Series 1 - How to retire from public service and transition to consulting
In April 2024, QMR created a LinkedIn Poll “If you’re leaving the Public Service, have you considered transitioning to consulting?” and the results were surprising: 38% did not know consulting was an option and 63% did, but had no idea how to start. These results sparked some interesting discussions, so we’re launching a two-part series to help you start thinking about making the transition from the Public Service to consulting.
Step 1 – Before you leave the public service, capture your personal experience. Even if you’re not thinking about consulting now, you may change your mind later. It’s a good idea to capture your work history, the special projects you worked on, your education, training, licenses, certifications, and the awards you’ve earned. Before you leave the public service, access your training portal, or request a copy of your HR records then create a dedicated folder called Assets. It’s important to acquire this information from your training portal before your last day because access privileges will be revoked quickly. Store your work history in your new Assets folder so that everything is one place. You’ll needy your work history when it’s time to create your post-retirement CV, which we’ll cover Series 2 – The first things you need to do as a new consultant.
Step 2 - Announce your retirement to your network. Retiring from the public service after a long and illustrious career deserves to be celebrated. After all, you’ve spent a good portion of your life devoted to helping make the lives of Canadians better, and we (your connections) welcome the opportunity to thank you for it. Consider announcing your retirement after your last day at work because your announcement is likely to garner a lot of interest and messages. To increase engagement from your network, the best time to make your announcement is on a Friday or Monday at 11:45 am, when people take their lunch breaks and check social media. To get even more engagement from your connections, post a personal photo.
Step 3 - Conduct a self interest assessment. Now that you’re officially retired and made your announcement, it’s time to start thinking about what comes next. This is where conducting a self interest assessment can help guide you in assessing the areas you’d like to focus on when it comes to consulting. This assessment includes asking yourself: what work made me feel the most satisfied, what are my long-term goals, and how do I want to make a difference. Do you want to maintain a focus in your current area of expertise or try something new? Do you want full or part time work? Do you want to give back by volunteering or mentoring? The self interest assessment will help you figure out whether transitioning to being a consultant is the right path for you.
Whether you’re spending this time capturing your work history pre-retirement, connecting with old friends on social media post-retirement, or asking yourself questions to identify your self interests, this is time well spent. After all, you’ve worked hard, enjoyed a long career and earned the right to focus on yourself. If you’re ready and are interested in consulting, email us at info@qmrconsulting.com to get started. In the meantime, we’ll see you soon for Series 2 – The first things you need to do as a new consultant, where we will discuss incorporation vs sole proprietorship, the security clearance process and how to build your first consulting CV.
