How to Become A Consultant in the Philippines

Last Updated – Feb 7, 2023 @ 9:36 am

What is a Consultant?

A consultant is someone who provides professional advice and expertise to businesses or individuals who want to improve or solve problems in key areas like management, strategy, or operations.

How much does a consultant in the Philippines make?

Due to the wide scope of consulting niches and their corresponding skill requirements, it’s hard to pinpoint an actual salary average for consultant jobs.

But to give you a better idea, we’ve compiled a list of salaries of some of the most well-known consultancy positions in the Philippines. 

Source: Payscale

What does a Consultant Do?

Companies and organizations hire consultants for their analysis and input on certain agendas. Since they’re operating from a 3rd-party perspective, they can provide a more honest and unbiased solution to existing issues.

Consultants who found success in their work attribute it to the following combination of skills and traits:

• Communication
• Logical reasoning
• Works well with others
• Knows how to lead
• Innovation and creativity

Related: High Paying Home-Based Online Jobs in the Philippines

What Are the Tasks and Duties of a Consultant?

In the broadest of terms, a consultant’s duties revolve around providing diagnosis and recommendations on certain aspects of the business.

For example, let’s say a company needs help in improving operational efficiency. An operations consultant can step in and conduct a thorough study and analysis of existing processes and then provide recommendations on how efficiency could be improved based on their findings.

A sales consultant can provide necessary training to employees to help them improve their selling skills. A marketing consultant can provide a step-by-step marketing campaign strategy to help a company launch a new product.

The tasks are dependent on the needs of the business that’s why there’s a broad range of specialties needed hence the broad scope of consultant niches. 

The diagram below shows the hierarchy of tasks and purpose which are typically required consultants.

Types of Consulting Careers

There’s a long list of consulting careers to be filled — thanks to the large demand for professional skills and insight for improving a company’s existing processes and structures.

The following is a list of some of the most popular and highly-profitable consulting jobs in the market right now.

Management or Strategy Consultants

Management consultants look for ways and solutions to get better efficiency and result from the company’s current operational processes.

The scope of their job could focus on a particular segment within the business or cover its entire operations.

Business Transformation Consultants

Their core task is to identify future business targets and the steps on how to achieve them.

They are involved in the planning and implementation of the methods outlined in a business plan so that owners can be guided accordingly on how to execute them.

Legal Consultants

If it’s a legal matter, then a legal consultant is the right person for the job. Anything related to negotiation, documentation, contracts, laws, agreements, and similar topics are handled by them.

The client hires them to review and defend the legitimate rights and interests of the company and also have them draft and study legal filings as well as provide any other type of legal advice.

Marketing Consultants

They come in and provide insight and devise strategies for improving a client’s marketing campaign.

They work on analyzing trends and data then use that for optimizing branding, promotions, advertisements, and other related fields to improve sales and revenue through marketing efforts.

IT Consultants

Businesses need them for their expertise in designing, installing, and maintaining their tech (I.T) systems needed to run the company.

They might also be called upon for advice in improving certain system processes or install better I.T security systems.

PR Consultants

Acting as an intermediary between the company and the press, Public Relations consultants communicate a company’s mission, policies, news, or responses to media inquiries.

They are good at building rapport and managing the client’s reputation and image.

HR Consultants

They help and advise companies on how to improve employee relations and elements that support a good working environment for them.

They assist in creating new policies or improving on existing ones or help in developing better systems that will help the company manage its employees.

Finance Consultants

Their goal is to give insights and advice to clients to help them grow and manage their wealth.

Whether its retirement planning, financial strategy, investing in various financial instruments (stocks, mutual funds, real estate, etc.,), they assess a client’s needs then provide a custom strategy for meeting their goals.

Risk & Compliance

They are the people responsible for making sure that clients and businesses are fulfilling compliance requirements as well as develop and implement measures for data protection and financial transparency.

It’s also up to them to identify any potential financial risk and vulnerabilities and come up with guidelines and processes to keep them at bay.

