In this blog post, we take an in-depth look into the fascinating profession of a SharePoint Consultant. The highly specialized role of a SharePoint Consultant is very skillful and rewarding at the same time. To find out exactly what a SharePoint Consultant can do, what skills they require, and how much income individuals with these skills could potentially make, please keep on reading.
What Does A SharePoint Consultant Actually Do?
A SharePoint consultant acts as an intermediary, trying to manage the expectations of their customers while possessing specialized expertise in the field of the SharePoint platform itself. To be more specific, SharePoint consultants assist their customers in extracting the maximum value from SharePoint by demonstrating to them how to apply the capabilities of the platform to the resolution of actual issues and the improvement of the operation of their businesses.
Typical Responsibilities of SharePoint Consultant
- Responsible for all aspects of SharePoint technology lifecycle management, including architecture, design, configuration, setup, development, deployment, and maintenance
- Continued research, development, and enhancement of procedures.
- Migrations and updates to SharePoint’s newer versions.
- Planning, process arrangement, documentation, and SharePoint upgrades.
- 2nd-Level Support.
- 3rd-Level support.
Certified SharePoint Professionals Are In High Demand
SharePoint is a cloud-based system that can work in conjunction with the renowned MS Office Suite. Its primary purpose is data storage and content management, but it also provides the flexibility to perform data integration, server monitoring, and a plethora of other tasks.
Since more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies run on Microsoft, SharePoint consultants are in high demand. This is due to SharePoint’s exceptional potential to boost efficiency by facilitating teamwork, and fostering the storage and sharing of data, while also providing a solid foundation for the creation of dynamic websites. SharePoint is a very popular business platform, but it requires heavy modifications for any given organization to reap its full benefits. Henceforth, SharePoint Consultants and Experts turn out to be of great help in such situations.
Knowledge & Technical Skills Essential for A Professional SharePoint Consultant
Technical Skills
1. In-Depth Understanding & Knowledge of SharePoint
In the first place, SharePoint consultants will have a comprehensive understanding of the SharePoint platform, which will be significantly greater than that of their customers. Consultants need extensive knowledge of SharePoint’s features and functionality, as well as a thorough understanding of how to best put each tool to use.
2. Familiarity with External Web Apps & Web-Parts
There is a wide variety of third-party tools and extensions available for SharePoint that can be used to address specific issues. There is usually no need to start from scratch unless absolutely necessary, so a competent SharePoint consultant will be proficient in using third-party tools to achieve the desired end result more quickly.
3 Platform Development
A consultant with coding knowledge to program the system is helpful, but not mandatory. Although many SharePoint consulting firms will need to collaborate with a SharePoint developer on larger projects, it is still beneficial to have some understanding of the development side of SharePoint.
Soft Skills
1. Communication
The first order of business for any SharePoint consultant is to learn as much as possible about their client. A SharePoint consultant must determine the most effective way to implement the platform in the client’s organization. A professional SharePoint Consultant needs excellent communication skills to process this data, and to make insightful advice to the client.
2. Problem-Solving
Any good SharePoint consultant will never stop questioning things. A consultant’s success hinges on his capacity to fully comprehend the requirements of both the customer and end users. And the best way to do this is to learn about the client, their business, and their problems.
3. Innovative Thinking
The deployment of SharePoint marks the end of the job for some consultants who work with SharePoint. A good consultant, however, will think beyond the platform’s initial release and will already be wondering how to enhance the user experience. For instance, how well are people learning to use the system? Are metrics for measuring engagement available? Which parts are making progress, and which ones require revision?
Should SharePoint Consultants Have Any Formal Education or Certification?
The vast majority of businesses will insist that their SharePoint consultant hold official SharePoint certification. Here are some examples of possible credentials:
- MCITP SharePoint 2010 – Microsoft Certified IT Professional for SharePoint 2010.
- MCSE SharePoint 2013 – Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer for SharePoint 2013.
SharePoint is the foundation upon which a SharePoint consultant builds their work. However, Microsoft is constantly updating and adding new features, so a competent SharePoint consultant will go far beyond that.
Gaining in-depth expertise in this area requires a professional SharePoint expert to keep on learning. The main areas he must learn about include SQL, Active Directory (AD), and Domain Name System (DNS). Also, he must stay up-to-date with any updates or new features that Microsoft releases.
How Much Does SharePoint Consultation Cost?
Being a SharePoint Consultant, as you can see, is a complex specialized, and niche role, so a highly experienced consultant in this area can command a high salary. PayScale’s report indicates that SharePoint consultation can cost you as much as $102,000 annually, though that number may change depending on the size of the client. In the United States, the median cost for a SharePoint consultant is $72,400 per year for a senior position, with a starting cost of around $49,000.
Average Consultation Costs According to Expertise, Skills & Experience of A SharePoint Consultant
| Junior SharePoint Consultant | $ 49,000 |
| Average SharePoint Consultant | $ 72,400 |
| Senior SharePoint Consultant | $ 102,000 |
How Much Does A Freelance SharePoint Consultation Cost?
- A Standard Hourly Rate for a SharePoint Consultant in the Year 2022 is $87.
- In September 2022, freelance SharePoint Consultants, according to the price and rate index on Freelancermap, charge an average of $87 per hour.
- Most SharePoint consultants work as independent contractors, charging anywhere from $66 to $106 per hour.
Freelance QA analysts can expect to earn around $696 per day, depending on an 8-hour workday at $87 per hour.
