What They Don’t Tell You About Freelance Careers

Published on: 10 May 2018 Last Updated on: 09 August 2019
Freelancer

In 2016, 34% of Americans were working freelance careers. That percentage is expected to climb to 43% by 2020.

An improved work-life balance is the first benefit that comes to mind when considering a freelancing.

But we also know what no one else is telling you. Read on to find out more.

There’s a Union on Your Side :

Who hasn’t wasted precious working hours searching the web for reputable information before becoming more stressed and confused?

What makes Freelancers Union so great is it’s a one-stop-shop for free resources for beginning and experienced freelancers.

When going freelance, most people are overwhelmed with tax concerns. Don’t know how to read a 1099 form? Need help determining sales and use tax?

All this information is written clearly on the site by experts. You’ll also find guides for choosing dental, vision, life, and health insurance plans.

And even insightful blog posts ranging from productivity hacks to methods for handling tragedy.

Furthermore, a subscription at ThePayStubs gives you access to an innovative pay stub maker.

You can have a pay stub downloaded and printed within two minutes after selecting your preferred template.

Relationship Building isn’t Just About Finding Clients :

Nobody misses unfair office politics or boring meetings once they’ve gone freelance.

However, after working alone for a while, it’s normal to feel lonely.

While most of your friends are likely to work less flexible schedules, it doesn’t mean you have to spend day after day without socializing.

While your old friends are great, wouldn’t it be amazing to have freelancer friends who get you the way your colleagues in your old office did?

Freelancers can enjoy real human interaction (and 68% better focus) by joining coworking spaces.

58% of Those with Freelance Careers Have Gone Without Pay :

Unfortunately, when reading up on how to go freelance, most newcomers won’t come across these insights.

It usually takes getting burned first.

  • Never begin a project without a signed contract that clearly states payment amounts and due dates.
  • Ween out nonpaying clients by having a mandatory deposit amount prior to starting each job.
  • Don’t lowball yourself. New freelancers tend to charge less than the value of their work.

Think about the time, supplies, and whether you’ll hire employees. If you aren’t strategic about the costs to stay in business, it won’t last.

  • Most people are Googlable. With a simple search, you can learn about a potential client’s character, including how they treat employees and whether they’ve been fair to freelancers.
  • Don’t make it difficult for clients to pay you. Send professional-looking invoices from user-friendly programs like PayPal, Due, or Authorize.

Accounting Tasks Can be Done with Minimal Effort :

Even if you’re running a small business with a few employees, the idea of correctly issuing pay stubs can be a pain.

On the same site, you can generate employee W-2 forms without stumbling over difficult math or spending buckets of money on an accountant.

Need more freelance career tips?

Let us teach you how to promote your startup on social media. And join our mailing list to be more in the know!

