Laid Off Technology Workers Find Work Online
Some of you may remember that I left my job at the university a couple months back, I’ve had a lot of people ask me what I’m doing these days and I tend to simply answer that I’m working from home. The trick is, most people have no idea that you can work for yourself from home these days but it’s actually very easy.
Elance – One of the oldest and best sources for online projects, Elance spends a ton of money getting people to post their projects here, all you need to do is compete with offshore agencies. There are also some Elance-like sites you might want to investigate:
LinkedIn – Some of you will remember my Career Management class at the local college, I call it BEER. Beer doesn’t stand for anything, it’s about social networking and using tools such as LinkedIn to cultivate professional contacts. While you’re at it, let people on your Facebook and Twitter lists know you’re in the market.
CraigsList – One of the best sources for work I’ve found, CraigsList and Kijiji easily keep me in 40+ hours of freelance work a week. The trick is to make proper use of RSS feeds to really get a handle on the listings.
Speciality Job Sites – Take a look at sites like jobs.wordpress.net if you’re into building WordPress blogs or moodle.org for Moodle specific work.
There are a couple of posts worth taking a look at if you’re fresh to the freelance market:
- Top Ways to Find Opportunities in Open Source
- 8 Ways to Showcase Your Open Source Skills and Get Hired
- Top Resources for Finding Web Work
hmm, thats good to know, especially during an economy like the one we are currently facing, thanks.
-jack
The way the economy has been I think there’s going to be a huge influx of people looking to support themselves online, or at least supplement their income.
Christopher,
Being an independent contractor is the best the way to go.
The economy sucks right now, so you need to think creatively and make things happen. You should come up with a specialty service that you can market to prospective clients.
With that said, here is my unapologetic, self-serving, self-promoting plug for my new book “Getting Started as an Independent Computer Consultant”. I have been an independent computer consultant for over seven years. I have made more money and had more time off than I ever could have as an employee of a consulting firm.
How did I get started? I was laid off in 2001, when the tech bubble burst. I couldn’t find a job so I started doing work as a contractor. I have been a contractor ever since.
My book is due out in print on 12/31/08 but you can buy the eBook version now for $19.95. Here is the URL:
http://www.cti-seminars.com/seminars.html
You can also download a free excerpt on that website.
I made a lot of dumb mistakes when I first started contracting. In my book, I discuss the costliest, most common mistakes that I have made and other consultants make all the time. I describe them in painful detail and show you how to avoid them. That chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
Questions? Please email me at mnpaioff@aol.com.
Mitch Paioff, Author, Getting Started as an Independent Computer Consultant
Hello– I am writing an article for InformationWeek (a weekly magazine for IT professionals) and I am looking for laid-off IT workers willing to talk about their stories. The article is focused on what such people are doing with their time? Are they jumpstarting new ventures? Contracting? Spending more time with family? Volunteering?
Anyone interested in speaking to me can contact me at alice.laplante@gmail.com or at 650-858-0885.
Thanks!
Alice