes to write your task, and another couple of minutes in the end to check your grammar and spelling.

3)      Always check for mistakes: You may be pressed for time, but this can’t be an excuse for you to turn in a text that is full of mistakes and spelling errors. As said in tip number 2, plan to spend a couple of minutes in the end doing that.

4)      Don’t write an essay: This is not the purpose of the written task and certainly not what your assessors are looking for. Writing a super long text is likely to put you in trouble finishing in time, let alone checking your work at the end. Aim for a text that is comprehensive and consistent, and that offers a substantial solution to the problem presented in the task. A half-page long answer is more than enough and perfectly acceptable.

5)      Go the extra mile:  When writing the task itself, don’t just answer the question. Try to go this extra mile to satisfy your imaginary client, student, professor, or whoever else the written task is about. Show your assessors that you also care about the quality of service and the satisfaction of the person concerned. This will earn you extra credit.