Reply to: Your journey

[MonkeysUncle]

I know people do but for me those aren't really interchangable. You'll be up against people that have done change for a decade and same for the PM. If you flit in between you've have two halves of nothing

Agree with NLUK here. I would say either go with PM with change experience or a Change Manager with PM experience.
Know your focus.
Its rare (in my experience as a PM) to find a role where people want both, they either want a PM as they have a change team or vice versa.

thats not to say you couldnt potentially have two CVs, one which is PM focused and the other Change focused but that could be a headache to maintain

[zonkkk]

Over 5 years and 4 contracts. No time on the bench. I got all contracts through LinkedIn, never applied for one on job sites. Make sure your LinkedIn profile looks good and is up to date.

Went from permie to first contract with no gap. I get a lot of agents contacting me on LinkedIn, I always reply to them saying "Thank you but not available let's have a chat around current contract end time).

I've always considered other opportunities about 1 month before renewal time. All my previous clients wanted me to renew, so I had good bargaining power with regards to rate for the new contract. If the new contract doesn't materialise, nothing to lose. This is how I got my rate up on every new contract so far.

Good luck.

Having just started out working for myself I am interested in how people got their first client or two.

How long did it take you and what got you over the line?

In terms of prospecting what has worked for you and what hasn’t?

I am in listening mode at the moment trying to suck up as much knowledge and experience so any feedback is great.

[northernladuk]

I'm in a similar space (Transformation, Programme, Project, Change) and the oldies but the goodies (Prince2, MSP) are still in demand. Agile/DevOps are rehashes of how you've probably been working, but equally in demand (Customer Success, Customer Experience, all the same thing). Remember your skills are transferrable to any business (my background is in Telecoms), but I've also worked for other industries when marketing myself as a business transformation specialist.

Not quite as black and white as that. Clients will be looking for someone that's worked in their vertical (banking, pharma, telecoms) before and also who has a long history of carrying out the specific hand in task. A spread of skills and hopping from vertical to vertical is certainly good for permie roles because they focus on the person and their ability to integrate and grow. Contracting is different. They want someone that's got years delivering exactly what they want in their area. Many contractors have been pigeon holed in to a certain area because of their past delivery. FS specialists, public sector, defence and so on. They know the culture, the risks, what's important and that helps. Different verticals focus on different things that you won't know if you come from a different one. Financial services will be very rigid, pharma or regulation, retail on customers, public sector on throwing money away. That's a benefit to the client if you know that. An FS guy banging the table and demanding things are done will not last in a public sector role for example.

You are right, skills are transferable but in contracting past experience in that clients area of business can be highly favourable and will put you above the next guy with similar levels of skill.

[IsayIsayIsay]

I'm in a similar space (Transformation, Programme, Project, Change) and the oldies but the goodies (Prince2, MSP) are still in demand. Agile/DevOps are rehashes of how you've probably been working, but equally in demand (Customer Success, Customer Experience, all the same thing). Remember your skills are transferrable to any business (my background is in Telecoms), but I've also worked for other industries when marketing myself as a business transformation specialist.

Marketing is something I always struggled with, but I now "separate it" from my delivery and see it as a portion of my business that requires a different approach (LinkedIn - thought leadership in my area). ITIL is a good one for managed services (again, with everything moving to servitisation (See Aston Uni - it is a thing) and subscription models, it'd be a good one to reinforce any PM qualifications you have). Change management (ADKAR, other models) is also in demand and that's my next step (along with ITIL v4) to reinforce my transformation experience.

The thing that struck me (is still striking me) is based on reading a lot on here and listening to the experience; you have to be more militant, and more willing to walk away if the terms aren't right for you, this was a step change for me but ultimately has led to a happier, more effective contractor who knows what he wants to get from it.... (nice cars, holidays, earn good money, enjoy life)... and not take things to seriously. We're a commodity to a business that needs to achieve something, those reasons can vary a lot, don't try and understand, don't engage in politics... and keep learning/growing.

Good luck!

[northernladuk]

Do you do anything special in regards to Linked In?

Have you uploaded a CV or is it that your profile has your experience etc.

What makes people approach you do you think?

You just fill in each of your roles in LI like you would your CV. You don't upload it. The format as it is on there makes it look the same. Agents do keyword searchs so if it's in his profile and he has the experience they'll send you a message.

You can spam your contacts with pointless look at me type posts like most people seem to on there but puts me off more than attracts business.

[jojingles]

Do you do anything special in regards to Linked In?

Have you uploaded a CV or is it that your profile has your experience etc.