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Remote Working

Exploring A Full-Time Remote Working Opportunity: Here Is How To Prepare

The COVID-19 Pandemic resulted in the creation of a new working order that was only being used earlier in a sparing fashion. Remote working or working from home was models that were earlier employed by employees who could not make it to their offices because of some other reason. As the pandemic resulted in the closure of physical workspaces because of governmentally mandated protocols, businesses rushed towards adopting remote working models and started hiring remote workers. This allowed businesses to stay afloat, run their operations, pay employees and carry on with economic sustenance. In this article, we are going to look at a comprehensive guide on jobs remote. We are going to discover some of its benefits of it and prescribe how employees who are looking for full-time remote working opportunities should prepare themselves. Remote Working: Meaning and Definition Remote working/teleworking/working from home is the process of an employee working for an organization, not within the confines of office space. In this working arrangement, an employee can work from anywhere for a business. Remote working means that employees do not have to travel to their place of work. It means that employees are no longer bound to come to office space, showroom, or warehouse to do actual company work. Remote working necessitates the use of technology, digital platforms, and software to enable employees to connect with their managers, bosses, and colleagues. Major Benefits of Ful-Time Remote Working Opportunities Many studies conducted over the last few months have shown that remote working comes with its own sets of advantages for both employees as well as employers. In this section, we will try to shed some light on both. Benefits For Employers- Data shows that remote working has allowed employees to become 13% more efficient and productive in terms of work output and task completion rates. Businesses who opt for remote working can save a lot of additional overhead costs that are part and parcel of an office setup. It has given businesses the ability to attract the best talents from any part of the world. This has opened up an exciting new prospect, which was earlier not possible. Studies have also shown that remote working has allowed for the creation of a fitter and leaner workforce with fewer employees taking sick or casual leaves. Finally, employers have smartly been able to add to the working hours as employees have on average been saving close to 5 hours on traveling to and from the office. Benefits For Employees- The remote working model has allowed employees to spend more time with their family members and carry on a healthy mix of work-life balance. It has allowed for lesser travel stress, especially in developed countries of the world where traffic issues can lead to tensions and exhaustion. The rise of the Digital Nomad means an employee that is enjoying his stay in a location of their choice while working full-time with an organization. Remote working has also allowed employees to add to their savings. Whether it is the fuel or train costs, or additional money spent on lunches, everything is getting saved. Lastly, employees are able to put in their best productivity and performance and win a good chance of getting higher increments, bonuses, and promotions. 5 Easy Steps to Help you Prepare for a Full-Time Remote Working Opportunity In this section, we are going to look at 5 easy steps that can help professionals prepare for a full-time remote working opportunity- 1. Create your Home Work Station/Office- If you think you are going to work on the kitchen top one day and in the bedroom, the other, think again. You need to set up a separate and designated workspace or create a home office for work. This will bring in productivity, and discipline and ensure all your official things are in one place and not getting lost. Systems, family photo frames, green plants, and so on can help. 2. Apply for Full-Time Remote Working Jobs- Many businesses are using this bait to attract the best talent. However, you need to be very careful when applying for such jobs. It might be that the business is now working remotely, but can in the future ask the employees to come in. This is why choosing the best online job platforms that list 100% remote working opportunities should be preferred. 3. Create a Working Routine for the Day- Working from home or remote working does not mean you are working for the first ten minutes and then doing something else. Remote working means you are setting aside office time just in the same way you would if you were working in the office. It is essential that you stick to the same in order to fulfill the timelines, responsibilities, and expectations that have been set on you. 4. Start becoming familiar and using Remote Working Tools- As someone who is looking to not step into a physical office again, you need to start understanding how remote working tools work. This is because you will be doing all of your work using them. Workflow software, video conferencing apps, and cybersecurity protocols are some areas that you need to know about before you start applying for opportunities. 5. Make Family Members understand ‘you are at work’- In most families, if someone is working remotely, family members tend to take them less seriously. It is essential that you make your parents, partner, kids or fiancée understand that you will not be able to step aside from your system during working hours. This will prevent them from having any expectations from you during that period. The Bottom Line Remote working has been proven to result in happier employees and better-run business organizations. If done in the right fashion, it is a win-win situation for both the employee as well as the employer. A lot of friction between managers and employees can also become better if they are not occupying the same physical space day after day. In this article, we have tried to discuss some of the major advantages of remote working for both employees as well as employers. We have also discussed some important ways how professionals looking to pursue full-time remote working opportunities should prepare themselves. If you have any other questions, you would like us to address, or require clarifications on any points mentioned in the article, feel free to state them in the comments section below. Read Also: 5 Ways to Get a Better Work-Life Balance for Remote Employees Top 10 Apps for Team Communication and Remote Work How To Increase Your Chances Of Getting Hired During A Pandemic

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Data Scientist

How To Become A Data Scientist? Skills, Courses, And Institutions Explained

In recent times, data science has been everywhere. Businesses across the globe are turning to data science, which will help you to solve the most diversified issues out there. This situation has put data scientists in advantageous positions in terms of payment and employment. Data scientists are part of the IT or data science team who can help analyze the data to provide the information. It allows the organization to make data-driven decisions and easily create strategic plans.    With the network economy's improvement, the data generation pace has increased. This leads to the single step of strengthening the demand for other data scientists. Artificial Intelligence Architect leads to problem-solving with the help of high-quality technology. It would be the same for data scientists. After all, this can be a good career option for you. What Does A Data Scientist Do? After researching the facts, I developed significant factors for a data scientist. Below, I am going to discuss what a data scientist does.    After researching the facts, a data scientist can work intensely to understand and analyze the data, providing such actionable insights. In this business environment, they can work across several other teams where they will lay down the foundations for robust analytics. It means developing such significant strategies so they can easily capture, garner, and clear the cache from the range of several sources.    Aside from that, once they are done exploring and analyzing such data, they can quickly build several other solutions and efficiently communicate their findings to an extensive range of business fields. The Step-by-step Guide of How to Become a Data Scientist: Usually, many people are becoming interested in this data science domain. Below, I will discuss a step-by-step guide on how to become a data scientist.    1) Earn a Bachelor's Degree Several data scientists can earn a bachelor's degree, preferably in science streams like engineering, IT, math, or other related fields. You will improve your problem-solving abilities after completing your bachelor's degree in quantitative domain.    This will only be possible through critical thinking and analytical skills, some of the most significant skills to possess as a data scientist. Aside from that, you might also pursue an internship during your bachelor's degree, which would help you to get an entry-level job in this domain. 2) Get the Certifications Multiple certifications will help you develop your skill set and showcase your interest. This way, you can become a data scientist for several other potential recruiters. A vast number of courses regarding data science and data analytics are available online on several different websites. In this case, you should consider joining any of these courses to develop your skills and chances of securing a job. This would apply to becoming a data scientist. After all, consider getting these certified by several other educational institutes in India. This also provides courses in data science. 3) Gain Work Experience Data Scientists continue to be in high demand across several other industries. You might consider getting other relevant experience as a data scientist by pursuing internships or entry-level jobs. This happens as a junior data analyst. On the other hand, gaining relevant work experience can help develop your skills. It means you must acquire corporate expertise. Also, if you are working in an entry-level position, several other businesses might provide on-the-job training and other certifications. 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Aside from that, you also must gain knowledge about how to solve such complicated issues and ensure you have enough capacity to make data-driven decisions for your organization. I hope you found this article helpful. If you have queries, please comment below! Learn More About: How to Learn Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning Why More Students Are Choosing To Go After STEM Degrees? Why Is It Important To Study Masters’ Degree In Data Analytics?

