Independent Consultants: A liberating career or riddled with job insecurity?

Being able to secure a well-paying full-time job right after completing university is considered a sign of success, especially given the hypercompetitive nature of the job market. Moreover, full-time employment is synonymous with security and can also come with added benefits in the form of paid sick and maternity leaves, pension and provident fund facilities. 

However, Azmina Azad Rede was never a fan of a strictly scheduled work life which comes with full employment. It can consume up to 10 to 12 hours of your day. In 2018, she decided to leave the stability of her full-time job to start her career as an independent consultant, as a Data Analyst and Project Manager. She even risked being unemployed for a while with no source of income. 

While most of our parents and well-wishers would strongly advise against pursuing such an endeavour, Azmeena's career seemed to have turned out just fine. As of today, she has been working as an independent consultant for almost five years. She has worked with many local and international organisations. 

What sets independent consultants apart from permanent employees is that independent consultants can be hired contractually for short or long-term projects, and will still hold a lot of freedom over their workflow. While consultancy is sometimes seen as synonymous with freelancing, independent consultancy allows one the opportunity to take up comparatively longer projects while remaining self-employed. 

Being able to successfully establish a career in independent consultancy allows you to break away from the rigid routine of conventional jobs while being paid handsomely; it is almost too good to be true. But there are two sides to every coin. 

Allows you a flexible routine

Raisa Shamma, a consultant Research Assistant for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Tanjim-ul-Islam, a research associate at a2i and former independent consultant, have one thing in common: both individuals were on the path of completing their Master's degree while working as consultants. 

Raisa mentions how beneficial it has been working as a consultant while also being a full-time student, "It has given me the required flexibility to work remotely when I needed to. As for my thesis, I would usually have to spend a large chunk of the 9-5 working hours with my university supervisor." 

In a conventional job, she would have been bound to her set hours which could have made it hard to balance her student life and professional life. In a more rigid work culture, as is in offices, getting extended time off or asking for flexible timings is not quite part of the norm. 

Tanjim was allowed flexibility. While working as an independent consultant for the World Food Programme, his supervisors, Dr Shahadat Hossain Siddiquee and Dr Zulkarin Jahangir, had allowed him time off during his Master's exams and for his preparation for GRE. 

"Education is a big part of my life as a student, and I would be allowed off work for a month during my exams. My peers would not be able to get as many days off," explained Tanjim. 

Financial security can be a bit tricky

Even though Azmina has been working as an independent consultant for almost five years, in the beginning, she also remained unemployed for some time. Financial security is one of the most important factors that both make this career enticing and can hold people back. 

Generally, the income is a drastic bump up from a conventional job, especially if you are looking for projects in the right places.

As Azmina explained, "The income generated from this career stream is undoubtedly higher when compared to what is paid to full-time job holders by many organisations. I have started earning three times the amount I have earned from my full-time job on the first consultancy work I had landed."

Working as an independent consultant opens up work opportunities at foreign organisations, which Tanjim claims, usually have a better pay structure. 

However, it has its flaws as well. There is a certain amount of luxury or stability required to enter the field in the first place. Similar to a business, you do not see the results of your investment immediately. For independent consultants, this comes in the form of periods of unemployment, which the individual must be prepared for. 

"You may be earning an impressive amount for six months out of a project, but can remain unemployed for the next six," said Azmina.

Furthermore, depending on the employer and terms, it might be hard to rely on it as a stable source of income as the payment might depend on the employer's approval or the rate of the workflow. 

"In independent consultancy, you have to wait for approval after submitting work and then receive payment, which can lead to delays. It is not one's sole source of income even for faculties involved in project work in universities," said Tanjim.

The career is not as risky as it seems

Working as an independent consultant means that you have to give in to the risk of instability. One of the prominent disadvantages of being self-employed is the bouts of unemployment where income ceases. 

While that is true, it does not have to be a dealbreaker. The more jobs one takes up, the better one establishes themselves. Being a contractual worker and shifting from organisation to organisation means that you will have the opportunity to meet new people every time. In fact, Tanjim was offered his current project at a2i due to his connections and excellent work on his previous project. 

Aside from good networking, you can utilise platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr, where people are constantly in search of perfect candidates for short and long-term projects.

The real con - no employee benefits

Equally important to salary, are the work benefits. After all, a person is not a machine made to constantly deliver work. We fall ill, and sometimes we simply need a break. 

One of the clear cons of working as an independent consultant that everyone agrees with is that there are no work benefits for consultants. In other words, consultants do not receive the same healthcare benefits, paid leaves, etc. For someone seeking stability in their job, it can be a dealbreaker. 

"As a consultant, there are certain office rules that don't apply to me under the contract," said Raisa. "For example, I get the same mandated holiday but regular employees get a certain number of sick leaves and paid leaves aside from national and religious holidays, which I am not entitled to."

Similarly, Tanjim highlighted this as one of the largest disadvantages for him, on top of job instability. 

Flexibility cuts both ways

The pressure of work is unique for independent consultants. While they may have flexibility, it also means that they have to be flexible for clients as well. 

In other words, they might be pressured to work during odd hours for international clients, where the time difference has to be taken into consideration. It can also mean having work pushed onto the consultant that is either outside of their work hours, or outside of their job description entirely. 

Azmina faced this as well, "I have sometimes been asked to do additional work. This came as a surprise initially."

She overcame this issue through effective communication and following a strict routine. In situations where one fears such pressure, she advises people to speak to the project head or supervisors about the concerns.

Who is this career fit for?

The common benefit all independent consultants speak about is the liberty it offers, it allows people to set their own routines, accept work they are interested in, and more. However, who this job is most fit for can be a tricky question. 

While you can create your routines, the work is not entirely remote. More often than not, workers will have to do fieldwork which requires travelling. 

Raisa explained, "My work requires a bit of travel, and it isn't like you will stay at a three-star hotel. You'll have to go to very remote places and collect data. Working late hours and travelling can be a con for people with a restrictive lifestyle. A lot of my female peers, I would say, don't apply if there are such requirements."

On the other hand, Azmina observed that there are more women in the field because of career flexibility. She said, "It gives women the liberty to schedule their daily routine more feasibly, especially if children are involved."

It is difficult to say whether the job is better suited towards men or women, as it entirely depends on the field of work. However, with the right moves, the job can offer individuals financial freedom and a flexible routine - at the cost of instability.