99 Powerful Freelance Telecommuting Tips: Second Installment
April 7, 2008 by Kelly
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This is the second installment in our Guest Blogger Series from Nell Talercio of Just Online Jobs.
29. Leave the fact that you have children out of your resume/cover letter
Some people make the mistake of adding that they have children and need to time to address their needs. There’s no reason to tell an employer whether or not you have children. The only things they’re interested in are whether or not you have the skills and requirements necessary and will you be able to perform the job duties as needed.
30. Include skills that show you can work or have worked independently
Telecommuting jobs are jobs where you will be performing your duties independently. There won’t be someone who can look over your shoulder to see if youre working or not. Employers will need to know that you have the ability to do your job duties on your own without someone directing you. Include this in your resume or even your cover letter to help them feel more confident about hiring you.
31. Keep your telecommuting resume to no more than 2 pages
You want to do everything you can to sell yourself for the job, but resumes that are longer than 2 pages will less likely be read. Employers have little time and patience to read through resumes that are long, so keep them as short and simple as possible. Those who consider hiring you will appreciate it.
32. Don’t leave out volunteering jobs if they relate to the job you’re applying for
In the telecommuting industry, job experience is important. You may not have too much to report that you’ve been paid on, but there could be some volunteer opportunities where you performed the same type of duties without pay. Include these too. Just because you didn’t get paid, doesn’t make it any less important to an employer.
33. Keywords in your resume?
Absolutely. Some of the big companies that don’t want to take the time to read through hundreds of resumes; will use a system to scan trough them looking for specific keywords. The results of resumes that are picked up will be the ones that will probably be read. Check out the job description of the ad you’re applying to. See if you can pick up on some of the keywords they used within those descriptions and try to incorporate them into your resume.
34. Plan for plenty of time for your telephone interview
It’s hard to gauge how long any interview will last whether it’s in person or on the phone. If it’s on the phone though, you’ll need to make sure that you have a quiet environment the whole time until the interview ends. If you have any children or noisy pets, be sure they’re off somewhere else while you talk to the interviewer. Background noise during an interview will be seen as unprofessional and if the job requires a noise free environment, then you could kiss your chances for this job goodbye.
35. Be on time for the telecommuting interview
If it’s an in-person interview, you will want to be at the designated place a few minutes early. If it’s a phone interview, you will want to be sure you’re by the phone at the designated time that you have set up for the call. Tardiness for an interview is usually not tolerated and looks unprofessional. Employers can also lose trust with a person that doesn’t answer the phone at the time set up for their interview. Just be there and be waiting when the interview starts, even if the interviewer happens to be late themselves.
36. Make sure you’re the one answering the phone when the interviewer calls
Some spouses, family members or friends can be sound aggressive on the phone. An employer looking to hire you may not be too impressed if they’re greeted with ‘yeah, what do you want?’ Young children can sound cute when they answer the phone, but this is not appropriate when you’re interviewing for a job with a company.
37. Prepare yourself for the interview
Think of some questions that an employer may ask and come up with your answers beforehand. When an interviewer asks those questions, don’t read the answers off a paper. You want your answers to sound more spontaneous and not rehearsed. Just make some notes of what you would want to say.
38. Present professionalism with your voice
Since most telecommuting interviews are done by phone, you won’t have the opportunity to look professional with your clothes or body language. That’s where your voice comes in. Try not to give too many short choppy answers like a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Add a little information to your answers. For example, if they ask you if you have Microsoft Excel on your computer, you should answer something like ‘yes, actually, I have the Microsoft Office 2003 program’ instead of the simple ‘yes’.
39. Smile a lot during your interview
Yes, even when the interview is on the phone. Smiling helps you relax. When you’re relaxed, you’re answers won’t come across as being forced. You won’t be as nervous, so the interview will go more smoothly for you.
40. Be job focused in your answers
If an employer happens to ask you a question like ‘Why do you want to work from home?’ -don’t tell them it’s because you want to stay home and spend more time with your children. That may be the answer you really have, but don’t let the employer know that. Tell them a more job focused answer like ‘to prevent office politics from interfering with my job duties.’ This makes it sound like you’re going to focus your time on the job, while the ’spend time with children’ answer sounds like you don’t care about the company or the job itself.
41. Follow up with Thank-Yous
The employer took time out of their day to talk to you about the job. They are busy people and they’re also the link you have to getting a chance of landing the position. Be sure to thank them for their time before ending the interview and consider sending them a short email a few days later to thank them. It can also help remind them that you’re still there.
42. Take notes during an interview
Consider taking notes during your interview. Look over the notes to remind you of the answers given and the questions asked of you. This can help you prepare for future interviews as well as get ready for a second interview should this company decide to do them.
