If a
typical corporate career path is vertical (ie. 'climbing the corporate ladder'), a
consulting career path is horizontal. Consultants develop broad knowledge and
problem-solving skills using a variety of
hardware and software in varied environments.
Consultants are able to learn from and contribute to
working groups and businesses in which one serves.
As corporate IT departments "right-size,"
many companies are adopting the strategic reliance upon consulting firms
for technical expertise while growing their own employees in core business
practices. This allows a consultant to serve key roles in several "virtual"
companies over a lifetime. The pay-off arrives in the form of continually
challenging and satisfying work.
Exacta was founded - and continues to be managed -
under a couple of simple, common sense business guideposts:
1) Success follows proper treatment of clients and consultants, alike.
2) Growth follows quality.
Exacta Corporation maintains the following
characteristics which distinguish it among competition:
local, accessible and responsive ownership;
consultant support staff dedicated to the satisfaction of the consultants;
team-oriented approach to client service and support;
consultant-company relationships which begin before employment.
superior consulting staff with proven track records of excellence and achievement;
long term and repeat accounts with over 30 years of customer satisfaction;
low turnover - many consultants leave as direct hires for Exacta Corporation clients;
commitment to individual professional growth and development through education and other enrichment programs;
all marketing representatives, recruiters and managers work under team incentives;
Exacta truly knows and cares about its consultants, as evidenced by the many benefits it offers.
An effective consultant assimilates into his/her client team, taking a
proactive attitude towards helping wherever he/she can. However, there are
several significant differences of which one should be aware:
Consultants are able
to separate one's self from office "politics" to a
significant degree. Although "politics" may have some effect on day-to-day
work, better consultants generally remain circumspect and aloof from
activities which would potentially compromise one's objectivity and ability
to work with as many client employees as necessary. As someone whose only
reasons to offer ideas and suggestions are purely constructive, a consultant may actually find
his/her ideas being received
with less skepticism.
Consultants have more opportunities
to gain a variety of experiences without changing employers. Opportunities
within a company are limited to the technology which the company uses
and to the industry in which they operate. Exacta consultants have the opportunity
to work with many technologies across many industries, while continuing to
work on behalf of Exacta.
The work you do will vary
from assignment to assignment, depending upon the nature of the project and
the client's needs. A consultant could function as a project lead, a
programmer, and a database administrator, possibly all within the context of one client
engagement.
Exacta consultants are compensated for every hour worked. An employee has the choice of taking compensatory time or be paid for overtime.
Consultants are hired by some companies who are seeking permanent
employees. In these cases, Exacta Corporation offers direct hire services,
providing candidate pre-screening, and submitting qualified people to clients
for further consideration. Exacta has the flexibility of providing a range
of human resource
solutions, including direct hire, contract-to-hire, short-term and long-term
contractors.
Annual
performance and salary reviews are done by the Consultant Services Supervisor (CSS).
The CSS and Account Manager obtain feedback from the client managers at the end
of each assignment, near annual review time, and continuously during an assignment. The CSS
will share the formal end-of-assignment reviews with the consultant as he/she completes one
and move on to another.
Assignments
can vary from a few months to over a year in duration. The length
depends upon the scope and size of the project, as well as the degree of a
particular consultant's involvement.
Additionally, the length of an assignment may be longer than a year due to an
individual consultant's
involvement in multiple projects. Many clients request that Exacta consultants
assist in another project when they complete an assignment as a result of their
high level of satisfaction with their work.
Although
the majority of assignment locations are near the Exacta branch offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Fox Valley
(Wisconsin) and Minneapolis/St. Paul
(Minnesota), some national clients have needs in other parts of the country. If
you have interest in a specific destination, Exacta recruiters can advise
whether opportunities exist there.