Be Versatile or Be Gone

One of the keys to being a high-functioning technology consultant is to be versatile in your role.  You have to be able to do a lot of things well to make the client happy.  Common roles you (should) have to play well are Analyst, Builder, and Project Manager.  Here’s a quick description of each:

Analyst - Understand and define the problem using your skills of interviewing, math, statistics, process flow, data and information analysis.
Builder - put the necessary pieces together to create the solution.
Project manager – Integrate and communicate what’s necessary about the related parts of the project such that the involved parties understand what’s going on and continue to want what's being produced.  

In total, you have to be willing to do whichever job is necessary to get the job done and make the customer happy.  This requires experience, risk-taking, research, and networking.