Operations Consultants

They specialize in providing frameworks, tools, and systems for improving business efficiency and productivity. They’re tapped when a business needs help in devising and implementing ways to improve operating efficiency and cutting operational costs.

These people are highly analytical and are very skilled in problem-solving. 

Environmental Consultants

They are the subject-matter experts about anything related to the environment.

As consultants, they advise companies and businesses like proper waste disposal and cleanup, sustainability initiatives, regulations and compliance, green manufacturing, carbon footprint, and many more.

Software Consultant

They specialize in assessing a client’s needs in terms of software for running the business and provide recommendations and support to properly manage and operate them.

They can create customized software solutions or manage both the operation and maintenance of existing software. They are also called upon to fix and troubleshoot any errors or issues with the client’s software.

Sales Consultant

These individuals are equipped with the skills and experience in selling products and solutions which the client hopes to leverage for their own business.

They are tapped to provide insight as well as train personnel to improve their sales skills.

Social Media Consultant

They are responsible for coming up with content and campaigns on various social media platforms to widen the brand’s audience reach and get more customers. They manage customer engagement and ensure that the client is getting a solid following through various social media channels.

Tasks include making social media posts, engaging fans and followers, monitoring site metrics, and tracking campaign and marketing performance.

Growth Marketing Consultant

These are individuals with a strong marketing background and superb idea-generation skills for getting more eyeballs and customers to the client’s product or service.

Their scope typically covers digital marketing, paid media, demand generation, SEO, social media, among others. They specialize in coming up with unique and innovative marketing strategies that can quickly boost a client’s brand reputation and awareness. 

Fitness & Wellness Consultant

They are ambassadors of a healthy lifestyle, with a focus on fitness and nutrition. They provide clients with recommendations and strategies to implement in their companies so that employees can get acquainted with the proper way of diet and exercise.

Economic Consultant

They research and study a company’s economic conditions.

The goal is to provide ways and strategies that will help the company optimize its operations for improved results and revenue. They are also tapped when clients need advice on certain economic issues.

Political Consultant

They specialize in creating strategies and campaigns for clients or certain organizations that are planning to run for office. They leverage connections in media, government, institutions, among others, to build recognition and public trust for their clients.

Retail Sales Consultant

With their strong people skills and product mastery, retail consultants are great in providing first-hand support and information to customers. They engage and interact with customers, fielding questions about the product or service to boost the likelihood of the sale.

Related: Top 10 Most In-Demand Jobs in the Philippines

How to Become A Consultant 

Unlike other professional careers that provide a clear path on how to become one, a consulting job shares a similar framework with a freelancing. The following steps will help you build a solid career as a consultant with a steady stream of work and plenty of opportunities.

Step 1: Know your niche

The first step to becoming a consultant is deciding on the area of interest that you have the skills and experience to specialize in. 

Your education and work experience can serve as the basis for this but they should not limit you if you have developed skills beyond them. 

For example, say you got interested in building websites and took it up as a hobby and a side hustle in the last few years.

As you gained experience and expanded your expertise, which now includes Digital Marketing and SEO, you can offer Web Consulting services to clients who want a complete solution for their online presence.

Consider the following questions to help you find your area of expertise:

• What am I good at?
• What am I passionate about?
• What skills and insights do I have that other people might find valuable?
• Is there a demand for those skills and services?
• Do I have the experience and skillset to become a person of authority in this field?

Step 2: Decide on your short and long term goals

It’s important to set goals because they will help you achieve the level of success that you envision as a consultant. 

Your short-term goals can help you quickly get up to speed on becoming a consultant. You can set specific targets (e.g get a client within 2 weeks) and set identifiers that will help you measure your progress (certifications, revenue, etc.,). 

Long term goals act as guideposts paving the way to your success. It could be as simple as “build a small consulting firm in 2 years” or something specific like “make 5 million pesos in total revenue by year X’. 

Both are crucial in achieving success as a consultant because they will help you define your strategy and actions.  

Step 3: Make Yourself A Website

It’s all about building an online presence that lets you market yourself and your services. It helps build credibility as well as make a professional impression when potential clients inquire about your services.

