A bit of common sense and some broad-reaching advice will help you prepare for technical interviews if you are an IT professional
One of the most common questions that get floated around online discussion groups about IT careers is how to prepare for technical interviews. These are a natural step for positions that require a very specific set of skills. And for which “faking it until you make it” is simply not an option.
What kind of coding challenge should you prepare for when applying for a junior React.js developer position? What sort of test will you need to pass if you want to become a cloud architect at an industry-leading business?
Well, sorry to disappoint, but there are almost as many answers to these questions as technical positions and companies exist out there. Each technological niche and practice will require you to focus on a different interview prep strategy.
Yet there is no need to panic. A bit of common sense and some broad-reaching advice can go a long way.
Find your next assignment on our freelance and permanent IT recruitment platform, or join Mindquest so you don’t miss out on any job opportunity!
Prepare for technical interviews: Do some basic research
There is just so much that you can find online these days. Visit the aforementioned Internet forums and look for what recruiters and other experts in your line of work have to way. Chances are someone has already asked something pretty similar to your question.
Review sites like Glassdoor often provide past interview questions and will give you a feel for what you are about to face. Dedicated LinkedIn groups are also a great source of insider information.
Finally, do not hesitate to reach out to experts themselves. Whether it is a recruitment specialist or a Twitter back-end development star; they will more often than not be more than happy to point you to the best way forward.
Educate yourself
Now that you know what you need, go get it. As an IT professional, you are already probably used to the idea of continuing education. Identify what online courses, series of YouTube videos, or coding sites you should follow.
Get an official certification if it makes sense for that specific application. Even if you don’t end up getting the job, you will be able to list it on your CV. But you will also be able to make the certificate count towards your eligibility for that specific application. So you will have a higher probability of getting the job.
Practice and practice again
No secret recipes here. Prepare for the technical interviews by going through a homemade practice test, correct it, learn from it. And repeat the process. If you have a friend or acquaintance that can help you review it, then now is the time to call them. It is also time to open yourself up to constructive criticism.
Also, when the moment of truth comes, approach every real technical interview as an opportunity to practice and get better. That will take some pressure off of your shoulders and let you focus on the problem-solving you are so good at.
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Continuing IT education is everything, and you should keep that in mind throughout your entire professional career to make the most of it
IT experts know this well; no matter how unattainable a technology or problem can seem at first glance; things look much prettier once you are out of the woods and the project is over. And that is because one thing has changed: you. Now you have the experience, the knowledge. You have learnt something. Continuing IT education is everything, and it should keep on being exactly that for your entire life.
Especially in the world of technology, where the difference between the good and the great often comes down to the ability to adapt to the ever-changing nature of information systems. But do not forget you can learn many other non-IT-related topics that will also help you a great deal throughout your career.
Continuing IT education: Skills obsolescence
Renew or die is a motto that can be applied to many things in this world. IT careers are no exception. One unfortunate side effect of digital transformation is the rapid rate at which the value of one’s current skills declines.
One day, your resume has everything top employers seem to be looking for on it, the next, you are scrolling through Internet forums trying to figure out what language or framework you should master to get that promotion you feel you deserve. Whether it is Python, Docker or cloud security skills, keeping an eye on the top tech skills of the moment is a bullet-proof plan against skills obsolescence.
But an on-going approach to education has other benefits too. Countering the tedious effects of devoting too much of one’s time to a single activity or line of focus is one of them. We have all experienced that imaginary brick wall that rises in between us and our goals when we have been doing the same thing for too long.
Forcing yourself to step out of your comfort zone and learn something new will solve that problem. It will give you an energy boost and a renewed sense of purpose. Do not ever underestimate what a properly motivated mind can achieve.
Becoming a better professional
Thirdly, educating yourself can have a very positive effect on your current performance and capabilities. Whether it is something directly related to your line of work or something as detached as Middle Eastern history, there is always room to connect what you learn to your present endeavours.
