What You Need to Start Freelancing

What You Need to Start FreelancingWhat You Need to Start FreelancingFreelancing isnt all working in your pajamas and cashing client checks. If you want to escape the rat race for good, you need to make sure that youre prepared for both good times and bad. Back your passion with the right preparation, and youll never have to go back to working under those buzzing fluorescent lights ever again. Heres what you need to get started. 10 Things You Need to Start Working as a Freelancer 1. An idea. What do you have to sell that others want to buy? Even if you dont produce widgets, or specialize in a single service, its a good idea to clarify this point before you get started. Think about what differentiates your business from your competitors. Its perfectly fine for your answer to evolve over time and it will but you need to start out with this question in mind. 2. A plan. Think business plans are for people with employees? Think again. A little prep time before you piste out your shin gle will save you time and trouble down the road. You dont need to be pitching to investors in order to benefit from stating, even to yourself, what your goals are. 3. A pricing system. Freelance rates vary widely by industry, geographic area, skillset, and experience. Theres no set formula for determining yours, but a few things to keep in mind are Your rate of pay for the same work at your day job. If you were full-time and salaried, dont forget to add in the value of benefits like health insurance, paid time off, and retirement.Whether you want to bill hourly or by the project. (This will likely change from gig to gig.)Your absolute drop-dead dollar amount. Do elend pitch this number, of course, but keep it in mind. You might accept lower pay when youre starting out and building experience, but youll want to develop an idea of how low is too low, so that you dont keep taking jobs that dont pay enough. Theres no quicker way to become an ex-freelancer than by consistently pricing too low. 4. Savings. The magic number is often listed as three to six months of expenses the more, the better. For most working people, that can see like a prohibitively large of amount of money. Before you give in and give up on your freelance dreams, think big. There are plenty of ways to raise money, without borrowing against your 401(k) or putting everything on a credit card. (Note do not do either of these things.) The best is probably starting your freelance career while you still have a day job, and banking the money you make to take a leap. 5. A client base. The need for money in the bank is just one reason why its a good idea to start freelancing on a small scale while you have a day job another is that youll have an opportunity to build up a roster of clients before you go out on your own. Having two or three solid clients before you get started means that you have a measure of security, right from day one, because youll know, roughly, when youll be paid. Plus, youll ha ve time to work out any kinks in the client-freelancer relationship while you still have a job to fall back on, if things dont work out. 6. A way to handle money. You dont necessarily need an accountant, but you do need a way to keep track of expenses and invoices, and a means of tracking and paying quarterly taxes. Keep your receipts. William Perezoffers a list of deductible expenses here. When you work for someone else, they provide the equipment, from computers to desks to software. When youre on your own, well, its up to you. The upside is that you can set up your work environment in a way that meets your needs, not those of an employer and you can write off your purchases. (See previous, re save your receipts). 8. Discipline. Many people go into freelancing assuming that the best part about it will be flexibility, in terms of time, only to discover that clients get tetchy if they routinely cant get a hold of you during normal business hours, and that its almost impossible to put in 40 or 50 hours a week if you get up at noon. (Almost impossible night owls might prefer a later schedule, and if theyre willing to work at night, and have amenable clients, anything is possible.) Just remember that while your clients cant ask you, for example, to be available for a total of 15 hours a week, but demand instant access whenever they decide those 15 hours should occur, you will need to be accessible. Its a fact of modern working life that everyone is in a hurry, all the time. If youre not available, you wont get or keep the gig. 9. Persistence. Even the most successful and blissfully happy freelancers have dark days, especially in the beginning. Dont be discouraged if you find yourself wondering whether youve made a mistake. If you and the freelance life are a good fit for one another, things will work out. Either way, a bit of self-reflection is any career-minded persons friend. 10. A willingness to reassess. Finally, its a good idea to start off your freelan ce career by setting the goal posts. Decide what you want to accomplish, and by when. At those set intervals, ask yourself if youve achieved your goals. Its OK if the answer is no the important thing is to check in with yourself occasionally, to make sure that freelancing is still providing what you need. The best way to stay on track is to stop and look around from time to time. Read More 9 Types of Freelance Jobs 6 Places to Find Freelance Listings ansprechbar Resume Tips for Freelancers

