Quick Summary:
How to become a learning and development consultant involves more than finding your first project. Before moving into contract work, consider how you’ll be paid, which roles match your experience, what tools and expenses you’ll need to cover, how you’ll handle insurance and benefits, and how you’ll find your next assignment when a contract ends.
Consulting can bring variety to a learning and development (L&D) career. You may work with different organizations, take on projects across industries, and focus on the areas of L&D you enjoy most. But working independently also means taking responsibility for parts of your career that an employer may have handled for you. If you’re considering how to become a learning and development consultant, start by understanding what changes when you go from being an employee to working as a consultant.
These five questions cover some of the practical decisions to think through before accepting your first contract.
1. How Will I Be Paid as a Consultant: W2 or 1099?
One of the first things to understand about contract work is how you’ll be classified and paid. The difference between W-2 employment and 1099 contracting affects your taxes, income reporting, and the responsibilities you’ll have.
Here’s how the two arrangements differ:
- W2 employee: The employer withholds income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes from your pay and reports your wages on Form W-2. The employer has the right to direct what you do and how you do it.
- 1099 contractor: You’re self-employed. The company or client paying you reports your compensation on Form 1099-NEC and generally does not withhold taxes. You’re responsible for paying your own income and self-employment taxes, typically through quarterly estimated payments. The client defines the expected results, while you generally have more control over how you complete the work.
TrainingPros contracts with consultants on a project basis and pays them as vendors on a 1099. Other employers and staffing firms may offer W-2 contract positions, so don’t assume every contract opportunity has the same arrangement.
Before accepting an assignment, ask how you’ll be classified and what that means for your take-home pay and tax responsibilities.
Tax rules change, and your state may have additional requirements. Consider speaking with an accountant before taking your first contract. You can also review how the IRS defines an independent contractor.
2. What Skills Do I Need to Become
a Learning and Development Consultant?
Learning and development consulting covers many specialized roles, and each client defines the skills a project needs. When you are looking into how to become a learning and development consultant, start with one focus area. It makes your search more targeted, and you can add skills over time.
TrainingPros places consultants in roles such as:
- Instructional design consultant: analyzes needs and designs learning experiences and materials
- Freelance eLearning developer: builds interactive courses in authoring tools such as Articulate Storyline and Rise
- Contract trainer: delivers classroom, virtual, or hybrid sessions
- Contract virtual classroom producer: runs the technology and flow of live virtual sessions
- LMS administrator: manages learning platforms, enrollments, and reporting
- Learning strategist: connects learning programs to business goals and plans the roadmap
Think about the projects you’ve worked on throughout your career. Which responsibilities did you enjoy most? Where did you consistently deliver strong results? Which skills could you bring to a different organization or industry?
Your experience is an important part of how you position yourself as a consultant. Clients want to understand what you can contribute, so be prepared to show examples of your work through portfolio samples, project results, certifications, or relevant degrees.
When TrainingPros Relationship Managers vet consultants, they review portfolios and ask in-depth questions to understand whether someone’s experience matches the requirements of a particular project.
It’s also important to recognize where your experience ends. Taking on assignments outside your area of expertise without the necessary support can create challenges for both you and the client. Our article on mistakes new instructional design consultants make explores some common pitfalls.
Getting Started as a Contract Instructional Designer:
3. What Tools and Software Do
I Need to Work as an L&D Consultant?
When you’re employed full-time, your organization usually provides the computer and software you need. It may also cover professional memberships, certifications, training, and conference expenses.
As a consultant, you’ll need to understand which expenses you’ll be responsible for and which ones a client will provide.
Some clients supply software licenses or system access for the duration of an assignment. Others expect consultants to bring their own equipment and tools. Ask about these arrangements before starting a project so you can plan accordingly.
Depending on your specialty, your expenses may include:
- Equipment and technology: A reliable computer, internet connection, and a way to back up your files.
- Specialized software: Tools such as Articulate, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia, or Vyond may be important for instructional design and eLearning work.
- Professional development: Memberships, certifications, courses, and conferences that help you maintain and expand your skills.
Your familiarity with the tools used in your specialty can also influence which projects you’re qualified to take on. TrainingPros identifies proficiency with relevant tools and technologies as one of the characteristics of consultants who receive assignments.
