By Megan Compeggie
Why did I return to being a consultant after leaving my last full-time position? It’s simple: work-life balance and unwavering support. I have been both a traditional full-time employee and a Hollstadt consultant over the last few years, and my life has never been less stressful than when I am with Hollstadt. I have the ability to control my life with work flexibility and have an incredible team behind me.
I am currently working with my third client for Hollstadt, and all of my clients have been the same in that they cap hours for consultants at 40 hours except for extremely special situations. Some also have core hours they expect you to be available (currently it’s 9:00-3:00 CST for collaboration across time zones). Beyond that, I set my schedule. Do I want to wrap up early Friday? Great, put in a few extra hours during the week. Do I have a go live one night? Fine, take the time back elsewhere in the week.
Full disclosure: this is currently my second time working with Hollstadt; I actually converted to my last client. I liked having the ability to “test drive” a company before converting to a traditional FTE. Choosing to convert was the hardest professional decision I have made to date and leaving Hollstadt was not a decision I took lightly. Once the client I converted to was acquired and the company culture took a shift, I knew it was time to return to Hollstadt…to return home. Coming back to Hollstadt was the easiest decision of my career. Now I am at a client I truly enjoy, challenging myself by learning a new industry, AND I get to do it with the support of the Hollstadt team behind me.
Hollstadt is truly filled with the nicest most supportive people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. When I first started a few years back I had to pinch myself…was it possible people could care this much about you and be this nice in a professional setting? Somehow, yes. Hollstadt gets it right. They know if they treat their consultants right, they will perform well for their clients. This means Hollstadt doesn’t slack when it comes to investing in professional development and candid career conversations. When I have been in a bind at work, I knew I could call any of my contacts at Hollstadt and they would talk me through it. It feels like having an unbiased friend who cares about your best interest—they want to help you through the issue so you’re able to perform your best at work AND be happy.
I could go on and on, but I came back to consulting and Hollstadt because I know every single person I have met here cares about me and my success. Every. Single. Person. It is so much easier to get up and go to work every day when you know you have a support system cheering you on. For where I am in my life, I knew everything Hollstadt has to offer was the right move for me.