Serendipity, or finding value in things you were not originally looking for, is a marvellous phenomenon. Capitalise on it to connect the dots and bring new perspectives into your everyday activity. Become a better professional by becoming a more knowledgeable person.
Continuing IT education: Mentoring
Finally, a life-long educational spirit will also make you, incidentally, a better teacher. The more you understand what someone learning something new needs of in terms of direction and resources, the better mentor and manager you will become. The best teachers tend to be great students.
That’s not to say you will naturally develop excellent teaching abilities without no effort on your part. Mastery requires experience. But you will, however, develop a certain sensibility and empathy that will make you a much more effective communicator and educator.
And is often a key part of the career plan of an IT freelancer. So what length of mission to choose between Short or Long Assignments for IT Freelancer?
One of the big advantages of working as a freelancer is flexibility. Flexibility in the choice of your schedule and yourplace of work. But also in the choice of your projects and the duration of your missions. Before to learn how to ensure a constant stream of work and how to advance your career, it’s necessary to know which assignments is the best for you. Short or long, the duration of an assignment is a determining factor in the choice of an assignment. And is often a key part of the career plan of an IT freelancer. So what length of mission to choose between Short or Long Assignments for IT Freelancer? What is a short or a long mission? What are the advantages and disadvantages of long and short assignments when you are an SAP consultant, a freelance web developer, or even a cybersecurity consultant?
Short or Long Assignments for IT Freelancer? Choosing a short assignment when you’re an IT freelancer
What is a short mission?
In the world of freelancing, we commonly call “short assignment” all assignments ranging from one day to 3 months of activity. However, in the field of technology and IT; where missions are on average longer than in other types of trades. We tend to consider as short missions all missions which duration is less than 6 months.
Particularly suited to professionals who have decided to go freelance; short assignments represent the ideal opportunity for a “beginner” freelancer to put their technical skills into practice. But also to expand their references and develop a significant capacity for adaptation.
What are the advantages of doing a short assignment for IT freelancer?
Short assignments are the opportunity for IT freelancers to string together different assignments for several clients in various industries. This heterogeneity of experiences is often favourable to the development of soft or interpersonal skills. And generally offers a rich educational environment.
For teleworking enthusiasts? Be aware that customers are more likely to offer you the opportunity to work remotely for short assignments.
In tech and IT, the duration of the assignment often depends on the area of expertise. And always falls within the time frame of the company’s needs. A consultant who participates in a two-year SAP migration project will a priori be more likely to be offered a long assignment. While a cybersecurity expert may intervene in the context of short assignments if it is to resolve temporary problems – although a holistic approach is often necessary and will result in longer assignments.
On the remuneration side, short assignments can be advantageous. Why? Quite simply because they often imply an urgent character. This will give you a better chance of getting a high ADR (Average Daily Rate). But who says short mission says more missions. You must be able to easily find projects or clients to avoid too long or too frequent intermission periods.
What are the downsides of short missions?
The main drawback of short assignments is the constant challenge of constantly having to look for a new assignment, thus requiring the regular renewal of your client portfolio.
This also translates into a very variable turnover. You must therefore expect to have to manage particularly irregular income.
Also note that short assignments do not favour integration into a team. If you have a strong need to belong to a group, chaining down short assignments can create loneliness and dissatisfaction in your day-to-day as an IT freelancer.
Short or Long Assignments for IT Freelancer? Choosing a long assignment
What is a long mission?
More and more companies are hiring freelancers for long IT projects. These long assignments last more than 6 months and can reach 24 months of activity with contract renewals.
Long assignments are generally entrusted to freelance consultants who have broad enough shoulders for hefty work.
Why favour long missions?
First of all, carrying out a long assignment ensures the IT freelancer has regular remuneration and medium-term visibility into their finances. Enough to take a weight off your shoulders.
