Skip the Hunt, 5 Tips on Making Your Own Job

Does the whole job search and employment process seem convoluted, confusing and simply disappointing? I’ve felt like that many times. Jumping through hoops only to get denied or land a low-wage job that I pretty much hate. I ditched that cycle 10 years ago. You can, too.

The times that I’ve completed an application, submitted a resume and gone through a formal interview process have been very few in my professional career. These days, I continue to envision the ideal assignment for myself and pursue clients and opportunities in line with that vision. It was this way of thinking about money and self-employment that would eventually get us on the path to becoming totally debt free.

Whether moonlighting or trying to make a full living, the skill of making your own job is invaluable. Here are 5 tips on how you can leave the traditional, sometimes nerve-racking, process of job hunting/employment and make your own job.

1) Dream

This is really vision casting. Make a list of what you’d like to do. Interior design? Social media marketing? Money management? Write down exactly what you’d like to do. This will help you pitch a position to your potential client that only you can fill. When you respond to job postings, you are usually boxed into the vision of the hiring manager or department head. The goal here is to create something that is ideal for you, but will still add value to the client’s business. I would take time to think about your schedule, where you want to work, compensation, etc. I knew I had to be able to work from home and at different hours. Your list may be different. But nonetheless, create one.

2) Freeconomics

The art of doing stuff for free. While you shouldn’t do this for too long, start off offering your services as a volunteer and then use those references and skills gained to build your client base. The young lady who did our wedding photography for free has gone on to do photography for top-notch music talent like Taylor Swift and Pharrell. We were her very first wedding! She has also traveled the world doing high end weddings with many assistants to help her. My first database implementation for a non profit client was done at no charge. I now have a full-service consulting firm with multiple consultants who help me implement databases for non profit and small business clients. It works!

3) Telemarketer Extraordinaire

Pick up the phone and call people! Don’t be afraid to reach out to businesses or people you think may need your services. Early on, I was trained well at the art of cold calling, so I actually have no problem picking up the phone and asking people about what they may need. You may get a lot of rude people who hang up and say nasty things. But you only need a few people to say “yes.” This is how my business was built. Calling people up and following up via email.

4) Network

This is not about putting on cocktail dresses (or suits and ties) and hobnobbing with a bunch of strange people. Keeping your eyes and ears open will help you identify connections that may help you get business at some point. I try to add people to my LinkedIn network as soon as I meet them. With so much transition you never know when someone will leave a position and think of you as a vendor or partner in their next role. You can also announce on your social media networks what you are doing. These are all ways of networking and getting the word out about what you can do.

5) Maintain

Once your side hustle starts to be lucrative, be intentional about where you want to go with your new-found income stream. Make plans to reinvest money back into your business and create systems to stay organized. There are so many people who, much to their surprise, make lots of money, but due to poor organization lose clients, neglect taxes and end up worse off than they began! Don’t let this be you. Figure out what the implications will be around adding more zeros to your income and address them right away.

This is a bold and daring approach to making money, but it’s not for everyone. If you are still a little gun-shy about calling people, networking and asking for a chance to demonstrate your skills to clients, there are some other income producing ideas that you can start with to build your confidence. Angie from the www.workathomewife.com, offers some great advice here: http://theworkathomewife.com/ways-make-money-from-home/. Also, check out a post I did on the 19 Reasons You Should Never Be Broke.

Happy go-getting!