IT Consulting – Three Tips to Organize Your Time

If you work in IT consulting, then hopefully you’re very good at maintaining networks and servers. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re naturally good with time management. This article presents three simple tips to help you organize your time.

1. Use automated lists and reminders. It is part of the nature of IT consulting that there are often things to follow up on. For example, if you tweak a client’s backup job, you’ll probably want to remote in the following morning to check that the job was successful. The perfect way to ensure you do this is to utilize software that manages tasks and provides reminders, such as Microsoft Outlook or any one of the shiny “to do list” apps that have appeared in recent years.

2. Work towards “inbox zero”. Nobody leaves every letter they’ve ever received in their mailbox, so it’s strange that many individuals do just that with their e-mail, resulting in missed messages and huge time drains looking for historical information. Establish a folder system and aim to work towards an almost permanently empty inbox. The only items in there should relate to jobs in progress.

3. Fully sync your mobile device(s). This also helps you with steps one and two. Make sure you use a system (such as Exchange) that allows you to fully sync e-mails, calendars, tasks and contacts with your mobile device(s). You can then use “dead time” to file away e-mails and organize your work.

Working in line with the three tips above can transform your working life in IT consulting. It requires discipline, but the combination of the three tips should prevent you from forgetting things and having too many stressful days. If, for example, you promise to call a client with the answer to a query on Wednesday morning, place it straight into your task list via your smartphone – with some, you can even do this with voice recognition. So there’s no excuse not to be organized – even if it’s not in your nature!

How do you manage your time working in the IT consulting field? Share your methods in the Comments section below. 

And to follow-through on the tips introduced in this short article, be sure to download your free copy of the special report on How to Start a Computer Consulting Business: 6 Proven Ways to Build Your Initial Client Base. 

Creative Commons Image Source: flickr RLHyde