In addition to this financial stability, this type of mission offers satisfaction to workers who favour work from A to Z on a project and who want full integration into an IT team – while retaining the freedom inherent to the freelance status.
Finally, long assignments can also be an opportunity to discover the work within an organization, to measure the possibility of a longer-term collaboration with permanent contract.
What are the limits of long missions for IT freelancer?
Long assignments anchor the independent consultant in a certain routine which can be compared to the status of a permanent employee.
The experience obtained on a long mission is also often less rich and diverse than that resulting from a multitude of longer missions. But they allow you to go deeper into projects and develop other types of skills.
So, what should you choose when you are an IT freelancer?
There is no one mission duration that is better than another. The duration of the assignment is an adjustable variable which depends on the motivations and personality of each IT freelancer.
Depending on your preferences in terms of types of projects, your ability to easily find assignments, and your appetite for a team configuration, you will prefer short or long assignments. And remember: nothing prevents you from alternating long and short missions.
Why and how should you pursue SAP and SAP S/4HANA certifications?
Denys van Kempen is Technology Expert at SAP focusing on SAP HANA and Analytics. He has been at SAP for more than 10 years, where he helps SAP’s Global Partner Organisation support and educate partners about the company’s technology. Denys is a true SAP advocate, blogging extensively and managing content for the SAP HANA Academy.
How did you get started in your career, what do you do at SAP?
It’s funny that you
ask, because, out of curiosity, I recently picked up a starter certification
for Azure fundamentals. I just did the exam and was happy to pass. And it was curious,
because, when I looked at the transcript where it lists all the certifications
that you’ve done in the past, I saw how I had started out in IT almost 25 years,
and my first certificate was in Windows 95, doing the networking.
One of the most fun parts of the whole software industry and the whole community around it, is that it is constantly changing, and the only thing required is a willingness to learn. If you are interested in studying, you can work in IT. That’s the main qualification you need, as far as I am concerned.
I am now in my early 50s, I speak to a lot of people, and people have very, very different backgrounds. But I would say that is the most essential qualification. Today we are looking at the cloud platforms, yesterday it was blockchain and then it was big data. The only thing you know is next year it’s going to be something different, and we have to take out our books and study the topic.
Why should SAP experts pursue certifications?
I think there are basically two camps. There are people who enjoy learning new things, who maybe even enjoy the challenge of sitting an exam and hopefully pass. And then there is the group who thinks they have a lot of experience already and don’t really need to answer silly questions. I think there’s value in both arguments.
I’ve seen very good exams. But there are also examples of exams where you have to provide answers to questions nobody would know by heart. The certifications that aim for experience and how you solve things are better examples than just those who ask you to memorise things. And I think most vendors try to get that.
Getting a
certification is a great way to make sure you study all the aspects of a
certain technology, because typically you work with the most common things, but,
if you study the topic, you have an opportunity to learn things that are more
obscure, less well-known. For your own benefit, getting certified gives you the
confidence that you know the product inside out. It’s a great way to solidify
your knowledge.
Are you seeing a particular branch of SAP and SAP S/4HANA certifications that is on the rise these days?
Two years ago, SAP
made the strategic decision to go cloud-first in all the development. More
recently, that decision was accelerated. Everything is going cloud these days.
I think you have that
same effect on certifications. There are not really that many people today who
pursue a certification for only on-premise software. It doesn’t matter which
vendor, everything is going cloud. That would be my advice: if you learn
something new, make sure it runs on the cloud. That’s where the future is.
When it comes to cloud, you can work on software that runs on the cloud, or you can help set up and maintain the infrastructure, the internal plumbing. Would that be a good career move for someone that’s just starting within the cloud ecosystem?
That’s a good question.
SAP systems can be very complex, and you have these very large companies, like
big food manufacturers or big banks, whose SAP landscapes are huge. There are a
lot of functional people, of course, involved in making sure everything works,
but also technical people, doing the networking, the backups, etc. And moving
all those landscapes onto the cloud is a major shift of focus.
