Searching for a Dissertation Consultant?

During a recent conversation, a good friend and fellow business owner was venting his frustrations over a series of marketing professionals he had hired to set up effective lead management and drip marketing campaigns.  At the time of our conversation, he had spent thousands of dollars on marketing “professionals” who all promised him exactly what he was looking for, yet one by one, each of them failed to deliver.  He was exasperated as he described phone conferences with these “professionals,” who didn’t even seem to understand what his business was.  Of course, one would hope that before someone agrees to provide a service and collect fees for it, he or she would at least have Googled the prospect’s business.  Certainly, before any client agreement is drawn up, and long before any down payment for services is collected, a professional should have already etched out a detailed plan of action, unique to each project’s scope and requirements.

But, you and I know this isn’t always reality.  Discerning the professionals from the amateurs can be particularly difficult when you’re hiring a business or consultant to assist with a niche project – like a dissertation.  So how do you determine which businesses are truly owned and operated by professionals?  You have to sniff them out.

The Difference between an Amateur and a Professional

In my opinion, there is one main distinguishing factor that sets amateurs and professionals apart  An amateur just works to collect a paycheck.  While professionals must also charge for their services, their interest in your project extends beyond their invoices.  A professional coach or consultant is vested in your success – or he she truly wants you to succeed and is willing to go the extra mile to make that happen.  Professionals understand that sometimes it’s necessary to help clients out on weekends or take late calls to accommodate their schedules.

Questions to ask a Dissertation Consultant or Coach

Before you choose someone to help you with a project as important as a dissertation, there are a few questions you should ask.  Don’t be afraid to interview consultants or coaches and make them earn your business – a true professional will not mind that at all.

  1. Experience: Find out how long the consultant has been assisting clients with dissertations.  There’s a big difference between someone who simply edits your document or helps you pull research, and one who understands how to craft a winning dissertation.
  2. Areas of expertise: Also, ask what schools and programs the consultant is familiar with.  If you’re in an online doctoral program for educational leadership, but the consultant is only experienced with medical or health research at brick and mortar universities, he or she may not be the best match for your project.  Is the consultant experienced with the method and design you intend to employ?  Has the consultant assisted with other investigations on topics similar to yours?
  3. Success rate: Perhaps one of the most important questions you should ask is how many candidates the consultant has successfully saw through to a passed dissertation defense.  It’s one thing to help an individual with phases of a study – it’s another to see someone through to the end.  Although many dissertation clients prefer to keep their identities private, it is not inappropriate to ask for references from a consultant’s past clients.  A good dissertation coach or consultant should have several past clients who are more than happy to talk with a prospective client about their experiences.

What Makes Dissertation Angels Different?

I’m different from most of the other dissertation firms out there, in many ways.  I actually have significant past experience contracting with different academic firms, where I learned what not to do.  When you perform a google search for dissertation assistants and coaches, you’ll get many results for larger consulting firms who charge a fortune for the work, but then contract jobs out to unqualified workers with little dissertation experience.  If a company won’t let you speak directly with the person working on your project – RUN!

That’s not how I operate.

When someone signs on with me, we enter a partnership.  My clients have access to me and I do my best to accommodate tight schedules or deadlines when they come up (because, you know, things happen).  I never contract out any work and call it my own.  I want to help you achieve your educational goals and I understand how important it is to pay attention to all of a project’s details.

Regardless of who you select to assist you through this journey, make sure he or she is a professional.  There are way too many amateurs running around, making big promises, taking people’s money, and doing crappy work in return.

Dissertation Angels