43. Don’t take up too much of your interviewe’s time by sharing personal stories
Actually, an interview is a time to share job related information. It is not a time to chit chat with a friend. No employer will be interested in your last grocery shopping experience unless it somehow has something to do with the job you’re applying for. Their just as busy as you are, so leave out the personal stories.
44. If an employer asks you ‘What makes you the right person for the job’what are you going to say?
This is your moment to shine. The perfect opportunity to make yourself stand out from the crowd. What will you do? Sell Yourself! Tell them exactly why you’re the person for the job. Don’t be weak and say something like ‘I’ve designed websites for 3 years now.’ That’s good but it needs more meat to it. Tell them you’re a good organizer, can work independently, love creating designs, you’re dependable and trustworthy and you’re a hard worker. Give them the whole picture of what you could do for them.
45. Do not come across as desperate for a job
Interviewers will not want to hear this. This shows how you can’t be trusted to tell the truth. If you’re so desperate to get the position, how will they know if you’re lying about your skills or not. It will be too suspicious to them, so they may just put your name in the not qualified file even if you have all the skills necessary.
46. Use a website to sell your services
A website is an excellent marketing tool for the services you have to offer. It reaches all corners of the internet and helps potential clients see what you have. When someone wants to know about your services and how much you charge; all you have to do is lead them to your site where they can view everything before making the decision to hire you or not.
47. Become a blogger
Blogging is a good way to gain credibility and trust among the online community. Potential clients, who are considering of using your services, but not sure about it yet, can follow your blog for awhile. It helps them to get to know you a little and see how much of an expert you are in the field that you are freelancing in.
48. Consider joining a fellow freelancer and offer double the services
A team of freelancers can be appealing to potential clients as they see they can save some money versus having to hire 2 different people. A website designer can team up with a web programmer or a copywriter can team up with a graphic designer. There will be a lot of planning as far as who would get what amount of money etc, but partnering with the right person can help gain more clients.
49. Use bidding sites to gain clients
If you’re just starting out, you should consider using the bidding sites to get the ball rolling in order to get your freelance career started. It will take awhile to win a bid, but it helps get some experience under your belt. The more experience you gain, the more successful your freelance business can be in the long run.
50. Don’t take on work if you can’t meet the deadlines
Only take on work that you are capable of doing and getting in on time. The freelance bidding sites use a system that rates your work performance to show others how trustworthy and dependable you are. The higher the rating, the more desirable you become. If your work isn’t handed in on the designated due date, it will be reflected in your rating. The lower the rating you have the less chance you have of getting the job.
51. As a freelancer, Quality should be your priority
Too many freelancers set their priorities at quantity and how many projects they can fork out in a short period of time. Quality gets lost in the shuffle. The higher paying clients will provide consistent projects to those who can provide quality work, not rushed mediocre jobs.
52. Don’t go overboard with your deadlines
If a client asks you how long it would take to do a project for them, tell them a deadline date that’s 1-2 days more than what you know it would take you to do. Don’t go too much more than that. If you give them a 7 day deadline when you know it will only take you 1-2 days to do, you could lose that project. Some clients have an idea of approximately how long a project should take. They may not be impressed with you to find out that it would take you 7 days to do a simple project.
53. Learn to take criticism well
While no one wants to be criticized, it can essentially help your freelancing skills in the long run. Encourage your clients to give you feedback on your work to see if there’s something you should improve on. Of course, you will get clients that will never be satisfied no matter what you do for them. In those cases, just keep their criticisms in mind and simply move on. It’s only one person’s opinion and it could just be a ploy to get out of paying, so don’t fret over those insults too much.
54. Prepare yourself for a freelancing career from home
Freelancing from home sounds like an easy thing to do, but actually it’s not. There are many temptations you’ll have to face in the way of distractions. You’ll be surprised at how many things call out to you, while you’re at home working; such as the laundry that’s piling up and your friends stopping by for chats. Organize your day and let your family and friends know the times that they shouldn’t come calling.
55. Consider using quality software programs
While there are plenty of free software programs out there, not all of them are really the best to use for your business clients. There’s nothing wrong with using the free programs when you’re just starting out, but when you get enough money and can find the better programs at an affordable price, you should go for them. Your freelance career is your business and you should provide the best services possible for your clients if you want to keep their business.
About the Guest Blogger: Nell Taliercio has been championing the cause of telecommuting moms for several years. She is a respected leader in the work at home community. Learn more about Nell by visiting Just Online Jobs.
Watch for the next installment of this Guest Blogger Series to arrive soon!
To learn more, check out the Mom’s Talk Biz’sGuide to Starting Your Own Virtual Assistant Business - Step-by-step instructions, resources and inside information to start and profit from your own virtual assistant business from home.
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