Go It Alone: How to Boost Your Career in a Weak Economy

Go It Alone: How to Boost Your Career in a Weak Economy - By: Angela Stringfellow, Posted on: 2008-07-27

With companies in the United States laying off employees left and right, raising our unemployment rate to the highest it’s been since late 2004, working for a big company is no longer a guarantee of steady employment. Even workers who have dedicated twenty years or more to the same company, expecting loyalty in return for loyalty are being laid off in favor of less experienced, cheaper labor or in favor of offshoring those same tasks.

With gas prices soaring, many employees who haven’t yet been axed are opting to seek out employment alternatives that will allow them to work closer to home, or better yet, from a home office entirely. Then we have Generation Y, which has been tapped to be the entrepreneurial leaders of the future. The face of the U.S. workforce is changing. We are rapidly becoming a culture of independent thinkers, shying away from traditional molds of what careers used to be. No longer is it common for a professional to stay with one company for the life of his or her career. Working for one company will typically get you a cost-of-living salary increase, and maybe a bit of a merit increase. By switching jobs, you can leverage your experience and negotiate a higher starting salary.

Given these facts, it is clear that the new focus is not on your employer, but on your talent and your career. Your first priority must be to seek out those opportunities which develop and challenge your skills. To this end, it only makes sense to lean more towards a model of contract employment. Workers can freely move from one project to the next, without having to worry about dealing with office drama or politics, gaining a variety of experiences that can be used to build an impressive portfolio. Job burnout can quickly be solved by moving on to a new project with a new company. Companies are alleviated from the burden of keeping employees on staff who are not productive for fear of being accused of wrongful termination, as well as not being responsible for offering extensive benefit packages to lure employees to work for them.

While some may resist the trend for a long time to come, particularly companies run by traditionally-minded managers who are stuck in a micro-management rut, you can take action now to help secure your future and your ability to provide for your family -- no matter what may happen to the economy or to any particular company. Becoming an independent consultant is one of the best ways to fully leverage your income potential and take advantage of down times in the economy, rather than suffer from them.
Almost everyone has a marketable skill that could be offered on a freelance or contract basis. You may have specialized knowledge in a certain field, and could offer your services as a consultant. The more experience you gain, the more projects listed in your portfolio and the more satisfied customers you have, the more you can charge for your services. A weak economy is a great time to break out on your own, because more and more companies will be outsourcing tasks, making projects easier to find. Once you’ve developed a clientele and you’re on top of your game, your own career will be more stable because if one company you’re working for goes under, you can simply pick up additional projects with other companies.

Freelancing is an opportunity for you to build an impressive set of skills working for a variety of companies, and often on a variety of different tasks. It’s also the best way to make an impressive income, because rather than having to ask your boss for a raise, you can increase your own hourly rate, or take on more difficult projects. Your earning potential is based on your pure value, and the expertise you can bring your clients.

It’s now easier than ever to become an independent consultant with the rise of employer-of-record companies, like MBO Partners, that handle back office operations and make it unnecessary to set up a formal business structure. You can avoid the complexities of small business accounting and trying to collect from your clients, as companies like this may handle all your invoicing and receivables, and even withhold taxes on your behalf. These emerging companies often also offer independent consultants access to a number of benefits that are typically available to employees of corporations, such as access to group healthcare benefits and retirement savings plans.

The facts prove that our economy and the way we work are changing. Are you going to continue to let someone else own (and make a profit on) your talent, or will you take charge of your own future?

Article Source:- Directory Submission & Sexy Deepika Padukone

Angela Stringfellow is a marketing communications consultant and an MBO Partners associate. Visit their website, MBO Partners.

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Careers Articles Via RSS!

Additional Articles From - Home | Business | Careers

Link building Service
Directory Submission Service
Seo Services Company
Article Syndication

	Print This Article
	Post Comment
	Add To Favorites
	Email to Friends
	Ezine Ready

Submit Articles
Member Login
Top Authors
Most Popular Articles
Submission Guidelines
Ezine Notifications
Article RSS Feeds

Yoga's World
All Information On Yoga

Top Authors
Most Popular Articles
Submission Guidelines
Ezine Notifications
Article RSS Feeds

New Stuff
About Us
Site Blog
Forum
Link to Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

Ezine Article
Article Directory

EzinesArticle.Com » Copyright © 2006 ~ All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service | Submission Guidelines | Contact Us | Link to Us