6 Online Tools That Will Boost Your Productivity

6 Online Tools That Will Boost Your Productivity6 Online Tools That Will Boost Your ProductivityToday we bring you list of the best online tools to help you boost your productivity, save time, money and effort1. InfogramTry it nowDo you have a weird fetish for good looking graphs, charts and infographics? You might want to try this tool. It is free and easy to use. If you like it, you can pay for a premium account to get further advantages.2. NuzzelTry it nowLink up your Facebook and Twitter accounts and always know what is up. This simple tool will tell you, what are the hottest stories among your friends in social media.3. Did They Read It?Try it nowEver wondered if the person has already read that important email? This free email tracker will tell you, if the email was already opened, for how long and where in the world. Pretty useful, huh?4. Font StructTry it nowThis one is for all the graphic designers that are not satisfied with any font out there. Create your custom font for f ree, right now5. Language is a VirusTry it nowAre you a writer, copywriter or something else that involves writing? Try this one. This tool is full of games and exercises to help you improve your writing skills.6. PixlrTry it nowSimple online photoshop-like tool. Not experienced with photoshop? Dont worry, there are two more types of tools to help you with editing your pictures.F.luxTry it nowThis tool is a bonus to our listbecause it is not really online and it doesnt boost your productivity. What it does, is protecting your eyes. This app adapts the color of your screen according to the time of day. If you stare at your screen a lot, you should consider downloading this.Do you like this story? Share it with your friends.Share Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments

The Number One Secret to Writing a Great Resume

The Number One Secret to Writing a Great Resume The Number One Secret to Writing a Great Resume Search the web for resume help or resume advice and youll find lots of pearls of wisdom. All of which are true. But all of which are ultimately misleading.Most resume advice speciesicles will tell you to focus on achievements not responsibilities, or to use lots of action-oriented words, or to be sure you communicate your personal brand. Ive written these articles myself and I meant well, I really did But all of this is what I call bitty advice. Its useful and lots of it is true, but its nibbling around the edges of the problem.What my art teacher taught me about resume writingMy first college art teacher was called Arthur Bagley. He had a beard and unkempt hair and he made teapots. Whenever I hear the phrase doesnt suffer fools gladly I think of Arthur Bagley. He didnt suffer fools glady at all and he immediately decided I was one.I had chosen to study art because I was good at drawing. I had read lots of books and taught myself how to replicate anything. On the first day of class, Arthur asked us to show him art work we had done. I proudly showed him a portrait I had done of a minor celebrity. It was good I was excited to hear what he had to say.Well, he said, after a long pause. It looks just like him.I beamed. I knew it But he hadnt finished.But whats the point? he asked.The point?Why did you do it? What are you saying here?I stammered but I didnt even really understand the question, let alone have an answer.He tossed the drawing back on to my desk with a slight sneer. I think that your drawing has no point other than to show other people that you can copy what you see accurately, he said.Then he paused, turned back to the class and issued one devastating last word on the matter Meaningless.What is the point of your resume?I tell this story because it perfectly sums up the issue with fruchtwein resumes and the reason most resume advice can lead you awry. Before you can follow the tips about adding action words, and focusing on accomplishments not achievements and all the other stuff that resume advice articles generally cover, you have to decide on one thing Whats the point?The Resume StrategyThe number one secret to writing a resume that gets results is simply this Have a strategy.I never start writing a resume without one. I gather tons of information on my client, and without much thought, I could probably write a resume that was impressive on the surface, but lacking a central point. 95% of clients would probably walk away happy with that, and some of them might even get good jobs.But thats not enough for me and it shouldnt be enough for you. Because by doing more, you can dramatically increase your success rate. The way to do that is by determining your own strategy (and by the way, its OK to have several resumes, each with a different strategy and each to be used in different situations).The Resume Strategy FormulaHeres how I develop a resume strategy when working with my clients 1. What does the person want to do next. Clear target positions are essential for a strong resume. If you dont really know what you want to do next, your resume will reflect that and it will fail. 2. What matters most to employers in that field? If you dont know the answer to this question, research is key. You will need to understand their needs in depth if you are to write a resume that appeals to them. Study as many job postings as you can to identify the required skills, experiences and personal traits. 3. What do you have to offer that matches employer needs? Dig into your background, experiences and personality traits and write down everything that meets the needs of your target employers. When youre done, summarize this into a short description of how you will add value. 4. Develop your strategy and keep your resume content focused on communicating that message. This is hard, but you will need to omit or minimize informatio n that doesnt show employers why you are the perfect fit to solve their problems. You might be dying to boast about this or that accomplishment, but if its extraneous to requirements it will only distract from your central message. Stay focusedArthur would be proudAfter a few months of art classes with Arthur, I had moved from copying the things I saw to painting wild, imaginative landscapes inspired by poetry. I was never a technically skilled or particularly gifted artist, but finally my art work had a point.If you follow my resume writing strategy formula, you will be able to say the same about your resume. Arthur Bagley would be proudNeed more help with your resume? Sign up for my free resume writing course. No spam ever just two weeks of emails teaching you how to develop and implement a solid resume strategy.Photo by Keith Williamson