A question I get from time to time is one from people who have been working as Basis Administrators. They wonder what their role will become with everything going to the cloud. If you’ve been working with backups and things like that, that’s no longer a concern for the customer, because it’s being taken care of by the cloud provider. So, you see that shift.
A lot of the technology is now on the cloud, and no longer on the side of the software vendor. So that would definitely be something to look at. If you have a strong technical interest, you’ll have to study how to work with those cloud providers. Configuration and security, for example, they remain very important, but it’s a different role from the traditional one.
How people make their certification journey easier for themselves?
I would try to stick
as close as possible to the information the vendor provides. Most of it is
freely available or at a very low cost. The thing is that there are just so
many materials out there that you end up going from one rabbit hole to another
and lose focus. If you just stick with the course manual, you’ll be able to
have a quick preparation for the exam, but if you get side-tracked, you search
for exam dumps and study the wrong answers… well, I would certainly not
recommend that.
Also, don’t make it a
project that lasts too long. It’s either going to be 6 or 8 weeks, but make it
something for which you are going to study frequently, even if it’s half an
hour every day. Just come half an hour earlier to work and spend that half-hour
when you are still fresh working on that. That’s far more reachable than if
it’s going to be a 5-month project and every weekend once in a while you try to
cram it all in.
How about the books you publish through the SAP Press?
Well, that’s a bit of
a different story. For example, if you look at Azure or Google Cloud, they
provide a lot of information for free or at a relatively low cost. It’s up on
Coursera or EdX, and for 50 euros you can study for a month and that’s all you
need. That’s a very reasonable amount of money to invest in your career.
Unfortunately, for some SAP and SAP S/4HANA certifications, you have to go through training, and that training can be quite pricey. If you’re self-employed, you might not have the budget. In those situations, an exam guide might be of help. In addition, the course manuals are written to support the course, so they are always challenging. We write these books specifically to help you pass the exam.
Want to make the most of S/4HANA’s career potential? Check out our comprehensive S/4HANA Careers Guide.
SAP’s Learning Hub, for which you can request a free trial, should be your go-to place for official learning resources and documentation.
Working Amidst On-And-Off Lockdowns. We’ve outlined for you all the key aspects you should cover to find the perfect daily work routine.
Working Amidst On-And-Off Lockdowns. If you live somewhere on planet Earth, chances are you are currently experiencing at least some level of confusion thanks to the constantly changing public guidelines and workplace arrangements. The evolving pandemic has us all struggling to keep up with daily news and company memos, our already-busy minds now having to shift from tracking soaring infection rates to figuring out when exactly this week’s curfew kicks in.
Amidst this apparent chaos, it can be challenging to
find balance in both your personal and professional lives – and also in between
them. Days at a half-empty office merge with fully remote ones at a
way-too-small flat you share with other people.
Establishing a stable and effective work routine is
not easy in this context. And, since we know that working in IT is hard enough
for you to be investing too much time into figuring this whole thing out, we’ve
outlined for you all the key aspects you should cover to find the perfect daily
work routine.
Working Amidst On-And-Off Lockdowns? The right remote work formula
Each one of us beats at a different rhythm, and it´s
not always an easily identifiable one. Unless you’ve tried all possible work
schedule arrangements since the start of the pandemic, you’ll probably need to
do some more experimentation to find the right one for you. That is, of course,
if your current job allows for that level of flexibility.
Some companies are operating fully remote until
further notice, while others combine on-premises and remote work or let their
employees make the choice. If you are a freelance consultant or external
contractor, you are probably used to working remotely, but maybe you do so at a
co-working space or are thinking of trying one after being stuck at home for
too long.
Just make sure you find the combination works best for you.
Once you’ve got your weekly schedule figured out, it’s
time to focus on your home workspace. We all need our little bubble to be able
to concentrate on our to-do list and work more efficiently. Working at home
complicates that if you share it with other people.
