| CAREERS NOW 08-20-06 |
| Three Tips To Boost Contract Work |
DEAR JOYCE: After a couple of years of building "spec" homes (houses
built on speculation by investors hoping for a profitable sale), now that the real estate market has slowed, I
am intrigued by the "smart home" (home automation) possibilities ahead.
At this point, I'm not prepared to launch a smart home business but I do have the resources to test the idea by
working for at least a year as a consultant advising builders and home owners on how to automate.
Other than advertising, what suggestions can you offer to get contract work? - A.S.R.
For a consultant or free agent in any field, here are three ways to nail contracts.
1. Become visible as an expert. Line up speeches before groups that can contract your services or recommend
you to others; try to get an automation product maker to sponsor you with free merchandise you give as attendance
prizes. Write articles for industry trade magazines and open a Web site with an RSS (real simple syndication) feed
for other sites. Do a few free consultations to jumpstart your venture. Encourage referrals with thank you notes
and token gifts.
2. Do contract work for established consultants. Subcontract your services to companies in the field. Obviously
you'll earn less than if you landed the contract yourself but it's still a way to establish visibility and credibility.
3. Consider online services. As a consultant or free agent, check out Sologig (sologig.com) and similar online services, which claim to list thousands of jobs available on
a contract basis.
I'm impressed with your strategy of easing into - rather than jumping into - a new field for you, as the next letter
explains.
DEAR JOYCE: I have been unable to find work for 10 months, the first time I've ever had this problem. Now,
at 63, I'm beginning to wonder if I should use the equity in my home to "buy a job" - start my own business.
Maybe a franchise. Viable? - F.S.
John Lucht offers wisdom about your idea of buying a job: "Protect your capital while you clear your vision."
Lucht is the CEO of RiteSite.com, a great Web site for job seeking executives. Before you risk hundreds of thousands
of dollars on a seductive concept, follow these two rules from Lucht:
1. Don't risk your savings when unemployed on something you wouldn't even look at if you had a good job.
2. Do work at least one week in a unit of the franchise without anyone knowing you might be a purchaser. Put on
old clothes, drive 200 miles, stay in a motel - do anything necessary to wiggle your way into a minimum-wage job
behind the counter or desk of the very same outfit you're about to risk our savings and sanity on.
Additionally, check your "holy trinity" rating: Do you image as one who (1) is a lifetime learner who
knows his or her industry, (2) energetically stays current with technology, and (3) interacts well with associates
of any age?
DEAR JOYCE: I work for a large county in a big state. I have been assigned a two-year project that will
require me to be out of town for three days per week initially, and later as much as a week at a time. I'm married
with two children. What things should I ask for from the county? - T.B.
Other than standard expense account items like lodging and food, I would want the employer, to pay for a car, all
gas used on the job and mobile picture phones to communicate with my family. You might try for bonus leave time
as well, awarded on the basis of number of days out of town.
DEAR JOYCE: How can I find out the best Web sites to find financial jobs? - K.J.
I don't know about the "best" but the sites with sites with the most traffic in all industries are tallied
monthly at TopJobSites.com. Currently the most popular services
in the niche finance sites are jobsinthemoney.com, and eFinancialCareers.com.
What do you think: Does the most popular always translate to the best?
Email Joyce
Sorry, the volume of mail makes personal replies impossible.