Who is Getting Project Work, and How?

FINALLY. We are seeing a steady stream of consulting projects and perm positions coming in the door again. But there are also thousands of unemployed and under-employed pros vying for jobs as layoffs continue on both coasts and everywhere in between.

Suddenly, everyone wants to be a consultant. The battle for work heats up again and only the strongest and smartest will survive.

High Tech Connect has a unique vantage point with nationwide clients large and small, agencies and non-profits, new college graduates as well as seasoned industry experts, freelance contractors and newly unemployed perm candidates. We know what it takes to be successful in this challenging market.

Here are a few tips to help you stand out at the top of the candidate pool:

VERSATILE & PROACTIVE: Regardless of your background, the more versatile you are the more valuable you are to clients. You need to be equally strategic and tactical. Clients and employers are still extremely stressed and understaffed. There is little time for formal training or even project direction, so you must be proactive and assertive. Everything you do from the résumé, interview and follow-up needs to assure the client, “I’ll do whatever it takes to make you look great.”

SOCIAL SAVVY: Eighty percent of hiring managers are using LinkedIn to find candidates so if you haven’t yet posted your qualifications and recommendations on LinkedIn, you’re missing opportunities. And every project, from writing to exec comm, now requires some element of social media marketing. If you are still in denial about social media, you will no longer be relevant to today’s employers. High Tech Connect uses a proprietary database, LinkedIn and Facebook to find the right connections for clients because “perfect” candidates are moving targets more than ever before.

RUN A “REAL” BUSINESS: Being an independent consultant requires more than just printed business cards. You are a business owner and the IRS is increasingly auditing people who don’t correctly operate their sole proprietorship. They are also scrutinizing corporate clients for misclassified contractors and leveraging million-dollar penalties. Because of the risks involved with hiring consultants, more clients are requiring sole proprietors to incorporate and carry business liability insurance, or using placement agencies like High Tech Connect who will payroll you.

Finally, while you may be great at marketing a product or service for your employer or clients, you may not feel as comfortable marketing yourself. Take inventory of the tools and techniques in your marketing arsenal and don’t be shy to use them for your personal brand. Call a friend who can give you honest feedback or trade services with another communications colleague whose expertise augments yours.

There’s no time to waste. Projects and jobs are popping up everywhere and you need to be poised for success. Go get ‘em!

Have some of your own tips to share? Leave a comment here and share this post with your colleagues.