You Can Make Money as a Consultant Congratulations! You've been hired by a client to work on a project. Presumably, you have some expertise in the area, you have someone on your team who is knowledgeable, or you'll be hiring somebody who understands what needs to be done. If you want to get out of the nine-to-five grind and stop "working for the man", so to speak, then consulting is a great way to go. What this means is you work as a self-employed person (or some cases, you work for a consulting company) on well-defined (usually) projects with a definite beginning and end. Generally, business use consultants to help meet short-term goals to avoid hiring new staff. Additionally, consultants can bring to the table specific technical expertise for guidance and support.