ASME E-Fest Season Opens with Events in India and California

ASME E-Fest Season Opens with Events in India and California ASME E-Fest Season Opens with Events in India and California ASME E-Fest Season Opens with Events in India and CaliforniaMore than 1,000 people attended E-Fest Asia Pacific at Delhi Technological University last month, making it the biggest E-Fest so far.ASME kicked off the second year of its Engineering Festivals (E-Fest) program last month with two events E-Fest Asia Pacific in Delhi, India, and E-Fest West in Pomona, Calif. More than 1,600 people attended the two festivals, which featured panel discussions, workshops, networking and social activities, and student competitions such as the philanthropisch Powered Vehicle Challenge, the Student Design Competition and the Old Guard Competitions.With more than 1,000 attendees, ASME E-Fest Asia Pacific, which welches held March 16-18 at Delhi Technological University, was the largest E-Fest organized so far. Following an opening ceremony featuring representatives from Delhi T echnological University including Honorable Vice Chancellor Professor Yogesh Singh, Pro Vice Chancellor S.K. Garg and Pro Vice Chancellor Anu Singh Latherm, economic analyst and business writer Pranjal Sharma delivered the festivals keynote address. The gruppe from Vellore Institute of Technology was the overall winner of the menschengerecht Powered Vehicle Challenge (HPVC) at E-Fest Asia Pacific. The gruppe also finished first in the plan category and third in the mens speed event.During his presentation, Sharma, the author of Kranti Nation India and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, discussed how mobile technology has transformed the world, observing that the mobile in your hand is fundamentally changing the way we live and work. After identifying the four major industrial revolutions that have taken place since the late 1800s involving steam, electricity, computers, and now, the Internet of Things (IOT) he observed, The divide we saw because of earlier industrial revolutions between a worker and a manager that is going away. (The divide between) an engineer and a non-engineer that is going away. Engineer is not an exclusive term anymore. Everybody can do things because the technology is easier to use.The opening day of E-Fest Asia Pacific also marked the beginning of the events Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (HPVC) with the arrival and registration of the nearly 40 teams participating in the competition, followed by safety inspections and design presentations by each team to the HPVC judges. Over the course of the next two days, the student teams put their vehicles to the test during three exciting events mens and womens drag races on Saturday, March 17, followed by a two-and-half hour endurance event on Sunday, March 18. At the end of the competition, the team from Vellore Institute of Technology emerged as the overall HPVC winner. The team also placed first in the design category and third in the mens speed event. The team from B. H. G ardi College of Engineering and Technology placed second overall, as well as third in the womens speed event and the endurance race. Finishing third overall was the HPVC team from the E-Fests host, Delhi Technological University. The team also took first place in the womens and mens speed events and third in the design category. Members of the team from Vasavi College of Engineering prepare their vehicle, Velox 2.0, for the HPVC at E-Fest Asia Pacific.Other big winners at E-Fest Asia Pacific included Team Jaani Doucheman from Shiv Nadar University, which took home the $500 first prize at the Student Design Competition Robot Football challenge Aliva Dash from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, who received top honors and a $750 prize at the Old Guard Oral Competition Samarpan Dev Majunder from the Institute of Engineering Management (IEM) Kolkata who finished first in the Old Guard Poster Competition, receiving $300 and Sai Ganesh of Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (CBIT) Hyderabad, who received $250 as the winner of the events Impromptu rechneruntersttzte konstruktion Battle.The second E-Fest of the season, E-Fest West, took place from March 23-25 at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif. Students from the state of South Dakota performed impressively in most of the competitions held at the