"If you know you are on the right track, if you have this inner knowledge, then nobody can turn you off...no matter what they say."---Barbara McClintock, Nobel-Prize winning geneticist known for her discoveries with regulation of genetic expression
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Hello! I hope you enjoyed the last post containing an article I wrote for the ACC&CE newsletter. This time around I thought I would discuss what it's like to be a consulting chemist. I'm fairly new at this, so apologies to anyone who is a veteran consultant. I truly don't want to insult anyone's intelligence in stating what I've gone through and not include what other consulting chemists have done. I can only give my perspective and what I have experienced thus far.
It seems today that there are many consultants for various occupations and fields of expertise. I guess anyone could call themselves a consultant if you have particular experiences in specific fields of work. Consulting can be very lucrative work seeing one has expertise in specific areas and others need said expertise to solve problems or achieve results for their work.
In my particular case, I am a consulting chemist. I can provide expertise in chemistry and related disciplines. I decided to go into this line of work just recently because I felt like I have much to offer in the science world. I may have been out of the work force for some time but I still have experiences and expertise to share in chemistry, especially in the area of radioiodination techniques. I have knowledge of specific chemistry areas. When I first started my consulting business, many would ask: "What is it exactly that you do?" or "How does that work for you? What do you do all day?" First of all, my business isn't an "all day" event. I can pretty much work it into my busy life as a Stay-At-Home Mom. I dedicate certain days to do consulting work, but I'm certainly available if a potential client contacts me. I do check my e-mail daily and my cell is always with me! I usually start off my day by checking my e-mail to see if anyone has contacted me for inquiries or questions. If need be, I will then contact potential clients via e-mail or phone to set up a time for discussions and/or inquire what their needs are. I may also have Skype meetings with clients at this time of the day; I usually try to set up these meetings as early as possible in the day but these meetings may occur at a later time. I proceed at this point to doing actual work for clients which has been requested for me to do. More on that list in the next paragraph! I then go to all my social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, etc...) to either update or change anything on these sites as well as make a post or two. I also go and do a bit of networking on LinkedIn to see if anyone has sent me a message or to check in with the various groups I belong to. These groups always have someone asking a question or inquiring if anyone has the answer to a problem. Then, of course, there is always some time set aside to update my website or profiles with associations I belong to. I then move on to whatever is on my "Goals and Objectives" list. This can be anything from composing articles, writing for this blog and reading new articles on LinkedIn to purchasing office supplies, setting up times to meet with clients (via Skype or phone) and organizing notes and resources I have in my possession. At the moment, I am organizing all the notes and articles I have on ALL radioiodination techniques and purification methods so that I will have them in a neat and organized array to be "at the ready" for inquiries.
I mentioned earlier in the last paragraph that I would list out some of the work I may provide for clients who have requested my services. These functions might include: troubleshooting and problem-solving for radioiodination techniques, internet searches, literature/journal article searches, review of research plans and protocols, editorial advice on technical data, analytical/Q.C. advice, technical report writing, SOP streamlining, radiation safety advice and providing guidance in other chemistry-related disciplines such as biology and biochemistry. Sometimes just having a face-to-face meeting (usually via Skype) is all is needed to assist a client. They just need a discussion to go over what their issues are and how they can overcome them.
So that's basically my day as a consulting chemist in a nutshell. There is, of course some modification along the way, but I believe I have presented how I usually proceed. I hope this article has answered any questions one might have as to what I actually do and what I can offer as a consultant.
In the spirit of networking, I kindly ask that you share this article where appropriate, especially with anyone you might know who needs my kind of expertise. Word of mouth is perhaps the best compliment in referencing someone for what they can offer. I appreciate any feedback.
Thanks for stopping by and look forward to more posts here in the near future. Please provide me with any comments and/or inquires. Until next time!
