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09.08

Consulting: The Dawn of a New Era

By Gary L. Blank, Ph.D.

In recent years, the engineering profession’s employment landscape has been dramatically reshaped as a result of growing job dissatisfaction, downsizing, outsourcing, layoffs, and early retirements, to name but a few of the contributing factors. Many engineers have moved from salaried positions to independent consulting practices. Some engineers prefer working at home or on-site as self-employed independent contractors, full-time or part-time.

Consulting engineers quickly recognized the need to network with other consultants. IEEE-USA responded by promoting and facilitating the creation of consultants networks. The first such network was started in Long Island, N.Y., more than 20 years ago. Today, there are some 40 consultants networks in the United States and more than half a dozen overseas in Regions 7 through 10.

IEEE-USA also created the Alliance of IEEE Consultants Networks (AICN) to bring all of those consultants networks under one umbrella. A committee, made up of practicing consultants from various networks, serves as the AICN Coordinating Committee (AICNCC). The AICNCC welcomes volunteers, and the committee membership changes frequently. It is estimated that the AICN and its networks include some 3,000 consultants. Some local networks charge their members a fee for membership, but many do not. The IEEE does not charge a fee for membership in a Consultants Network or in AICN.

A consultants network (CN) is a group of members who are interested in getting together with consultants to share ideas, contacts, leads, and to network. They learn from each other about consulting and consulting opportunities. CNs have regular meetings throughout the year. A typical meeting will include an optional dinner, time for networking and mentoring (a very important part of the meeting) and usually an invited speaker (often the best speakers are members of the network who can speak about their areas of expertise).

Most of the CNs are in metropolitan areas from coast-to-coast, and a few are in locations where a handful of consultants live. Some CNs have more than 200 members, while others have fewer than 20.

Networks are parented by an IEEE Section. Most networks are started by a group of three or four members, not necessarily practicing consultants, who want to start a network. There is virtually no cost to a network or to the Section to start a network. Sometimes a speaker may be invited to come and do a workshop to enhance the launch of a network. Rapid growth in network membership usually occurs when members of the Section learn that a network exists in that Section. IEEE members who have been inactive for many years are returning to the IEEE because of their interest in the consultants networks.

The AICN Coordinating Committee works with IEEE-USA staff to help our members. The committee has also conducted surveys of consultants, and has compiled and posted on the IEEE-USA Web site the results displaying the fees charged by consultants. Among the additional resource materials is a sample consulting agreement which many consultants find helpful. In some instances, AICN and staff have referred clients to local networks.

AICN provides a very useful Web site which includes a database of hundreds of IEEE members (whether or not they belong to a CN). This database is frequently visited by clients seeking consultants. IEEE-USA charges a fee of $79 a year for those who choose to be listed on the Web site database. Clients also come to this Web site and are allowed to post their consulting needs. The address of the Web site is www.ieeeusa.org/consultants.

Almost all of the networks have applied for and have been granted IEEE Affinity Group status. This results in income to the parent Section. Members of the AICN Coordinating Committee and IEEE-USA staff are available to help with starting new networks, and with mentoring existing networks when requested.

Gary L. Blank, Ph.D., is IEEE-USA Member-At-Large and chair of the Alliance of IEEE Consultants Networks. Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.