Staying in touch helps allay employers’ worries | Jun 30th 2006
By Jacqueline DooleyÂ
October 2006 marks my four-year anniversary of self-employment although technically I took a seven-month hiatus from self-employed bliss (from August 2005 through February 2006) to work full time at a media buying agency.
Now that I am a full-fledged freelancer once again, I am frequently in the position of selling my services to various companies.
In the past, I’d found that large agencies — the Madison Avenue type — were reluctant to work with a remote employee and dead set against working with a freelancer. In fact, it almost seemed like freelancer was a four-letter word, but this perception seems to be changing and I am beginning to work for some very large agencies or directly for well-known companies.
In many cases, I am the first freelance marketer working directly with these companies. This is a great opportunity for me to prove freelance and/or remote employees can be as dedicated and effective as internal employees.
I would love to be the person who opens up a CEO’s eyes to the tremendous hiring potential of a remote, freelance, nontraditional work force. I know there are others out there like me — eager to work, dedicated to their industry, but disenchanted with traditional 9-to-5 jobs. In many cases, this work force consists of parents who must juggle the needs of child care and family with their careers.
I’ve never been a big proponent of climbing the corporate ladder. I love doing the work and I’ve been dedicated to figuring out how I can keep doing it rather than being promoted to a management position that takes it all away. Freelancing is my solution.
Follow the rules
There are some rules I think are essential to follow to prove your worth, dedication and capacity to be an indispensable resource to a company as a freelance, remote employee.
Be extremely accessible: When I speak with nervous human resource departments or vice presidents who have never worked with freelancers, they are very concerned I’m going to misrepresent their company, harm their client or be inaccessible when I’m most needed.
I address this by providing several ways for them to contact me including an e-mail address, phone number and often my instant messenger nickname. I also inform them of my standard response time to e-mails or phone messages (generally one to two hours).
Set regular office hours and stick to them: This is a very important fact to communicate to new or prospective clients. Stating that you are at your desk and available for questions, assignments and support from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or whatever hours you decide on) seems basic, but it’s easy to overlook. Simply stating it on the phone and reinforcing it via an e-mail can often ease the concerns of people who are wary of freelancers because of the misconception that we are unreliable.
Reach out frequently: Working on my own does not truly give me the freedom to come and go as I please. I have deadlines to keep and people who depend on me to get things done. If I’m going to be late to work, I send out an e-mail. If I’m going to miss a deadline, I call my client and explain why and ask for an extension. A five-minute phone call to touch base works wonders for client confidence — even if my 2-year-old is in the background crying or singing her ABCs.
Keep an updated resume: Traditional employers respond well to traditional employment documentation.
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This article was published in the Poughkeepsie Journal on Saturday, June 24th, 2006.