5 Most Common Mistakes Made by Contractors
Contracting is a great alternative to a full-time job but it also means you need to watch out for yourself much more than a company's full-time employee does. Here are the 5 most common mistakes we've seen contractors make that are completely avoidable and inexcusable.
1. Shy About Self Marketing or "I'm an introvert!" excuse
Contractors/Consultants often believe if they keep their head down and do a good job - nice things will happen to them. They forget good things can happen only to people who put themselves in positions to have good things happen to them. Almost everyone now has a Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter account Use these to highlight your skills and experience and what you know and care about.
Get Endorsed: Your customers/hiring managers may love you so why not get endorsed on your public profile, so anyone looking at your profile knows this without even asking.
2. Not Networking Till its Required- "I know a few recruiters" assumption
Chances are the recruiters you know moved on, lost that client, changed their focus and are not looking out for you. Don't wait till you need a job to start networking and connecting. This should be an ongoing exercise and not a last minute scramble.
"Won't I get spammed"? Most recruiters have 'plenty of fish' and even if you are a 'Rockstar' they won't bug you if you don't respond as you could report them as spam and no one wants that.
So get out there and start networking with people you find interesting. Unlike at a party, in the online world you can pick who you want to network with.
3. Not Staying Current on New Hiring and Staffing companies- "I know everything" assumption
Don't lock yourself to a single client company or a staffing agency. New companies are getting funded every day and new companies are moving into your town every day and are hungry for talent and paying higher rates. Don't have time to read Techcrunch, Geekwire, PSBJ, Seattle Times- several sites let you track and follow companies. Setup alerts to stay abreast- Google Alerts, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
4. Not Staying Current with Skills- "I'm good at what I do" assumption
As a contractor you never know when you will become redundant. There is no HR/Training department that is mandating you attend trainings. Projects get scrapped, deprioritized and contractors are the first to let go. You need to keep abreast of what skills are hot. The best way to do this is to keep an eye on what positions are coming available, what skills are being sought and why?
5. Not Knowing Your Market Rate- "My pay is good. My buddy told me so!" assumption
Your buddy probably doesn't know any better and your recruiter has no incentive to tell you otherwise. Unfortunately contracting rates are a "Zero Sum" game. The staffing company gets to keep the portion of the rate they don't pay you. Try to keep the staffing company markup reasonable by knowing what your market rate is.
There are plenty of sites like PayScale, salary.com that give you this information.
Don't make these mistakes and you'll be ahead of the majority of contractors and can enjoy the benefits of the independent contractor life.
1. Shy About Self Marketing or "I'm an introvert!" excuse
Contractors/Consultants often believe if they keep their head down and do a good job - nice things will happen to them. They forget good things can happen only to people who put themselves in positions to have good things happen to them. Almost everyone now has a Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter account Use these to highlight your skills and experience and what you know and care about.
Get Endorsed: Your customers/hiring managers may love you so why not get endorsed on your public profile, so anyone looking at your profile knows this without even asking.
2. Not Networking Till its Required- "I know a few recruiters" assumption
Chances are the recruiters you know moved on, lost that client, changed their focus and are not looking out for you. Don't wait till you need a job to start networking and connecting. This should be an ongoing exercise and not a last minute scramble.
"Won't I get spammed"? Most recruiters have 'plenty of fish' and even if you are a 'Rockstar' they won't bug you if you don't respond as you could report them as spam and no one wants that.
So get out there and start networking with people you find interesting. Unlike at a party, in the online world you can pick who you want to network with.
3. Not Staying Current on New Hiring and Staffing companies- "I know everything" assumption
Don't lock yourself to a single client company or a staffing agency. New companies are getting funded every day and new companies are moving into your town every day and are hungry for talent and paying higher rates. Don't have time to read Techcrunch, Geekwire, PSBJ, Seattle Times- several sites let you track and follow companies. Setup alerts to stay abreast- Google Alerts, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
4. Not Staying Current with Skills- "I'm good at what I do" assumption
As a contractor you never know when you will become redundant. There is no HR/Training department that is mandating you attend trainings. Projects get scrapped, deprioritized and contractors are the first to let go. You need to keep abreast of what skills are hot. The best way to do this is to keep an eye on what positions are coming available, what skills are being sought and why?
5. Not Knowing Your Market Rate- "My pay is good. My buddy told me so!" assumption
Your buddy probably doesn't know any better and your recruiter has no incentive to tell you otherwise. Unfortunately contracting rates are a "Zero Sum" game. The staffing company gets to keep the portion of the rate they don't pay you. Try to keep the staffing company markup reasonable by knowing what your market rate is.
There are plenty of sites like PayScale, salary.com that give you this information.
Don't make these mistakes and you'll be ahead of the majority of contractors and can enjoy the benefits of the independent contractor life.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pradeep_K_Chauhan
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