festival, which drew a crowd of nearly 650 people. The team from South Dakota State, the overall winner of the HPVC at E-Fest West in Pomona, Calif., also took top honors in the womens speed event and for innovation.South Dakota State Universitys HPVC team placed first overall at the E-Fest West Human Powered Vehicle Challenge, as well as in the womens speed event and the innovation category. In addition, the team finishing second in both the mens speed event and the endurance race and third in the design category. The team from California State University, Northridge, the overall runner-up in the competition, took top honors in the endurance race, and second place in both the womens speed event and the innovation category. The University of California, Berkeley, team rounded out the top three teams overall and picked up a second-place award for design as well as a special Craftsmanship Award for their vehicle.In addition to its overall win at the E-Fest West HPVC, South Dakota State fared well in the Old Guard Oral Competition, with students Claire Eggleston and Christian Hogan taking home second and third-place prizes, respectively. A student from another South Dakota university, Josiah Horner of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, received the first prize at a different Old Guard-sponsored student contest held at E-Fest West, the Old Guard Poster Competition. Three representatives from Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) - Kathy de Paolo, Mike Goslin and Nikki Katz - discussed their careers during the E-Fest West keynote presentation, Bringing Disney Magic to Families and Fans Through Technology.The University of Las Vegas, Nevada took top honors and received a $500 prize at the festivals other major student contest, the Student Design Competition Robot Football challenge. California State University, Northridges team placed second in the competition, receiving $300, while the team from Utah State University won the $150 third prize.The student competitions aside, other highlights of E-Fest West in Pomona included a special student leadership training session titled Design Thinking and an E4C Engineering for Social Change panel session on March 23 a career development workshop led by Tom Munnerlyn of the Career Center at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, a Future Mini-Talks session titled Making a Successful Transition from College to Career, and an Impromptu CAD Battle and 3D Workshop hosted by Simon Pun of Divergent 3D on March 24 and the session Design for the Next Generation of Engineers sponsored by Siemens featuri ng John Devitry, a research fellow at Utah State University, on March 25. Colin Brady of San Jose State University (left) presents his work during the Old Guard Poster Competition at E-Fest West.Another major attraction at E-Fest West was the keynote luncheon, Bringing Disney Magic to Families and Fans Through Technology, featuring three representatives from Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) Nikki Katz, vice president of technology Kathy de Paolo, vice president of engineering and Mike Goslin, DCPIs vice president of advanced development. During the two-hour presentation, the three executives discussed their experiences as engineers working at Disney, opportunities for women in the engineering field, and hot trends in engineering including social engineering.The keynote received an enthusiastic response from the students in the audience, including Angel Nunez, a sophomore from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The Disney keynote was my favorite so far, he said. They did explain their jobs, but they went back a little and explained how they got there. Thats the part most of us want to know we want to do what youre doing, but how do we start? Nunez, who also attended E-Fest West last year, was similarly impressed with the E-Fest program overall, adding, Keep on doing what you guys are doing. Im looking forward to my third one next year. Doug Stainbrook (right), technical manager for the Solid Edge Academic Team at Siemens PLM Software, shares knowledge with a student at E-Fest West. Siemens was a platinum sponsor of the event.The third in the series of E-Fests to be held this spring, E-Fest East, will take place from April 13 to 15 at Penn State University in State College, Pa. For more information on the event, or to register, visit https//efesteast.asme.org.

