In Chapter 2 we describe the education and experiences that can be helpful to prepare for a community consulting career. It includes a description of the wide variety of employment opportunities for community consultants and the types of skills and education that can help to get you there. It also highlights the interdisciplinary nature of this type of work.

In Chapter 7 we share strategies to facilitate successful collaboration with colleagues. We make a case for collaboration, share ideas on how to find colleagues for collaboration and what to look for, and provide tips for how to be a good collaborator.

Chapter 8 provides tips and resources to help consultants to enjoy better collaboration with their individual clients, and to foster collaboration among community members and community-based organizations. It includes descriptions of some challenges the consultant might encounter and how the consultant might overcome them, such as conflict between community members.

In Chapter 1 we define community, consulting, and other concepts that inform and influence our work as community consultants. We explain how community consulting is different from other types of consulting, describe the purpose of the book, and provide guidance for readers in making the most use of the information provided.

In Chapter 4 we describe how values and knowledge will help you to work as a community consultant and share examples of how they look in practice.

In Chapter 9 we talk about how to find requests for proposals/quotes/applications for your organization, or for community organizations you are working with, how to write a good prposal, and things you can do when money is tight.

In Chapter 6 we talk about what you need to do if you plan to set up your own community consulting business. This includes how to prepare a business plan, decide on your business structure, market your business, choose clients, find work, and get paid. We also share tips on how to manage the practical matters of owning a consulting practice. Some of the information shared in this chapter will be useful for those who work for consulting firms, to help understand the bigger picture of the business.

In addition to the personal characteristics, values, and knowledge, there are additional technical skills community consultants may want or need to develop, depending upon the type of work they are doing. Chapter 5 describes those additional skills and provides information about how community consultants can develop them.

Chapter 10 presents an overview of the current state of community consulting, the positive aspects, and what we can expect in the future.

Community consulting may not be for everyone. Chapter 3 presents a description of the personal qualities that are helpful to have if you wish to pursue community consulting. While it is not necessary that one individual possesses all these personal qualities, if you possess only a few of them, you may not enjoy a career as a community consultant.