Graphite is designed for people who have experience in management consulting or operating roles and have developed deep functional, geographic, or industry expertise in a given area.

To be considered for our network, Experts should have at least two years of professional work experience in management consulting, investment banking, private equity/venture capital, corporate development, accounting, marketing, IT, data science, or a related field. Additionally, we look for Experts who have prior work experience at large and reputable consulting firms, bulge bracket investment banks, Big 4 accounting firms, leading marketing agencies, or Fortune 500 companies.

We ask that you please allow 5-7 business days for the reviews team to process your Graphite application.

If your application is approved, you will receive a welcome email that will help you get started on the platform.

In the future, if your profile matches the requirements of a specific Client project, a member of our Expert Engagement Team will contact you directly. They will conduct a more in-depth assessment of your expertise and prior experiences and discuss the project's expectations with you in detail. This will also be a chance to discuss Graphite's model and answer any questions.

If our team has determined to decline your application, it is because your profile does not match the specific criteria that Graphite is looking for in our network. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide specific feedback on individual applications. However, rest assured that we will keep your information on file for future project opportunities as our site expands its scope.

In certain cases, the work that happens between a Client and an Expert will be classified as W-2 employment. In those cases, Graphite partners with a third-party employer of record to W-2 the Expert.

In all other cases, the Expert is classified as an independent contractor (1099) relationship with Graphite. The Expert will be sent a W-9 form to complete upon being hired for their first engagement. 1099s are initiated in January of each year via email for earnings through the platform from the prior year.

Note that these designations apply only to Experts based in the United States.

To be able to apply to a project, you must first apply to join our network. If you are admitted into the network, you will then have access to all the projects posted on Graphite.

You will be able to search for projects that match your skill set and apply directly to them. When applying to a project, you will be prompted to submit a brief proposal explaining why you are a good fit for the role. Applications are received by our team, who reviews them, then submits them to the Client.

For tips on applying to projects, please review our Best Practices for Experts.

The purpose of a pitch is to detail why you're interested in a particular project and the specific relevant skills and experience you would bring to the engagement. Every project is different, so we encourage you to craft individually creative pitches for each project. Both Graphite’s internal matching team and the Client review pitches. It is crucial to keep in mind the importance of demonstrating enthusiasm and clearly describing your relevant experience, as your pitch plays a key role in your potential selection for an engagement.

The pre-screening questions are an integral part of the application process. These questions are typically centered around the most critical aspects of the project and heavily influence your candidacy for the position. It is important that your answers are thorough and thoughtful.

We take your privacy very seriously. When you create a Graphite profile, you have the option to make your profile "hidden" or "public." If you choose "public," you will be publicly searchable, and potential Clients will be able to search for your profile and invite you to their projects. If you choose "hidden" when you apply for a project, the Client that posted the project will have access to your profile, but no other Graphite user will see your profile. We recommend having a public profile to maximize your chances of a match.

Further, per our Terms of Use, Clients who get access to your profile when you apply for a project must keep your personal information confidential.

The pricing referenced in the project posting is indicative and will be finalized when the Client officially hires you on the Graphite platform - please ensure you have been officially hired on the platform before commencing any work. This will activate our suite of project work management tools, which include time tracking, invoicing, and more.

All rates shown on our platform are your net take-home rate.

You must log all billable work time via your active project's “Work” tab. The Graphite platform will automatically invoice the Client for your logged work time on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly schedule (depending on the project and Client). Note that for fixed-rate projects, you will need to manually invoice the Client via the “Send Invoice” button.

When a Client's payment for an Expert’s invoice has been received by Graphite, the Expert will be paid out the next business day via bank transfer from Graphite as part of our standard daily payouts run.

Graphite has a built-in Expense Report system. To access it, navigate to the Work tab for your active project and click the Report Expenses button - a dialog will pop up with a simple form for adding one or more expenses.

Add as many separate expenses as necessary, optionally uploading receipts or other related attachments, and click Report Expenses when ready. All expenses will be reimbursed to you in full when approved and paid by the Client - no fee applies.

Once the Client receives an Expense Report, they have a period of time to settle or dispute it according to our standard payment terms. When a Client's payment for an Expert’s Expense Report has been received by Graphite, the Expert will be paid out on the next business day via bank transfer from Graphite as part of our standard daily payouts run. Depending on your financial institution, the funds may take 1-3 business days to be received into your account.

Payment from the Client will be collected by Graphite on a schedule dictated by the Client's invoice payment terms. For the majority of Clients, this window is 30 days after invoice receipt. However, some of our larger Clients may have custom arrangements.

Once we receive payment from the Client, we will remit your funds to you on the next business day via the payment intake details you provided to our team on being hired by the Client. Please reach out to us if you did not submit your payment details to our team or if you need to alter them for any reason.

Yes, we've built a unique feature called Instant Pay, specifically designed with our Experts in mind. Learn more about it here.

You will receive a 1099 for independent contractor income received on a Graphite project which contains the information needed to report your income to the IRS. There are numerous online resources with information on filing a tax return for 1099 income (including the IRS's own website). However, we recommend speaking with an accountant for specific details or for answers to questions particular to your situation.

For any project where the Expert has been classified as a W-2 full-time employee rather than an independent contractor, the employer of record will handle sending a W-2 form to the Expert.

Note that the above information only applies to Experts based in the United States.

We're sorry to hear that you haven't been matched for a project yet! Please be patient, as there are many qualified Experts applying to each project, and it may take a few applications before you are selected. We've tried to make the application process very easy for this reason (no bidding or proposal, just a simple cover note). That said, there are a few things you can do to improve your odds: