Consultant Knowledge Base

ALL THE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CONSULTING WITH PRIME 8

Whether you’re just starting to consider consulting as a career or you’re a long term consulting veteran - Prime 8 has the answers to all your questions. We gathered up the most commonly asked questions from our talent team and bring you the answers below.

Consulting Life

What’s it like to be a consultant and how is it different from other types of full time employment.

consulting for Prime 8

Learn about how consulting for Prime 8 is different.

Interview Process

Want to consult? Start here. Here’s details on how to get noticed by recruiting to interview and onboarding.

About Logistics

Learn about the ins and outs of work at Prime 8.

Articles About Consulting

In the age of burnout and the Great Reassessment, professionals are demanding balance and flexibility; they want to feel valued and appreciated and they want to take back their sanity. Does consulting address these workforce needs? We think so, but decide for yourself. Check out our articles to learn more about the experience of being a consultant, how and when to make the transition from where you are now into a consulting career, what to expect when working for a firm, and the pros and cons of being a consultant.

Recruiting

Thriving in the Age of AI: 5 Tips for Consultants

How to Stand Out in an Interview for Consulting Work

How to Write a Resume That Resonates

How to Build a Professional Network

The Cure for the Common Job: Consulting

The Great Re-Evaluation: Don't Quit

'Consultants Know Everything' and Other Consulting Career Myths

The Path From Traditional FTE to Consulting

Choosing a Consulting Firm: 10 Questions to Ask

No Need for 9-5: How Prime 8 Supports a Culture of Work Flexibility

Thinking about taking the leap?

Check out our open positions and become a Prime 8 consultant.

Consulting FAQ

Learn all about the fundamentals of consulting and the differences from full time employment.

View Our Open Roles

Career experience is easily transferable to consulting. Skills and expertise that align with the position being filled are highly relevant and can put you in consideration for the role even if it's your first foray into the world of consulting.
The benefits of being a consultant include having the freedom to focus on deliverables and maintaining a strict 40-hour work week. Consultants share that they relish the opportunity to do what they really love without worrying about things such as corporate bureaucracy, office politics, job leveling, annual reviews, etc. Consulting gives you the opportunity to really shine at what you’re best at, whether it is Marketing, Program Management, Communications, etc.
When you are an FTE, it can often be challenging or even impractical to try different roles outside of your zone of expertise and direct experience. In consulting, hiring managers are often willing to give more weight to transferrable skills and experience, knowing that part of the core consultant skillset is to learn and deliver results quickly.
As a consultant, your main objective is to deliver quality work that helps make your client shine. You may work on one project, or you may work on multiple projects - either way, your job as a consultant is to make a positive impact on the team you are supporting. Each project will be different and unique, presenting various rewards and challenges along the way. Your Prime 8 manager will work with you to provide support, answer questions and make sure you have the resources you need to do your job well.
It may look like, at face value that many consulting firms look the same based on the website. Do your research to learn about the services each firm provides, which companies they have as clients, and their company values. Follow their LinkedIn feed to see what they’re posting. Connect with consultants and recruiters from the firms you find interesting and ask for an informational meeting to answer all those burning questions and get a feel for the company. Apply and interview! When you begin talking with people, you’ll get to know more about potential clients, interesting job descriptions, and if it’s the right place for you!
As you get started in your new role with your client, maintaining clear communication with your clients is the best way to be successful. Over time, you’ll spend less time with clients as you get to work. You may notice that once you’re off and running with the project, you may need to develop a consistent rhythm of check-ins. Maybe it’s a Monday morning email outlining your priorities for the week, or a weekly roundup status report to make sure the team is all on one page. Some people prefer a quick 1:1meeting, or no meetings at all, preferring quick instant messages. As the consultant, you’ll want to determine how best to communicate and adjust your cadence based on client feedback.
Yes. As a consultant, you own your deliverables, but your client manager looks across the organization and provides direction for the overall work. Your client manager is the “air traffic controller,” attending meetings, connecting people and sharing the pertinent information with you so you can produce results. Your Prime 8 manager will have regular check-ins and be your first point of contact for all things related to your assignment, client or Prime 8.
Sometimes! We hate to lose consultants, but the truth is, we hire exceptionally talented people and our clients sometimes hire them away into full time roles.
There are no restrictions to accepting a full time role after working as a consultant. We’d hate to see you leave, but we’d always welcome you back!

Working At Prime 8

Learn all about the specifics of working at Prime 8.

We know that the best people are looking for more than just a paycheck. We see the ‘Great Resignation’ as a ‘Great Reevaluation’, and we are right there with you - striving to make Prime 8 a great place to work on all levels… and it shows in our 7 Best Companies to Work For awards, our delighted clients, and our long tenured employees!
We know our people want exciting roles that allow them to be impactful, stretch their wings and grow, and to maintain a healthy work-life balance to keep their creativity charged. We work hard to provide our Prime 8 family of employees with an environment that allows them to bring their best, and to be their best.
We also understand how critical it is to have strong employee benefits - especially when you are looking for a new company to call home and a place you feel belong and thrive!
You’re an employee of Prime 8 for the duration of your assignment to a client project.
At Prime 8, remote work is here to stay! With consultants in over 25 states, our people resources are unlimited, a benefit for our employees and our clients. If you’re looking for in-person roles in the Seattle area, we have those also, and you’ll see it noted in each job description.
It’s up to you! Prime 8 has a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy which gives you control over your technology choices. Want a Mac instead of a PC? No problem. You to choose what works for you and we provide tech support to get you on the client’s network. We also have “loaner” machines if you experience technical hiccups. Because you buy your work laptop, it stays with you from role to role.
Typically rate changes are negotiated at the renewal stage of the project or at the beginning of the client’s fiscal year.
As your client assignment ends, you’ll meet with the Prime 8 talent team to revisit your goals and discuss your next role. This is an opportunity to change job titles, explore different clients, and find a great fit; something that allows you to leverage your expertise and allow you to grow in your career.
At Prime 8, when consultants need support from someone with a different skill set, we lean in to help each other. For example, if you need support to automate a client workflow, build a dashboard, or need help building a v-lookup table, Prime 8 connects you with internal resources. Likewise, you may be invited to help a colleague. It’s a great opportunity to meet people and learn about other Prime 8 consultants.
Yes! Consulting offers a lot of flexibility – many of our consultants take time off in between projects to travel, spend time with family, or take summers off with their kids. It’s important to note that during breaks in employment, healthcare benefits are affected.
Yes! What we offer is comparable to what you would find in a corporate job. We even cover the majority of the cost.
While not an inclusive list, Prime 8 offers medical, dental (including orthodontic), and vision insurance along with the choice of a Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings account, a 401k, PTO, and paid holidays. We offer life insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program. Our talent team will review benefits with you in detail.
Prime 8 Consulting has a physical office location in Bellevue, Washington. In 2022, we remodeled our office to provide a flexible ‘landing pad’ for consultants who want or need functional workspace away from home or space to have meetings.

Interviewing

Of course, having a resume that clearly articulates your skills and experience is imperative, but we want to know more. From the time you apply for your first role, we want to get to know you – help us do that. What outcomes have you achieved in your area of expertise? Have you solved big problems in the past? Do you have a portfolio or samples of your work? Do you take initiative? Do you look for opportunities to improve yourself, have a natural curiosity and embrace continuous learning? Attitude is everything! Things move quickly – for us and for you - so stay in touch. If your goals change, always let us know so we can pivot with you.
Candidates and recruiters recognize industry trends, including buzzwords and terminology. In previous years we saw “Storytellers” in demand. Today, “Change Managers” is the hot, new thing. The ‘hot roles’ change all the time in this industry so it’s important to , read the bullet points in our details of job descriptions for skills that are in demand today. As you look at roles that interest you.
You need a clear, concise resume that demonstrates your education and career background. People want to learn about you, so we recommend maintaining an up-to-date LinkedIn profile. If you have an online, professional portfolio with samples of your work, provide a link on your resume and in your profile.
Not at all. We encourage you to stretch your wings and apply for roles outside of your typical job title if your skills align with the role requirements. Titles can be ambiguous across the different companies Prime 8 works with. As a best practice, always review the details of a posted job description to determine alignment with your skills, experience or goals. A Project Manager might be an appropriate candidate for a Communications Manager, Business Manager or even Channel Marketing Manager role. Our talent team works on the back end to ensure your resume highlights your relevant skills for alignment to the client needs, regardless of title.
Even if you’re looking to try something a little different, we see roles across the skills and experience spectrum. If you’re a seasoned marketer but want to dip your toe into the Program Management world, we want to match you with a role that helps you explore and even make a career shift.
Talk to the talent team about your goals so they can keep an eye out for the right assignment.
The process might look different at other consulting firms, but at Prime 8, after submitting a resume, candidates are invited to meet with a member of our talent team to learn about you, your skills and expertise, and your career goals. This helps us determine which roles to target for you. The talent team submits candidates to clients’ roles that match their skills, experience, and goals. The client then selects 1-2 candidates for 30-minute interviews. Interviews are informal and give you an opportunity to share and showcase what makes you right for the role. If you’re successful in being offered a role, you usually start within the next two weeks.

Logistics

We hear from consultants that the pay is comparable. The exact rate that a consultant is paid for a role can vary widely depending on the client, the business need, and the level of expertise that the consultant brings to the role. Often compensation is determined by ‘rate cards’ established by our clients.
Keep an eye on the Prime 8 website and LinkedIn feed! We are always bursting with opportunities and can’t wait to find a job that fits your skill set as well as your personal and professional goals. If you don’t see a role that fits with your skillset, the perfect opportunity could be just around the corner, so don’t be afraid to submit your resume through our common roles on the website.
We have a number of great articles about just this topic. Take a look above.
You can work for Prime 8 forever! In fact, some of our consultants have been with us for over 10 years!
It all comes down to employment tax. Certain industries are required to distinguish between full time employees and project-based consultants. Not all of our clients require a break so be sure to discuss this with our talent team.