April 2003
Free Agents in an Age of Independence
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
April 2003
Free Agents in an Age of Independence
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
I’ve been meaning to write an update about the status of free agency but somehow other topics have crowded out an article on this topic for more than one year. What prompted me to return to one of my favorite topics was an informal survey of friends from childhood who are now at the top of their careers. All but one have bailed out of the insecurity of the wage/salary world for the even more uncertainty of free agency! Why, you may ask?! According to Daniel Pink, author of "Free Agent Nation", which presents a rosy view of free agency, "There’s no much instability in the market right now, that it might be better to work for yourself than a bigger economic ship that is capsizing."
And my friends are not alone. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which started tracking independent consultants and the self-employed in the mid-nineties, estimates that close to 33 million Americans can be categorized as free-lancers, contract workers, temp workers, and self-employed soloists. Kelly Services also tracks these numbers and has noted a marked increase in the numbers of people that it places in short-term positions. More than 175,000 Kelly employees fit this category, up 25% since 1998.
If you agree with Daniel Pink, Kelly, and my childhood chums about making a radical change, here are some do’s and don’ts that they gave me about how to prepare to enter the world of free agency:
1) Don’t glamorize how much more freedom and affluence you will have as a free agent. Yes, those of us who have our own businesses do set our own hours and do wear strange costumes at all hours of the day and night when we’re not in front of clients.
But, you need to be aware that there is an enormous amount of self-discipline that you have to have, even while wearing pink bunny slippers and ancient PJ’s. You are responsible for every aspect of your professional life, from determining the kind of health insurance to designing your own website and promotional material, to buying office supplies to making your own travel arrangements. Also, the hours can be grueling because contracts usually come in groups of three or a Big Zero! So you have to be prepared for a roller coaster of revenue and famine.
2) Think very carefully about how contract work will look on your resume if you decide to return to the wage/salary fold. Some career counselors have argued that stretches of independent, short term assignments are a red flag to employers that you won’t be loyal to them. They are thinking that you’ve enjoyed quite a bit of freedom and will be a loose cannon once you’re back in a more regimented work environment.
Other counselors take quite the opposite view. They contend that, in fact, you’re more employable. You’ve broadened your experience by taking assignments that you probably would not have had inside the corporate cocoon. You’ll be more content and loyal, knowing that the outside wasn’t as green as you may have thought.
Regardless of these perspectives, keep track of your assignments and document them fully in your resume. Be sure to note that you solved a certain problem within a prescribed deadline, and enhanced your client’s productivity as a result.
3) Don’t become isolated while you’re a free agent. You need to be constantly staying abreast with the latest developments in your field and continually marketing to potential customers.
The water cooler has always been a great way to get inside information about your former boss and company. Now, you don’t have one. However, there are many substitutes for the traditional water cooler. For example, there are many support groups for people who are free lancers in most cities to exchange work leads and learn more about marketing trends and techniques. For starters, rejoin your local professional association. For a comprehensive list of associations, visit http://www.asaenet.org Then check out http://www.rileyguide.com/ for a list of career transition groups in your area. Call your local One-Stop Center and ask them for the name of their professional support group. For a list of the closest one to you, contact http://www.careeronestop.org/ And check out http://www.bizjournals.com for the name of the business journal in your area. Not only is it a tremendous source of information about business activity and trends in your area, it also lists weekly meetings of support groups and Chamber meetings to become a part of.
While you’re at it, become active in your college alumni association’s local chapter. Check out your university’s website for the link to the alumni association. Many are providing career services to their graduates.
Since you’ve become entrepreneurial, start networking with others of the same temperament. There are many venture clubs and incubators around the country. Contact http://www.google.com and use the keyword "Venture Club." You’ll find groups throughout the country.
4) Sharpen your business skills. Check with SCORE and SBA in your area to set up a business plan to find out re self-employment taxes, income taxes of all kinds, and how to deduct relevant expenses to your business. If you’re weak in accounting and financial planning, get professional help and software packages to streamline these mundane but very important tasks. Community colleges often offer short courses for entrepreneurial wannabees. Call the local Business and Industry division or Corporate Education center to find out when they will be offering classes.
5) Don’t assume that Internet job boards are places that are reserved only for wage/salary positions. In fact, most of the good ones have a separate section for free agents. My favorites, http://Craigslist.org and http://www.flipdog.com/ and http://www.hotjobs.com/ have openings for independent contractors. Use the keywords, "freelance" "contract" to locate them.