Hearsay, Lies and Star Resume

Hearsay, Lies and Star Resume Obviously you may not be in a position to do this for each work function but approaching your resume writing this way will allow you to develop a strong, quantifiable document. Even though a normal CV could just list relevant bullet points, a STAR-based CV stipulates a concise narrative that provides a much fuller picture of your competencies and the way youve previously set them into practice. Submitting an excellent CV with your work application is just the very first step in the practice of landing your next dream job, but should you get your CV wrong your odds of succeeding could be foiled before your abilities have the opportunity to generate a very good impression. Hopefully you may see the template gives a very simple way to supply a concise and precise answer. Whispered Star Resume Secrets Now here are some more specific tips which could just create the difference. Quantifiable results are results that you can speak about using numbers. There are a few general strategies that you have to adopt and then some particular strategies and suggestions. Theyve a need and need to purchase the brand that most fits it. Star Resume - What Is It? Nobody cares about your career goals at the moment. Thats why, we wish to assist you in finding an A better career to be a better version of yourself. Looking at a number of the star players in this league. The Star Resume Cover Up Formatting may also be a significant part the resume writing process. Formats of resumes have emerged. Templates may be used for making CV, resume so as to apply for jobs. Result Job seekers often neglect to mention the outcomes of the project they worked on. It sounded the same as a work description in place of a resume of private success You should make sure your resume summary statement concisely demonstrates why youre a perfect candidate for the particular job and business. Be certain to tailor your resume summary to the particular job list ing. What Everybody Dislikes About Star Resume and Why Not only do you have to list your relevant qualifications and experience, but you should demonstrate how youve set your knowledge into practice in prior jobs. These positions demand a high amount of technical skill and knowledge from the individual who fills the position. When deciding what to include, you should begin by thinking about the nature of your prospective employers, your degree of experience, along with the abilities and certifications desired. Evaluate and reflect upon your background to recognize your abilities and experiences regarding the position. binnensee whether you can talk straight to the hiring manager or recruiter to become personalized insights on the very best problems the business is facing. You must be that brand, and thats about the greatest general bit of career advice you will receive. Johns resume helped in developing a foundation. You only have to be conscious of the organizations culture . Then I will ask what imprint did the applicant leave on such culture. To begin with, I listened attentively to the client and clarified the reason because of his complaint to ensure I fully understood. The interviewer will want to find out what you were attempting to achieve from the scenario. And should you mention something about your current or past employment on social networking, make sure the detail isnt in conflict with what youre putting on your resumes. Employing this framework enables you to adequately prepare the context along with define the results of a challenge that youve tackled. Behavioral interviewing is a technique employed by interviewers to appraise your previous behavior so as to predict your future behavior in a certain circumstance. In reality since I had mine redone with a different writer Ive gotten results at once. Results Finally, youll be requested to describe the outcome. Most Noticeable Star Resume This will assist the employer see how you re a great fit for the job. Giving generalizations are not going to help the employer understand and rate your behavior and techniques. Employers want to learn what you did rather than that which you would do in a particular situation. Your resume needs to stand out to make it through the very first selection round. The possible destruction that may be levied by a bad hire in leadership positions is quite scary. At this time you could just incorporate the simple fact that you managed inventory in your prior position. The main advantage is it helps your resume stand out. If you say you are trying to get a position in marketing that will permit me to advance to management, then its about you, and it is a loser.

Know What an Old Pro Thinks About Writing Career Profile on Resume

Know What an Old Pro Thinks About Writing Career Profile on Resume The Foolproof Writing Career Profile on Resume Strategy Working with an expert LinkedIn profile writer is a wise investment in your job hunt and might help you land that dream position. Stating an objective on your resume is a means to convince employers that you understand what you want in work, though a profile explains what you need to give the employer and can help sell your candidacy. The job posting also takes a candidate with a proven ability to evaluate the skills of different nurses. Keeping your resume current is something that lots of professionals dont think of. Be certain to include any additional, relevant training you have gotten. Relying solely on endorsements or recommendations means youll miss the large opportunity your network presents. Learn about the three sorts of skills youre able to highlight and the way youre able to incorporate them into your resume. The skills required vary based o n the field youre applying for. The profile isnt a succession of sentences, but instead a series strategically placed words and phrases. Theywork best for somebody who has lots of experience, since they work as a highlight reel of your previous accomplishments. When you receive a job, you barely have enough time to do laundry. There are two or three routes you may take with resume writing. If youre targeting a particular position, you might wish to compose a resume objective. Career summaries on the opposite greifhand subtly reveals the desire for work, while listing the most effective hard and soft skill sets a candidate offers. Your resume should be formatted in an easy, professional method. The writing varies in accordance with the experience. If youve got a resume for writing and work nicely with people, then a resume writing business could possibly be lucrative small business prospect. Or you can supply a full overview of your professional history. Writing a great c areer summary doesnt need to be an intimidating experience.