Rasputin for Hire: An Inside Look at Management Consulting Between Jobs or as a Second Career

by Michael A. Goodman

The majority of executives in transition consider management consulting as either a component of their job search strategy or an alternative second career. Now there’s a resource just for them.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0970208812
• ISBN13: 9780970208811
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Dialogue Press
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Want to be a Consultant - Read this book

Let's face it, demographics and economics have produced a perfect storm. If you are a baby boomin' child of the 70's you may have day dreamed about dropping out, wearing jeans and "doing your own thing". And, boomers are finding themselves caught in the job shuffle a lot these days. Whether caused by merger, closure, disagreement with Boards of Directors, or premature retirement every boomer who has achieved any level of success thinks about becoming a consultant. High achievers are draw to an irresistibly bright shining light at the end of their dark journey - Consulting. The problem is; knowing what lies on the other side of the light. Michael Goodman is a long time consultant. He knows exactly what things look like on the other side and masterfully describes the pluses and minuses, the pitfalls and rewards. Don't read this book if you are looking for a "glamour-shot" overview of a consulting career. About half the consultants Goodman interviewed don't like the job and plan to go back to corporate careers. Michael provides solid strategy discussions on this topic as well. This book provides step-by-step details on almost all of the things you need to know before you jump into this field. Things most of us have learned the hard way. Twenty bucks invested in this book will save you thousands. It might even save your life, stress is a known killer. About me: Being a consultant was a 20 year dream for me. I wanted it so badly I could taste it. I was fortunate to have a couple of mentors along the way. I have helped a couple of people on their journey. Michael Goodman's book will be my first recommendation from now on......

Must Read For those in or contemplating the Consulting Busin

Paul Pensabene..., January 20, 2004, Must Read For those in or contemplating the Consulting Business as a career move Mr.Goodman does an excellent job of calling attention to key concentrations in the consulting business. This is a must - reading for those that have just entered,or contemplating, the consulting business or are in-between jobs. The reading is easy and cuts right to the chase. As a marketing executive that has just entered the consulting business, I have found this book to be my reference and standard. The author starts by setting points that help determine whether consulting is the right career choice for the reader. He does an meaningful and excellent job of presenting a straight forward methodology of understanding the interaction with a client, taking you through a project and into writing the proposal with a template that is unmatched. The clear and concise way Mr.Goodman has written his book, has helped me organize my thinking and myself. By using the template as he has presented I was able to write a consulting proposal that blew my competition away.Paul PensabeneMarketplace Solutions and Consulting GroupHolbrook, NY

Rasputin and Mike Goodman helped my consulting business

This is a "must read" book for anyone considering the consulting business or for those already in it looking to increase their success. It's an easy reading book, well laid out and gets right to the issues you need to understand about consulting, the pitfalls and how to market yourself. For those who think consulting is an easy or fill-in career between jobs, Mike doesn't pull any punches in describing the difficulties involved in being successful in the consulting business.I am a technical support consultant for personal computers and I had been billing my time out by the hour. This book pointed out that anyone selling their time rather than their talent is just selling a commodity. I took a look at the type of services I provide and realized that I was under pricing my highly technical expertise and not charging at all for a lot of job related items such as travel and purchasing hardware and software items. I completely revised my price list commensurate with the degree of technical difficulty involved and I am now commanding a premium for my services.Thank you Rasputin and Mike Goodman!Marty Roth, PrincipalIncon Research, Inc.INCONnecticut Computer Help

Thinking about consulting? Read this book

I'm one of the consultants interviewed by Goodman when he was writing "Rasputin for Hire". I was pleased to see how my remarks and comments were compiled into the book. While I thought the idea behind the book was a good one when he told me about it, upon reading it, the information and advice became more even more useful. The "26 lessons" are most interesting and very appropriate for virtually all consultants. If you've ever thought about consulting, been a consultant or hired or worked with one, you'd find this book an invaluable read. It's a great book, easy to read, with lots of valuable information. I highly recommend it!

Helpful examples, great round-table discussion

I had a chance to read "Rasputin For Hire" first while it was still in manuscript form. I thought it was a good book then, but it got even better when Goodman added examples and appendices in the final version. (Check out the round-table discussion with experienced consultants, for example.) This book belongs in the hands of anyone who has ever had the thought of consulting, hiring a consultant, or working with one. Goodman understands consulting at a gut level, and he's a master marketing professional. This book combines the two and reflects a very insightful look at how consulting can and should fit into a well-reasoned career strategy. Five stars!