Maybe you find yourself having to alternate replying
to work emails with watching over the kids. Or perhaps you only have one spare
bedroom in your apartment and there’s two or more of you working from home. At
another time, you’d go to the corner cafe and find some focus in the soft
background chatter of random phone calls and clinking cookware. Now there’s not
much escape.
Whatever your situation, it is vital that you claim
your own space within the house or flat. Whether it is a corner of the living
room or a make-up desktop you’ve built out of spare pieces of furniture, you
need to delimitate a space exclusively devoted to working. The couch, of
course, should be out of the question.
Proper use of white noise and music apps can also help
you focus and create that bubble.
The proper toolset
Having a good place to work won’t make much of a difference if you don’t have the right tools. In the back-and-forth context of on-and-off remote work, such tools are those that allow you to work seamlessly across locations and coordinate with your colleagues and clients. In other words: cloud-based collaboration solutions and organisational tools.
These apply to both universal organisational tools
like calendars and project tracking apps, to those targeted to IT professionals
like yourself. From ERP cloud solutions to ticketing and integrated software
development cloud tools, these can have a great positive impact on
productivity, especially when adopted by the whole team or company.
Catching a break
How and when you take breaks is one of the key factors impacting productivity. Some people prefer working for long stretches of time and taking a couple of long breaks a day; others alternate shorter, high-intensity stretches of work with more frequent, shorter breaks – a strategy made popular by the Pomodoro method. Find the formula that works best for you and never neglect breaks no matter how busy you are. A rested mind is a more productive and focused one.
And, since catching a real break can be a bit not
quite effective when you spend the whole day between the same four walls, try
being more flexible with what a break means to you. Exercise could make for a
very good break, so could a quick video game match. Some experts have even
started recommended going out on a fake commute even if we are working from
home. Going on a walk before starting your day and right after business closes
can apparently be very beneficial.
Nurturing you relationships when you are working Amidst On-And-Off Lockdowns
We are social animals, and the intermittent lockdowns
are making it harder for us to nurture our existing connections and developing
new ones. When it comes to work, and beyond satisfying our need for
socialising, developing solid relationships with colleagues and clients goes a
long way to making work easier, better and faster.
Being negated the opportunity to chit-chat by the
water cooler or go out for an after-work drink, you’ll need to be more
proactive to ensure you are not neglecting the social aspects of your
professional activity. Schedule frequent video calls to get that much-needed
face-to-face time with peers and clients. Reach out more than you would
normally do to cancel out the downsides of isolation.
As an IT expert, you must always keep your eyes peeled for the new top IT skills that will help you stay relevant and advance your career.
It’s renew or die in the world of technology. As an IT expert, you must always keep your eyes peeled for the new top IT skills that will help you stay relevant and advance your career. But the constant evolution of IT tools and the shifting business climate brought about by the pandemic can make it difficult. For example to decide where to focus your upskilling efforts in the year ahead.
So, where to begin? This list is a good starting point for anyone looking to strengthen their CV/resume or redirect their career.
Top IT skills:
Python: Unmatched Versatility and Popularity
Python continues to dominate the programming language landscape, solidifying its position as a must-have skill for IT professionals. With roots dating back to the late 1980s, Python has evolved into the leading language, especially in the developer community. Its applications in data science and machine learning make it indispensable, while its clean syntax remains appealing to coders.
Structured Query
Language (SQL) is a domain-specific language for handling data stored in a
relational database management system – a database structured in rows and
columns in which all data points are related to one another.
Developers and database administrators use the language’s code to perform actions such as inserting, retrieving and deleting data. Thanks to its database structure, SQL also allows for quick data processing and is used by some of the most popular database management systems, like Oracle’s MySQL or Microsoft’s SQL Server.
