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Professional Certification for Freelancers and Home-Based Businesses
When we think of technical certification, most of us think of the seemingly endless jumble of letters that follow the names of information technology experts—MCSE, MCSA, A+, CCNA, etc. These certifications serve as standardized, objective...
Resume Writing - Tips and Advise
Job-hunting is not the most exciting thing in the world but you can make it easier. The key is organization. Keep a record of companies you have applied and any contacts that may or may not have with them. One of the first things you need to do be...
Teachers, Don't Let Your Students Drop Out of School: A Dozen Dynamite Ways to Detour Dropouts
You may have read this headline in your local newspaper this week: "Dropout Rate Getting Worse." The article noted thatt despite all the advancements made in our society, we still do not know how to ensure that we fully educate all of our young....
The Background On Background Checks
In one of my past lives I held a Top Secret clearance as a Civil Service employee working for the Air Force. So I am familiar with background checks. But many job seekers are not. Here's a little background on background checks...
More companies...
Vault's Top Consulting Firms
It should come as no surprise that the top ten consulting firms in the US contain significant Big Four representation. Of the top ten, four of the firms are
Big Four companies (or have their roots in Big Four companies ), and three of...
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The Job Loss Myth
Presidential candidate John Kerry is fond of stating that “... not since Herbert Hoover has any president lost more jobs than George W. Bush.” And there is a kernel of truth to the statement; thanks to technology, jobs require less human intervention to complete. However, a larger factor in this seeming loss of employment is due to the evolution of the American workforce from a lot indentured to the confines of one company or one job title toward the Jeffersonian ideal of every person being a free agent, or indie.
The explosion in the number of people going indie has a number of causes. Downsizing created the realization that “job security” isn’t something other people provide, but something you have to create. Two-income families discovered that with their increased tax burden and overhead expenses for daycare, cleaning, housekeeping services, home maintenance and lawn care, a second income from paid full-time employment can actually be a liability. Individuals interested in becoming self-employed can segue more easily from employee to entrepreneur via the indie route. Finally, career changers can obtain valuable experience and networking opportunities in their field of choice with contract work.
Indies may lose company-provided benefits, but that doesn’t mean they are without means. As an independent contractor, they are eligible to create Medical Savings Accounts, or they may be eligible to participate in a group health plan through organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce. They can create their own retirement programs via SEP, SIMPLE, or IRA investments, or the direct purchase of government-backed I-bonds. If they work out of their homes, they have access to extensive tax deductions not
available to wage earners.
What kind of jobs are available to independent contractors? Well, here are some of the indie jobs I’ve done:
1)Telephone psychic ($20.00 per hour, work from home)
2)Mystery shopper ($15.00 per hour + expenses)
3)Virtual assistant ($15.00 - $30.00 per hour, depending on the task)
4)Editor ($35.00 per hour)
5)Ghostwriter ($50.00 per hour)
Many creative and professional jobs, such as technical writers, webmasters, graphic designers, programmers, teachers and tutors, etc. are done by independent contractors on a project-by-project basis. However, the FedEx Home Delivery and Schwann’s Ice Cream drivers are also independent contractors, so not having professional credentials is not necessarily a barrier to indie work.
Not everyone is suited to life as an indie. If you absolutely need the structure imposed by a job, a manager and a time clock in order to function, then don’t consider going indie. If, however, you like having some freedom, are self-disciplined enough to complete jobs on time without being told, and can organize your day and yourself to maximize your productivity and meet your clients’ needs, you have the necessary personality traits to become a successful independent contractor.
Ignore the gloom and doom scenario painted by politicians eager to have a job with perks you pay for. Join the indie revolution, and gain an income – and a life – without a traditional job. It’s a choice you won’t want the government to “help” you out of.
About the Author
Jean Fritz indies in the areas of copywriting, editing and graphic design. She can be reached via e-mail or through her website, JMT Publications http://jmtpubs.tripod.com).
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