Use your networks
You can find many contracts by word of mouth. The more you put yourself out there, the more contracting work you’ll hear about.
Talk to:
- people you’ve worked with
- friends and family
- relevant professional associations
- contacts on professional networking sites, like LinkedIn.
Let people know you’re looking for work, what you’re looking for and when, and your skills.
Building your networks takes time. Check in with people regularly, not just when you’re looking for your next contract.
How to grow your freelance business through networking - Hnry
Build a good reputation
In contracting, your reputation is everything. Do a good job and your next contract will be much easier to find. If you don’t have the right skills to do a contract, be honest.
People often judge contractors more critically than other team members, so remember to always be professional.
Make time to look for your next contract
Budget and plan time to network and look for contracts. Meet people for coffees, speak to agencies and keep an eye on industry news and jobs sites.
Depending on the type of contracting you are doing, you might be able to build a sales pipeline to keep track of upcoming contracts and capacity to take on more work.
Use recruitment agencies
A good recruitment agency knows when and where contracts are coming up before you will. Choose agencies that specialise in your industry. Register with a few agencies. As you go, you’ll probably find the best that understand your situation and skills.
Help getting the hours and rate you'd like
Recruitment agents can:
- help you understand the market and negotiate terms of your contract
- tell you about things you might need, like professional insurance.
Ask other contractors with similar skill sets what they would charge for a piece of work – this can be useful if you feel awkward talking about money.
Agencies add fees to your rate, so if you contract directly with an organisation, you may have a better chance of getting a higher rate. You can use a mixture of agencies and direct contracting – you don’t need to use one or the other.
Keep your CV up to date
Make sure the information on your CV is current and that it can be easily tailored to suit different roles, so you can send it out quickly whenever needed.
Keep a list of skills and experience you can quickly insert, based on what the client is looking for.
Send your recruitment agents an updated copy of your CV each time you change it.
Search job sites
Some contracts are advertised on online job and tender pages, like the New Zealand Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS). Keep an eye out and sign up for emailed job alerts.
Be flexible
The more flexible you are, the more contracts you can choose from. Don’t rule out working for organisations you wouldn’t consider if you were looking for permanent work.
Be flexible about your rate too, especially if you’re just starting out. Don’t undersell yourself, but be prepared to have a range.
Show you understand the client
People often hire contractors to fill a gap, solve a problem or tackle a job that urgently needs doing. Show clients you can quickly fit in, get the job done and have the skills to address whatever it is they need. This will help build your reputation.
Don't get too settled
When your contract keeps being extended, don’t get too comfortable. Start looking for your next contract about a month before the end of each contract.
Give yourself as many options as you can by phoning your agencies, meeting people for coffee and keeping a close eye on the market.
Think about if you want to stay
When you’re offered a contract renewal, ask yourself if you really want to stay. Even if you don’t have anything else lined up, only stay if your current job is in your best interest professionally.
It’s common to have gaps between contracts. Budget for being out of work for at least two months a year and have a buffer of savings to cover unplanned gaps.
Think about the time of year
If you’re deciding between two contracts, pay attention to when each one ends. For example, it can be hard to get new contracts between December and February, when organisations wind down for Christmas and summer.
If you contract to government agencies, there can be opportunities for work in the run-up to an election.
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