What makes people approach you do you think?

[hungry_hog]

BA

First client through an online portal (this was 2008 so pre Linkedin days) - Gov. 15 months
Registered with an FS agency
Transitioned to FS industry
Next contract via another FS agency (I think actually contacted me from jobserve or similar)
Next 4 gigs via word of mouth / contacts
Last one via LI (last year)
Would expect next one to be via LI judging by amount of approaches I get

[northernladuk]

To be contrary, cos I can, I doubled my day rate moving from Gig #1 to Gig #2 just by getting the ITIL Foundation Cert and winging it

That's the only time I've had such good ROI on a certificate. I now only do them because it acts as a marginal differentiator for those recruitment consultancies that don't understand big words.

Bloody typical. I'm the first contractor to get the ITIL 4 MP and my rate when down

[ladymuck]

I think you've worded this wrong but certs don't mean squat. They could be useful to back up your experience but on their own they are nothing. A client wants a specialist that is an expert in their field, not some with a bit of paper. You wouldn't someone build you a wall because they've got a C&G in bricklaying for example.

To be contrary, cos I can, I doubled my day rate moving from Gig #1 to Gig #2 just by getting the ITIL Foundation Cert and winging it

That's the only time I've had such good ROI on a certificate. I now only do them because it acts as a marginal differentiator for those recruitment consultancies that don't understand big words.

[jojingles]

Thank you for taking the time to provide a good constructive reply.

You make some good points even if they are hard to read. Thats exactly what I wanted.

This is a marathon not a sprint for me and I have a lot to learn and lots of mistakes to make!

[northernladuk]

Project Management and Change Management are the areas I am in.

I know people do but for me those aren't really interchangable. You'll be up against people that have done change for a decade and same for the PM. If you flit in between you've have two halves of nothing

Been in the Corporate world for all my working life but have really been in Projects for the last 5 years or so and for a number of reason have made the jump.

And 5 years isn't going to help either. So you've less than three in a skill you want a client to pay top dollar for and fight off hundreds of very experienced people.

I think the hardest think at the moment is trying to work out how/where to find clients.

This is the easiest bit of it all. Linkedin, Jobservice and connections. Sorted. Nothing else to say.

I am sure some of you must have felt the same way at the beginning.

I'd imagine a vast majority knew about where to look be it the classfied of Computer Weekly, jobserve or linkedin. Once they knew that then no, people moved on in the process.

it will come, but trying to learn from others experience to guide myself through the fog!!!

Some experience might be useful to you but you are on your own contracting. Can't be having your hand held all the way. You work for yourself now and it's up to you to know what you are doing and do it properly. Being a contractor isn't the work you do for a client. Any bugger can do that. It's finding work, managing non working periods and running your LTD I am afraid.

Will look at DevOps and generally look at other certifications.

I think you've worded this wrong but certs don't mean squat. They could be useful to back up your experience but on their own they are nothing. A client wants a specialist that is an expert in their field, not some with a bit of paper. You wouldn't someone build you a wall because they've got a C&G in bricklaying for example.

The challenge for my confidence is to get somebody I have never spoken to before.

In most cases it's (sadly) no different from seeing a job on a board, applying and having an interview. As I say above this is your job now and you are up against the best of the best. If you can't do this it's going to be a real struggle.

[anonymouse]

First one, answered an advert in Computer Weekly, Computing never did have the roles for me.
Second, the PM from the first gig got me an interview on the next project.

[jojingles]

Thank you for the advice. Will look at DevOps and generally look at other certifications.

I agree the mental shift is definitely going to take some getting used to.

I have one client which was almost a gimme as I knew then very well. The challenge for my confidence is to get somebody I have never spoken to before.

I think once I crack that the belief will come. Don’t get me wrong I have confidence in my abilities but Marketing myself is something I am going to have to learn.

[ladymuck]

My first few clients were via job board ads and since then I've worked via recommendation for the most part.

I made sure the bits of paper I had on my CV related to what was being asked for in the roles I was going for. It's easy to scan the adverts and find out what the most popular requests are and then find a bit of paper that matches.

With a long permanent career behind you your main challenge might more of the mental shift needed into thinking as a contracted hire-and-fire resource rather than a permie.

[cojak]

I got hold of a piece of paper that agents were asking for, then clients picked me up.

If I was starting out I’d get a piece of paper from the DevOps Institute, that would kick start things.

(And to those who think that certificates are worthless, I wouldn’t be asking you for a contract - this is for CV algorithms and LinkedIn…)