Java: A Quarter-Century of Relevance
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Java remains a powerhouse among programming languages. Renowned for its “write once, run anywhere” portability, Java retains its position as one of the top three most popular languages. Its vast ecosystem, ranging from the Spring Framework to enterprise application servers, underscores its adaptability and continual relevance. Regular updates and refinements further emphasize Java’s commitment to staying cutting-edge.
Cloud Computing with AWS and Microsoft Azure: Navigating the Sky
In the post-COVID business world, cloud computing has become more critical than ever. Amazon Web Services (AWS) continues to lead the cloud platform space, with Microsoft Azure as a formidable competitor. Proficiency in either of these platforms enhances career prospects significantly. Whether it’s AWS’s established position or Azure’s rapid strides, having cloud expertise is a valuable asset in today’s tech landscape.
Would you like to know about life in the cloud? Check out our Microsoft Azure career overview and discover all the paths you could take.
Docker: Containerization for Modern Development
Lat but not least, Containerization, with Docker at the forefront, has become essential for future-oriented developers and IT teams. The benefits of scalability, rapid deployment, and enhanced security make Docker a vital skill. Containers enable the creation and deployment of applications in self-contained units, providing efficiency and bug-free operation across diverse computing environments. Understanding Docker’s capabilities is crucial for staying at the cutting edge of modern development practices.
We’ve narrowed it down to 3 key areas you should focus on if you want the year ahead to be as successful as possible and get 2021 right.
Thumbs up: you’ve made it past one of the most infamous years in recent history. Hopefully, you’ve had some time to unwind over the holidays. Ideally, you’ve used some of that time to reflect on your professional trajectory and get ready for 2021. Most likely, you’ve simply been too busy enjoying your seasonal favourites to start working on that just yet. No worries. We’ve narrowed it down to 3 key areas you should focus on if you want the year ahead to be as successful as possible and get 2021 right.
Get 2021 right: Adapting to evolving market demands
Technology
is constantly evolving, creating new market niches and specialisations and transforming
existing job functions. The pandemic has added an extra degree of uncertainty
and change into the mix, making it more vital than ever to futureproof your
career strategy through reskilling and upskilling. How to go about it is not too
much of a secret: inform yourself, define realistic goals and learn whatever
you need to achieve them.
Ask yourself whether or not you are doing enough to stay up-to-date with current technology trends. Follow the trade press and sign-up to newsletters that are exclusively dedicated to IT careers. Then reconcile emerging market needs with your own professional profile and aspirations, identifying those hot skills you should be acquiring over the next few months to remain competitive.
Current most in-demand skills include artificial intelligence, cloud and cybersecurity. But don’t forget to develop other, softer skills like business acumen or organisational capabilities. They can well make the difference between aspiring to a great versus a good job.
Remote work: Finding the
sweet spot
At this
point, it has become clear that not only the current remote work situation is
going to last for several more months, but that traditional, on-site
presenteeism is forever gone. No news here, right? So what about it?
Well, as
much as you might think you’ve got the whole working-from-home predicament
sorted out, this should be the year to fine-tune your work routine and to find
that sweet spot that works just perfectly for you. Perhaps it is 3 days at home
and 2 at the office, or maybe you find it easier to always work from home. Perhaps
you’d rather just go into the office once a week for team meetings or to
socialise with colleagues.
If your
current employer or portfolio of clients allows for that level of flexibility,
take advantage of it and put together your own work schedule. Look to see what
you could improve on regarding your daily routine. Experiment with how often
you take breaks and how long these are.
Polishing your professional image
Finally, to get 2021 right, make sure you are paying enough attention to the image you project as an IT professional. and keep in mind that your social media presence, your CV and your professional networking activity all have an impact on said image. And all these moving parts need to be in sync. Not saying that you need to become an influencer in 2021, but chances are that your online image can use a little polish.
But, besides improving your online visibility and making sure you present a cohesive image, you should be thinking of how you position yourself as a pro from a strategic standpoint. Keeping up with the times by reskilling and adding new capabilities is not as effective if you are not marketing it accordingly to any future employers and partners.
