Get Your Foot in the Door with Consulting

Daria Akers, a web quality assurance tester, lost her job in January. It was a crushing experience for her because she enjoyed working for the company and would miss her colleagues. Seeing a dearth of job openings in her field in the D.C. area market, she didn’t know where to turn.

A friend who owns a web development company, Sonjara, asked her if she was willing to do some part-time consulting for a while. The 10-20 hours a week would put a little cash in Daria’s pocketbook, add something to her resume and help her feel productive again. Consulting was new to her, but she decided it give it a go.

Her client knew she was looking for a job, so Daria assured her she would give ample notice and even continue on after finding a permanent position if she needed her. After about a month of consulting, however, the client offered Daria a full-time job because of the quality of her work. She had made an impression.

She recalled, “Now I have my dream job... flex time, a virtual office and work that matches my values. Who could ask for anything more?” As a result, Daria advises anyone laid off or otherwise out of work to consider consulting. “It helps you get your foot in the door and minimizes the gaps on your resume.”