I would recommend doing a lot of informational interviews to learn from people who work in consulting. They'll be best positioned to help you understand what that work looks like on the ground, what kinds of skills you might want to develop, and how to translate your classroom experience in ways that will be appealing to clients/employers in consulting.

You can read about what informational interviews are, see some questions you could ask, and find a sample email to a stranger asking to talk here: https://grad.illinois.edu/careers/info-int.

And you can use LinkedIn to find people who might be interesting to you. Check here for a database of all UIUC alumni on LinkedIn, which you can search by keyword: https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/people/

• Derek Attig

Hi, Samantha! I’m still early in my consulting career, but here are a few tips others have shared and things I’ve learned that may be helpful. Would be happy to connect if you have more questions.

1. Social media is key: Unless you already have a network you think will be ready to sign you on, Twitter and Instagram are amazing outlets to connect with others and “build your brand” as it were. My consulting career started by DMing an author whose work I admired and (fast forward a few years later) now I’ve coauthored a book with her and am part of her consulting team. Most people are exceedingly generous with their time if you’re trying to network or get advice.

2. Start as a side hustle: Most consultants I know started building their brand as a side hustle. Transitioning to full time is a challenge considering its a pretty saturated market and many school districts (especially those with money) prefer to bring in big, established names or organizations. Before transitioning, make a website, build a body of work, present at conferences, etc. to “develop your brand” and attract enough paying clients to transition to full time. Since starting a few years ago, I’m realizing this might take longer than I initially thought!

3. Your book is your calling card: Even in the world of digital media, being published confers a sense of legitimacy and authority that can help develop trust with potential clients. Self-publishing is becoming increasingly viable too. Regardless of the “how” having a book or platform helps concretize your offering to potential clients. In the short term, reach out to blogs, practitioner journals, or organizations in your targeted field and see if they’ll feature something you’ve written. This can help you find and carve out your niche.

Hope those tips were useful!

• Trevor Aleo

@Trevor Aleo, thank you so much for your advice - I really appreciate it! I'd love to connect sometime to learn more. Please let me know the best way to reach out to you. Talk soon!

• Samantha Mullins