The story I am about to tell you really happened to me. I changed some details for my clients’ privacy. Discover an unexpected freelance experience.
I am Lilian Alvarez, freelance iOS expert and manager of a training organisation specialising in supporting IT freelancers. The story I am about to tell you really happened to me. I have intentionally changed and left out some details out of respect for my clients’ privacy.Discover an unexpected freelance experience.
An unexpected freelance experience
It all started with a message on a professional networking platform.
Hello, Lilian.
We need a developer to update the version of a mobile application …
After a few messages were exchanged, I proposed a telephone meeting.
During the meeting, the person told me they ran a web agency. A few weeks before, they had inherited a project from another team, and they were having a lot of technical issues with it. They needed assistance.
So far, nothing surprising.
Right away, I offered to make an estimate of the cost of my services. To do this, I needed to analyse the source code.
And … That’s where things got tricky.
The person refused to share the project files with me.
That’s not odd by itself. Secrecy is vital for some companies (which I hear and respect). This is why I proposed signing a confidentiality agreement. But the person refused again.
I tried to explain myself better:
It’s like walking into the auto repair shops and saying, “My car won’t start anymore, how much will it cost me to fix it?”
That’s a difficult question to answer without first getting your hands dirty to identify the origin of the problem.
That’s when the person offered to come to my house after a full day of work. Because why not.
– This way, I can make sure that you are not making any copies of the source code.
– Uh, sorry?
Okay, I should have ended the discussion right there. But no.
Of an accommodating nature, I suggested meeting at a bar to assess the problem. The person accepted, only to end up cancelling 30 minutes before the appointment.
I learned a lesson from this experience. To say the least:
Not all leads that come to you are worth pursuing.
Spending 2 days doing pre-sales for a service that won’t last more than a week is just not worth it.
My advice
Beyond this little adventure, I would like to give you some advice on the 4 types of customers you should flee:
1. The torturer
They have been abusing providers ever since they read Steve Jobs’ biography.
They tend to change their mind about the colour of the connect button 45 times a day. Of course, they want these requests to be addressed immediately.
How to spot this kind of client? Their last 3 providers have disappeared without leaving any trace.
2. The bad payer
They refuse to pay any deposit before the start of the job.
3. The psychopath
They want to come to your home at 10 p.m. to watch you work. I speak knowingly…
4. The lawyer
They want you to sign a contract with penalties for non-compliance with delivery deadlines. In an of itself, this type of contract is not bad, and may well have its place in a client-freelancer relationship.
However, I must warn you: never sign such a document if you are dependent on resources and customer feedback to meet your deadlines.
And it can get worse. If the boundaries and deadlines of the project are blurry, this kind of commitment is the best way to end up working for free and under pressure.
Of course, it is possible to come across a serious customer who at first glance seems to fall into one of the categories mentioned above.
But, as I often tell participants of my training courses, a freelancer is not just a consultant. A freelancer is also the manager of a company. And a manager must work to do the best possible job while preparing for the worst.
And how about you, what’s your weirdest and unexpected freelance experience?
Before closing this web page, I invite you to follow my newsletter.
I regularly share advice on IT freelancing as well as my latest articles (one-click unsubscribe): ? https://bit.ly/3je2vvL ?
You can also explore my trainings and guidance for freelancers here: www.lilianalvarez.com (Eligible for financing)
To avoid ending up working with the bad type of client, you can also go through a partner such as Mindquest ?. Get access to the best jobs and benefit from personalised follow-up until the end of your contract. You focus on the project; they take care of the rest.
Now more than ever, IT professionals need to complement their technical expertise.Well, we’ve put together a shortlist of free online courses to help you.
Now more than ever, IT professionals need to complement their technical expertise with soft skills and business acumen to remain on top of an ultra-competitive talent market. Well, we’ve put together a shortlist of free online business courses to help you do exactly that.
