How freelancers can avoid getting stiffed, part two
September 5, 2010 | Posted by Michelle Goodman
In my last post, I offered some precautions self-employed workers can take to avoid getting burned by clients who don't pay. [Photo by wsssst] But what if, despite your best deadbeat radar, the many precautions you took at the start of a project, and your repeated attempts to claim your cash, you still find yourself dealing with a freeloading client who won't send payment? Some suggestions for what to do next: Withhold any pending work for the client. Don't look this gift leverage in the mouth: If the client really wants their project completed, they'll pay the amount they owe you to date. Besides, you don't want to risk not getting paid a second time. Deal directly with Accounts Payable. Forget sending repeated requests for payment to the editor, art director, or project manager who hired you to do the job. It's time to bypass your contact and deal
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How freelancers can avoid getting stiffed, part one
September 3, 2010 | Posted by Michelle Goodman
Gigaom ran an interesting post this week previewing soon-to-be-announced survey findings by freelance job bidding site Elance. [Photo by stuartpilbrow] According to the Elance survey, more people are opting to work as independent professionals rather than finding themselves working as free agents by default. Although Elance has a vested interest in painting freelancing as an employment Mecca, its findings -- that 70 percent of survey respondents say they're happier working solo than they were at as an employee and 60 percent say they're committed to freelancing for the long haul -- don't surprise me. An overwhelming majority of the freelancers I've met and interviewed since the late nineties have said the same. But as a Crain's New York Business article reminded this week, there are of course big downsides to running your own employment show: chief among them, clients who are either obnoxiously late with payments or altogether delinquent. As Crain's noted:
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So you want to work for a nonprofit, part two
August 26, 2010 | Posted by Michelle Goodman
In my last post, I spoke to Heather Krasna, author of Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service, about the difference between job hunting in the nonprofit sector and the for-profit world. [Heather Krasna | Photo by Karen Orders Photography] In this post, Krasna, who's also Director of Career Services at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs, offers some additional insight into how working in the nonprofit sector differs from working for a corporation or a government organization. Q. You've said that nonprofit work tends to be more creative and entrepreneurial. Why is that? A. It's hard to generalize about nonprofits because there are 1.6 million nonprofit organizations in the United States and 8.7 million people working in them. They range from tiny, all-volunteer organizations to enormous institutions like nonprofit hospitals and universities. In many cases, though, the work can be more creative
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So you want to work for a nonprofit, part one
August 26, 2010 | Posted by Michelle Goodman
It's no secret that the recession has left many displaced and disgruntled workers wondering whether they can find a more meaningful way to make a living. Working in the nonprofit sector is obviously one option. But as local author Heather Krasna writes in her new book, Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service, job hunting in the nonprofit sector is a bit different than doing so in the for-profit one. I asked Krasna, who's Director of Career Services at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs, for her top tips on breaking into the nonprofit job market. Here's what she had to say. Q. What do nonprofits want to see most in a candidate? A. Proven commitment to the mission of the organization is key. Many people choose to work for nonprofits because they are deeply passionate about a cause, like protecting the environment,
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More freebies for job seekers
August 24, 2010 | Posted by Michelle Goodman
Wondering what the heck professional branding is, how it can help your job search, and how to do it? Bryant & Stratton College Online can help. Today, at 11 a.m. (PST), the school will present a free, hour-long webinar called Build Your Professional Brand. Whether you're employed, looking for work, or still in school, this virtual class promises to show you how to successfully package your "professional strengths, attributes, interests, and experience" to impress potential employers. (Free registration here.) If you can't make today's webinar, not to worry. On September 16, at 9 a.m. (PST), the school will offer another free, hour-long webinar, called How to Build a Resilient Career. In this class, you'll get tips for making smarter choices in your career, claiming your successes (as well as owning up to your mistakes), and formulating a solid strategy when your job (or your job search) doesn't go as planned.
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