Nice Gig if You Can Get It - New Podcast

I recently published a NEW podcast called Consulting Gigs: Freelance Your Way to Your Next Role. It's my recorded interview with Laura Smith Dunaief, a fellow career transition consultant who also helps people to consider career alternatives and then effectively position themselves in the job market.

In this podcast, Laura and I talk about the benefits of taking on freelance gigs while you're in between full-time opportunities. We talk about the so-called "perks" of the consulting lifestyle, and also dispel some of the myths. And, since any gig is a chance for you to highlight your competent advantage, we discuss ways you can maximize your value and exposure from these opportunities.

Many of you may recall that I re-ignited my business via consulting gigs after I was "downsized" six years ago. It was February 2003 and I'd just shipped back the laptop, printer, etc. to my former employer. I felt I had two professional options:

1. Attempt to find another job
2. Attempt to sell my skills in the “open market” as a consultant

What did I do? I began to leverage the contacts I'd built in my external consulting role, and promote the skills I'd gained as both a training manager and facilitator. I started sending out email campaigns to showcase my talents and reaching out to colleagues to find out who might hire a contract trainer. Back then, I gave myself until the end of the year to make the freelance consulting option work for me. As they say, the rest is history; I've been building my practice ever since.

For me, I found it thrilling to discuss concrete ways I could add value to a project -- which to me meant focusing more on my comparable work, even if for a different industry. Of course, I know you can have those same conversations in interviews for full-time employment [in fact you'd better be focusing on highlighting your transferable skills in your interviews!]. Perhaps it was the sense of adventure I felt while auditioning for my first few freelance training gigs that kept me motivated to keep consulting.

Do you need a little help to step out of your comfort zone or put your "shingle" out there? In addition to listening to our consulting gigs podcast, I'd also suggest you read an article by John Carpenter called The Advantage of Having an Adventure Attitude. Try to view your transition as an adventure worth your time, energy and creativity. Discover new ways to freelance your way into the role of your lifetime!