The market for IT freelance consultants is big and exciting. This is the book for you if you're considering quitting your day job, becoming self-employed and embarking on a new chapter in your working life. A great option for some - but not for everyone.
This book guides you through everything you need to know and think about:
The book is full of checklists and concrete tips for everything from consultant CVs, interviews and working with consultancies. It's all based on more than 15 years of experience in the industry and over a thousand interviews with freelance consultants.
Note: This version is a translation of the book originally published in Danish. While the original content reflects Danish market insights, much of the advice applies broadly to any IT consultant considering freelancing. I've aimed to balance Denmark-specific examples with universal strategies that resonate across markets.
Should, shouldn't...? How big is the step for you? Do you have the skills and drive to become a great consultant? It's about realising your consulting potential (professional and personal strengths), your motivation (what values are important to you), your readiness (how ready are you - and your family).
Get to know yourself as a consultant. Once you've decided to go the freelance route, you'll need to work on sharpening your consultant profile - your ‘packaging’. You'll get help defining and creating your consultant profile, what you do best and how you really stand out from the crowd - and not least advice on how to create your consultant CV.
What is the basic framework for your business? You need to understand the business form, accounting, auditing, tax, insurance and pensions. What does the economy and earnings look like?
One of your main challenges when establishing yourself as a consultant in the IT freelance market is how to sell your product: yourself and your services. It's very much about how you find and get considered for assignments. This chapter provides recommendations for your sales model.
How do you find and win the assignment? How do you know if the assignment is the right match for you, and what are the best tips before, during and after a consultant interview - so you stand out in the competition? The chapter also covers topics such as negotiating hourly rates, using references and the expected content of your first contract.
The contract is signed and you're about to debut as a freelance consultant. ‘The First Assignment’ is very important to get off to a good start as a freelancer. The chapter walks you through the most important things you need to be aware of in the phases of the assignment process: Preparation, Starting the assignment, Your deliverables, Closing.
You must always have something relevant to offer in the market. The responsibility to stay professionally up-to-date rests on your shoulders, as does the requirement to develop your personal competences so that you are able to deliver the goods. But the portrait of life as a freelancer also includes: crises and worries along the way - especially when you hit a long period where it's hard to find work. What do you do then?
Copyright © All Rights Reserved