Not only that, putting your presence out there lets people find you easier. At this day and age, it’s almost automatic for customers to do a quick online search whether it’s buying a product or a particular service. With a solid website, you’re letting yourself be seen and allow yourself to promote your consultancy services.

Building a website is not as hard as it sounds. You can make one in a few hours. But whether or not you build it yourself or have a professional do it, make sure you have one to boost your online presence for opportunities.

Step 4: Get certifications and licenses

It serves as both a badge and a toolkit for establishing yourself as an authority in your field. Invest in learning the latest developments and tools/software for improving your workflow and knowledge. Consultants, as hired guns, face plenty of competition. And one way of one-upping your peers is to constantly accumulate skills and keep them sharp. 

If you’re just starting, stacking up on important certifications in your field will help you get your foot in the door of some of your very first clients. Since you don’t have much experience per se as a consultant, having these certifications help signal your capacity and capabilities to your clients.

Step 5: Decide on the Type of Clients You’ll Get

Specialization goes beyond the type of field you’re in. It’s also crucial in finding clients that you’ll be working with.

Why is this important?

Because it will allow you to give superior service that takes advantage of both your strengths and the client’s preferences. It helps you leverage your skills and resources for maximum returns while at the same time providing excellent value to your clients.

Identify your dream client. What services do they provide? Where are they located? What industry do they belong to? Will you focus on a particular segment of their market only? What will make your service tempting for this type of client?

Step 6: Expand your network

A consultant relies on word-of-mouth references and recommendations from the people within your network. The bigger your network is, the more opportunities will open up for your business. 

Build your network online and in-person, cover both digital and physical platforms for expanding your presence. Join Facebook, Quora, Medium, and LinkedIn groups so you can share your expertise and grow an audience.

Attend seminars and conferences, expos, summits, both online and offline. You’ll never know who you’re going to meet and potentially offer new opportunities for your business.

7 Tips for Consulting Career Success

Becoming a consultant is not exactly easy, and if you don’t have the right mindset and goals, you can make it a more difficult endeavor.

Here are 7 tips to help you get success faster as a consultant.

1. Set the right expectations

From the first moment you decide to become a consultant up to the time when you’re dealing with multiple clients, knowing what to expect is key to thriving. 

You won’t get bogged down when things don’t go your way, you can easily recover from missteps, and you can fulfill your duties as a consultant without the burden of expecting less or much from the situation. 

2. Test the Waters

Almost all consultants are full-time employees before switching to a consulting career. And even when they do, a good number of them are just doing it part-time. The lesson here is to test what works for your situation first. 

Don’t quit your day job if you’ve found early success doing it on the side. Have a plan and an exit strategy. This way, you won’t be risking too much if things don’t pan out as you would’ve hoped.

3. Always be Learning

Your ability to soak in new skills and constantly improve will help you keep up with the latest developments in your field. This is important because losing your edge over the competition could lead to them being a more viable option to potential clients.

It also makes your insights and inputs more valuable because you know how certain up-and-coming issues or trends can be handled or leveraged. Clients will appreciate someone who knows how to help them maneuver their company in this rapidly changing business environment.  

4. Don’t Lowball Yourself

Remember, it’s all about the value that you are providing to your clients. If you put in a few hours of work that leads to something that increased their efficiency by 10%, which lead to an uptick of 5% in total revenue, how much do you think you should get paid? 

If you’re confident that your services can guarantee a certain result, don’t be afraid to ask for the fee that you deem fair. The right client won’t bat an eye if you help them get what they want.   

Related: High-Paying Jobs in the Philippines

5. Ask for Testimonials and Referrals

Most clients won’t hesitate to give a testimonial if they are happy with the service you provided. So don’t be shy to ask for it and put it on your website or social media accounts to build credibility and proof for your services.

6. Market Yourself

We’re naturally sheepish when it comes to promoting our services. But if you’re proud of your work and the quality of your results, there’s no reason to be shy about it. People want to know about it. They want to know who they can reach out to for help in solving their problems. 

7. Quality Above Everything Else

The quality of your work is the number one reason why clients would want to work with you. Always put your best in each project.