Independent Consultant Battles Corporate Clichés in London Fog
Will Oakley, 35, London-based free-range consultant ex-Accenture, ditched the 'corporate ladder' in 2014 to avoid climbing endless politics only to become a 'consulting thoroughbred' — a fancy term for hopping from client to client with barely a break, like a caffeinated nomad. Leaning on Barton Partnership’s buffering grace, he now leads a merry band of networked freelancers who chase leftover scraps from bloated industry giants with their 'lower day rates' but, surprise, ‘take home more.’ Balancing proprietary info loss and entrepreneurial freedom, he refuses to embrace the soul-crushing 'make it to the top by taking the most shit' rat race from his hiring days, positioning himself as a meritocracy zealot preaching 'invest in yourself'— or else.
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Will Oakley left the corporate circus for solo consulting gigs where he swaps dangling carrots for the chaotic freedom of freelance life. Networks, lower rates, and zero job security — but hey, more take-home pay beating office politics shaped like a medieval torture device.
Independent consultant life: where you’re your own boss but also your own HR, IT, and messenger pigeon sending desperate emails to find the next paycheck. At least Oakley gets to avoid the 'legacy-of-pain' promotions at Accenture.
From Accenture trainee to lone ranger freelancer, Will Oakley’s decade-long hopscotch between clients is basically professional Tinder: always swiping for the next match without any buffering time in between.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 9/6/2025 | Author: Tim Paradis
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