Many professional associations also have separate sections about contract positions. For example, engineering societies like ASME, IEEE, ACHE, and SAE offer a wide variety of opportunities for independent contractors. Check with http://www.asaenet.org/ for the websites of your favorite associations.
Here is a list of websites that will be helpful as you learn more about the in’s and out’s of being a free agent:
http://www.accountemps.com/ - temporary positions in finance and accounting, search by city and state or province and keyword. Most positions indicate a start date and a duration.
http://www.abanet.org/referral/home.html - visitors choose the state, and that page lists the bar associations within the state where the visitor can connect with local attorney members of that branch of the ABA.
http://www.aquent.com/ - after successfully passing through a screening process, "creative" professionals (graphic designers, Web designers, writers, etc.) may search for a job at this site by field (e.g. print design, print production, Web and Multimedia, etc.) and city. http://www.brainbid.com/ - "free agents" submit "sealed bids" on specific projects posted by potential employers.
http://www.cehandbook.com/cehandbook/htmlpages/ceh_main.html - very useful information for people starting their careers, or already working, as independent contractors.
http://www.ceweekly.com/ - contract jobs for engineers, IT/IS, and technical personnel, from the magazine's employment ads. "Membership" is $20 for job-seekers, and there are several services including in initial distribution of your resume to recruiters via e-mail (which you may opt not to use). Use the "Advanced Search" option to search through their job listings (for FREE) by keyword, posting date, state, region, country, and/or company.
http://www.ework.com - check the ework exchange option re free agent opportunities of all kinds online; eWork claims to operate one of the largest talent marketplaces on the Web with over 300,000 registered users.
http://www.fastcompany.com — monthly publication that provides extensive and up-to-date information and articles for free agents and wannabees;
http://www.freelance.com/ - provides employer-paid Information Technology assignments around the world; sign up for their daily e-mailed notification of "missions" matching the keywords, skills and your preferred geography.
http://www.freelanceonline.com/index2.html - a professional online service for freelancers in publishing and advertising fields. Freelancers pay a modest fee per year for membership.
http://www.freelancesearch.com/ - a fee-based online directory of writers, editors, proofreaders, and almost all the creative fields. Projects are searchable by members who also receive project notification via email.
http://www.guru.com/ - connects independent professionals (a.k.a. "gurus") with contract projects. Find a "gig" by searching by field, especially creative/media, finance and legal, keyword, and geography. There’s a long but useful profile that you’ll need to fill out.
http://www.hireability.com/ - focused on IT opportunities, HireAbility offers free membership for contractors with for-fee upgrades and fee based support for employers.
http://www.icca.org/ - a national not-for-profit association that provides professional development opportunities and business support programs for independent computer consultants. Services range from online forums and monthly chapter meetings to conferences and a directory of members that is searchable. There is a fee to join and services on the site are "for members only."
http://www.imcusa.org/ - a national organization that certifies management consultants, offers their "Find a Consultant" directory to visitors interested in hiring an IMC member for an assignment, and holds annual conferences with highly regarded speakers. Most chapters hold regular meetings and offer professional development opportunities.
http://www.kellyservices.com/kcn/ - offers both permanent and contract opportunities in many professional areas, including law, IT, and healthcare/medical. Job database searchable by preferred location and by category such as Accounting/Finance/Banking, Administrative/Clerical, etc.) and/or keywords.
http://talentmarket.monster.com/ - has a very comprehensive site where employers and staffing agencies advertise for talent to work on contracts of all sizes and descriptions. This site has a lot of good information for the consultant in the "Resources" section.
http://www.businessknowhow.net/ - As part of the Business Know-How ® network, NSBN helps free agents find new business ideas, get answers to business questions, find customers, and discuss business with other entrepreneurs who run small and home-based businesses.
http://www.pacepros.com - PACE offers a wide variety of resources, including a contract employees handbook and a newsletter.
http://www.SuccessfulIndependent.com — a comprehensive website that provides information and resources for independent professionals and self-employed individuals. Also a place for free agents to share ideas and resources.
All the best for a Happy April. Keep your comments and questions coming at jlommel@WorkforceAssociates.com
Copyright © 1995-2007 Gary Johnson Communications. All rights reserved. BraveNewWorkWorld, NewWork, NewWork News, Careers in the NewWork World, WITNE, and WITNE: Women in the New Economy are trademarks of Gary Johnson Communications.