On The Job Tips
Tips for consultants on assignment include:
Self-discipline
Demonstrate good work habits.
Punctuality
Being on time is just showing respect for other people’s time.
Integrity
Maintain accurate records of your time and always err on the low side. Clients pay a premium to have a consultant work for them – they want to know they are getting full value. In their minds, if you would overbill a few minutes, you might also overbill a few hours.
Perception
Perception is reality. If you work an extra half hour each day as a way of adding value to your service, don’t ruin it by failing to managing people’s perceptions of you. Don’t play computer games at your desk. If you need a break, leave your workstation. Consultants who take their coffee break at their desk with a newspaper send out a very negative impression of how they spend their time. In any of these cases, someone who happens to walk past your workstation sees only the break and has no way of knowing how you spend the rest of your time.
Pro-active
If you think the timeline might slip, let the client know of the risk and what you are doing about it. Even so, when the chips are down, demonstrate the will to succeed.
Prudent
Never install unauthorized software or visit unauthorized websites, someone might decide to make an example of you.