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Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test

Cracking The Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT)

The process of getting the desired job and hiring skilled people have now become races, where both teams have to surpass a series of hurdles to get the coveted prize. Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) focuses on one's ability to learn new skills and solve problems. While it might not be as surprising for you, but the diminishing number of employed people and increasing skill sets has created a talent deficit. As per reports from Manpower Group, over 45% of global employees have talent issues, with most of them lacking interpersonal skills. But does a shortage of skills means someone not much talent for a respective niche? Or, is that recruiters who aren’t hiring from the right places to have good talent on-board? Well, in a professional term, talent shortages mean an inability to hire and find the right talent which is required to run any business. The SOLUTION- hiring candidates not only on the basis of respective degrees but also on the basis of cognitive tests! Criteria Cognitive aptitude test is a pre-employment test that focuses on measuring one’s ability to solve problems, learn new skills, digest and apply information, and critical thinking capabilities. Regardless of the candidate’s experience, these tests are used to hire potential candidates for the company’s success. Further, these tests provide a vehicle to access the potential of employees, enabling a rapid workforce scale thereby reducing hiring cost and increasing the quality of each hire. Why Recruiters Use Cognitive Ability Tests? Cognitive aptitude measures a candidate’s ability to solve problems and the ability to use new information, recruiters consider it as one of the best predictors of a candidate’s job performance. Also, it’s more predictive than verbal interviews, job experience, and one’s educational background. You can either prepare it from hard-notes or can prepare online for the criteria cognitive aptitude test (CCAT). Fast Facts Related To The Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT): The Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) comprises of 50 questions Candidates will be given only 15 minutes to answer each question The questions will be divided into three different sections, viz. verbal, math and logic, and spatial reasoning Use of calculators is restricted Less than 1% of candidates can answer all 50 questions Your score will be sent to employers with the total number of questions one has completed and the percentile score. CCAT Practice Test: You should solve sample questions for the CCAT practice test. As calculators are not allowed in the CCAT test, so make sure that you are not using calculator while practicing for the ccat test. For tough math problems, use a pencil and paper. While solving the maths questions, take a watch and note the exact time you are taking while solving it.  You have to be aware of the length of time you are taking while solving questions for the CCAT practice test. How to Pass a Cognitive Test: Do Not Jump Instructions: One of the most common mistakes candidates do is rushing over the instructions. Instead, take time to read and understand each instruction, and based on that, plan your strategy.  Since there’s no negative marking on each wrong answer, don’t skip any question- Guess and move! Do What is Important: Many people favor either 123s or ABCs, as not everyone is master in both. So, find your strengths and work accordingly. Try first to solve questions of the section that you find comfortable with. For instance, if your vocabulary is rusty and paragraph questions throw you for a loop, skip it or guess it. Time Is Everything! Candidates will be given only 15 minutes to solve 50 questions, which accounts for less than 18 seconds on each question.  That’s Too FAST! Folk! You don’t have to checklist every single question; this will not impress hiring managers. So, focus on the correct score. If you think you have spent more than 45 seconds, guess the answer and move to the next. Focus for the CCAT Test: Aim at attempting all questions, but if you are unable to do so, don’t stress. The test is designed in a way so that only 1 or 2 % of the candidates can answer all questions in that specific time slot. Let The Clock Stop! If you have completed your test, don’t stop working. Let the time finish and then relax. Utilize your time as much as possible; go to your guessed questions (the one that you are unsure of) and double-check your answers. Take that extra time to solve them correctly. Although Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) would be one of the methods that recruiters will use, it’s the most important one. And to crack it, the best thing you can do is simply PREPARE! Read Also: Traditional Job Interviews Will Be Dead By 2020 Go For A Better Legal Job In 2018! The Benefits of Drug Testing in the Workplace using Drug Test Cups

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