Every time the economy expands or dips, executives who are tired, bored, displaced, or in search of above-market earnings come out of the barn in droves looking for “greener pastures”. They frequently assume that their experiences running a “real” company qualify them to provide insight and expertise as a consultant to other companies. Meanwhile, consultants looking for financial stability have thoughts of going corporate. Consultants are often confident of their abilities to lead organizations. Who could be better qualified than them to run a company from the inside? After all, they have been the guiding hand for many companies strategic, financial and technology direction. They have been trusted counsel for their top executives. Unfortunately, grazing in the other “greener” pasture is more complicated that it seems on the surface.What Life as a Consultant is LikeThe defining characteristics of the consulting environment are remarkably similar from firm to firm, regardless of whether it is a large global firm or a small local firm. First and foremost, at a senior level, success is based on the generation of sales revenue. Dollars equal power.As a consultant, engagements are driven by thought leadership and strategy. Your clients typically have a list of problems that need to be solved — and the list changes frequently. Corporate decision-makers assure that consultants have special access to people and resources. After all, they have already or will shortly write a very large check for their services.From a delivery perspective, work is often standardized and methodology-based. Engagements have a beginning, an end, and a defined scope. Often little or no responsibility for implementation or outcomes is specified. But, there are some exceptions. Certain contractual arrangements have shared responsibility for results and that is reflected in the fee. Secondly, the consultant handles implementation of a system or process. However, once it is “done,” the consultant still leaves and doesn’t have to live with the consequences. Supervision and personnel responsibility is usually limited to performance on the project by the team members.Should You Be a Consultant?* Are you energized by smart people doing interesting work?* Do you enjoy a continuously shifting landscape of new problems to solve?* Are you easily bored?* Do you like providing “advice and counsel” with little responsibility for operational activities or outcomes?* Is selling fun? Do you like the thrill of the chase?* Do you enjoy socializing and building a network of contacts?What Life as a Corporate Executive is LikeIn corporations, whether public or private, profitability and shareholder value are the bottom line. For most executives, success is based on contribution to operating results. Organizational leadership, from vision to planning through execution, drives performance. Decision-making and risk taking, with accountability for choices, is fundamental. Outcomes are everything. Activities are heavily implementation and results driven. Few projects are intellectually stimulating. Most of the work of the organization is continuous and predominantly operational. Much is policy and procedurally based. There is a broad distribution of people in a corporation, with a tendency to gather around the mean in intelligence, motivation and interest in their work. Comprehensive personnel management is required by line and most staff executives to maximize the contribution of all employees in the company.Should You Become a Corporate Executive?* Do you like being on the front lines, directing others, making choices?* Do you like to see things through to the end?* Do you gain personal satisfaction from positive, measurable results that you had a significant role in delivering?* Can you keep focus on the long-term while dealing with tactical and operational concerns?* Are you willing to stand behind your decisions and be accountable for and part of outcomes with continuing consequences?* As an insider, can you gain the respect of others for your business acumen?* Are you energized by motivating and leading groups of people to successful achievement of common goals?* Do others follow you and support you?How to Align Yourself with the Career Choice You Make If you are a consultant and still think you are a candidate for a change to a corporation, consider whether you are most suited for a consulting-like role or for an operating leadership position. Your business acumen, facilitation ability, and communication skills are key skills that will be valuable in a corporate role. If you are an executive and still want to try your hand at consulting, consider whether you are most suited for a partner (translate that sales) role or for delivery management (translate that project or multiple projects). Your experience of making things work in the real world and your ability to negotiate complex organizations will be helpful in a consulting role. Remember, both consulting and executive roles have challenges and rewards. Neither is as easy as it looks from the outside, looking in. As long as you find the one that works for you, you will be where the grass is greenest.

The practice of law can be very rewarding financially and socially, but more and more attorneys are contemplating a change to a career that has less stress. Many young attorneys were initially attracted to law out of a desire to help people. They often become disillusioned once they begin the quest for billable hours and realize that in many cases it is more about the money than the result. Wins in court or large settlements become tools for marketing more than anything else for many attorneys.

Attorneys that are skilled in the art of the trial are very well prepared to teach. In most jury trials, the lawyers are teaching the members of the jury to understand and agree with their perspective of the case. It is a natural inclination for many lawyers to contemplate teaching at some point in their careers. I took my first step into the teaching world just a few years out of grad school and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It did not, however, pay that well.

If you are one of the top 2% of lawyers that has made so much money that you have the luxury of working for pennies per hour, then teaching may be a great way for you to relax professionally and help young students. The work load of a teacher is definitely less stressful than that of a 2000+ billable hour partner at a major firm

Since I had a young family (I started having kids rather late), I still needed to make a lawyers income so full time teaching was not a realistic option.

Eventually, I migrated to a career in online marketing that fulfilled both my desire to make money and to help people. After only a few months marketing on the internet, I realized that the same skill set that had prepared me to argue in front of a jury had prepared me very well for a career in marketing. As a 45 year old with a very liberal arts background, the internet was at first daunting, but eventually I realized that using the internet to market a business was even more terrifying for others.

I became a teacher, leader and motivator to my contacts on line and prospered. The personal satisfaction that I gained was significant. The financial rewards were even more insane as my efforts were multiplied. I discovered that people online looked to me for advice in with the same sincerity that a client turned to me for legal advice. The great thing about this type of teaching/leadership is that you are paid handsomely for your efforts.

If you are thinking you should change career from law to teaching, you should contemplate becoming a mentor that helps others better themselves. If online marketing has ever intrigued you, it may be a great avenue to explore. Since many people are struggling economically, you should not have much problem finding students. I know I haven’t.