When evaluating a contract rate, consider the expenses you’ll need to cover to do the work. A rate that looks attractive at first may seem less feasible after accounting for your business expenses.
4. How Will I Get Insurance and Benefits?
Health insurance and retirement benefits are often part of a full-time employment package. However, when you work as a 1099 consultant, arranging those benefits becomes your responsibility. You’ll need to factor insurance and retirement savings into your financial planning.
Here are a few areas to consider before accepting your first assignment:
- Health insurance: Self-employed people can get coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. If you lose job-based coverage when leaving an employer, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
- Retirement savings: You’ll decide how much to save and which retirement options make sense for your situation. The IRS provides information about retirement plans for self-employed people.
- Other coverage and advice: Consider whether you need additional insurance or professional guidance. Ask people you trust for referrals to licensed insurance or financial professionals who work with self-employed clients.
These expenses can add up, so include them when determining the income you’ll need from consulting work. Planning ahead can help you make a more informed decision about whether a contract rate supports your financial needs.
5. What happens when a contract ends?
One of the biggest differences between traditional employment and consulting is what happens when a project ends. As an employee, you generally continue receiving a paycheck even when one project wraps up and another hasn’t started. As a consultant, your income may depend on how quickly you find your next assignment.
When researching how to become a learning and development consultant, consider how much time you could comfortably manage between contracts. How many months of expenses do you want to have saved? Would you prefer longer assignments or a series of shorter projects?
It’s also important to think about your next opportunity before your current assignment ends. A few habits can help you stay prepared:
- Keep your staffing partner informed. Let your Relationship Manager know when your current assignment is winding down and when you’ll be available for another project. In our look at a day in the life of a contract virtual classroom producer, you’ll see how one consultant communicates her availability as an assignment approaches completion.
- Stay connected with your network. Former colleagues, clients, referrals, and specialized staffing firms can all be sources of future projects. Our guide to networking for learning and development consultants offers ideas for maintaining professional relationships without making networking feel like another full-time job.
- Keep your professional materials current. Update your résumé, portfolio, LinkedIn profile, references, and certifications after each project. That way, you’re prepared when a relevant opportunity comes along.
Working with a staffing partner is another way to find consulting opportunities. At TrainingPros, Relationship Managers work with consultants to understand their experience, interests, and availability so they can identify potential project matches.
TrainingPros reports that 88% of its consultants are re-engaged. Its onboarding model also includes preparing consultants for their next project. For more ideas, see our guide to finding consulting projects.
How to become a learning
and development consultant at TrainingPros?
TrainingPros connects experienced learning and development professionals with organizations that need specialized expertise. Since 1997, we’ve worked with consultants across roles including instructional designers, eLearning developers, and performance consultants.
If you’re exploring consulting opportunities, it can help to understand the types of projects organizations need support with. Learn more about eLearning development companies and how organizations design and scale learning solutions.
You can also learn more about TrainingPros, including our recognition as a Top 20 Staffing Company by Training Industry and a Champion of Learning by the Association for Talent Development (ATD).
To hear ongoing conversations with senior learning leaders, listen to our Learning Leader Spotlight podcast:
If you want to learn more about how TrainingPros works with consultants, meet our Relationship Managers. You can also explore L&D Conversations with Professionals to hear perspectives from people working in the field.
When you’re ready to explore opportunities, browse current openings or join the TrainingPros talent pool.
When you have more projects than people™, let TrainingPros find the right consultant to start your project with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Knowing how to become a freelance learning and development consultant starts with choosing a specialty, building a portfolio that shows it, and setting up the business basics covered above, from how you’ll be paid to how you’ll cover benefits. For the job search itself, see our guide to learning and development consultant jobs.
Yes, as long as each contract allows it. Read every agreement for terms on hours, availability, and conflicts of interest before you add a client, and keep each client and staffing partner up to date on your availability. When a staffing firm introduces you to a client, keep that work going through the staffing firm. Going around it to work with the client directly can damage professional relationships and your reputation.
Contract length depends on the project's scope, timeline, and the expertise required. Some assignments last a few weeks, while others extend for several months. Before accepting a contract, ask about the expected duration and project milestones.
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