A little entrepreneurial spirit never hurt anyone. Even if you are a hardcore tech guy working deep within a big company’s IT department; having a better picture of how technology products go from inception to market can help you a great deal in the long-term.
This course by Harvard’s Laboratory for Innovation Science and the University of California San Diego; is part of our online business courses shortlist because of the good overview it will provide you. Especially in how business basics and critical thinking can be applied to commercialising new technologies.
The title says it all. Since remote work has become the norm, mastering traditional ways of communicating is no longer enough. In this free, two-hour course, you will learn how to improve the image you project online.
What’s best to wear in video interviews? How can you polish your personal and business brands so that they are aligned and represent you the best possible way? How about non-verbal communication.
Introduction to Finance and Accounting Specialization – Coursera
You’ve heard it before. There’s no budget for this project at the moment. This will have to wait until the next financial year. Well, it’s about time you learn what such statements entail. If your idea of accounting boils down to household maintenance and personal budgeting; then you should probably work on developing your financial literacy.
A solid understanding of how organisations get and administer money is a must for anyone in business. Whether they are a manager or an IT specialist. This Wharton School of Business course provides a good overview of the subject.
Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution – Coursera
Have you ever gotten yourself in an awkward situation by unknowingly saying something odd to someone with a different cultural background than yours? Unless you have been living under a tree your entire life, you probably have. In an increasingly global business world, being aware of cultural divides and how to breach them is a must.
This quick course by the University of California Irvine serves as a great introduction to intercultural communication; and also about the resolution of the conflicts it creates.
Contract Management: Building Relationships in Business – Future Learn
In many ways, contract making is an art. Negotiation, risk assessment and market intelligence all play an important role in ensuring the drafting and signature of win-win business agreements. If you are an IT freelancer or have had to sign service agreements as part of your everyday job, you know what this is all about.
This course covers all you should take into account when approaching contracts for the first time, or how to improve your contract-making capabilities if you already have some experience. Offered by the University of Southampton, the course is backed by UK government & World Commerce & Contracting.
Here is a quick refresher of what you’ll need to cover to ensure you are aming for the best IT job according to your needs and aspirations.
Let’s get this out right off the bat. All jobs are fundamentally rewarding and can teach you at least one thing that you’ll be able to leverage for future assignments. But you will need a bit more focus if you want to go after the best IT jobs.
Outlining the best career path according to your needs and aspirations is an art, and; just like with every form of art; you need to start by mastering the basics. Here is a quick refresher of what you’ll need to cover to ensure you are building the career you want, one job at a time.
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Define your professional aspirations
First of all, you will have to figure out what type of assignments you want to pursue. It is at this point that the choice of company and industry becomes essential.
You should learn all you can about that sector and account for the long term. Keeping in mind where you are and where you would like to get to will allow you to develop and implement a solid career strategy that sets you on the right path. For example, if you want to be in the luxury sector, you will have to prioritise companies or industries that are at least linked to it.
Position yourselffor the best IT jobs
Then you should define your set of skills and
position yourself according to the type of projects you want to target.
You need to make inventory of your skills and update your CV accordingly. Making sure it is aligned with your profiles on social and professional networks like LinkedIn. Define your offering and highlight the capabilities you would like to develop through your next project. And don’t make things up. Recruiters are not stupid.
What you are offering should be in line with the strategic vision of the company or industry you are targetting. Therefore, it is important to understand the current state of the business as well as the possible needs that the company may have now and in the future.
Polish
your brand and organise your activity
Finally, having a polished and coherent image is key. The image you project is vital because it reflects both your personal and professional brands. It should be aligned with your offering and the needs of the industry you are targeting to maximise your chances of attracting the attention of the right recruiters.
But your image is worth nothing if you can’t
deliver on it. Most recruiters will ask for references from past companies for
which you have worked.
