Using Freelance and Side Gigs to Advance Your Career in 2019 -

Using Freelance and Side Gigs to Advance Your Career in 2019 -There are 57 1000000 Americans who earn a living as freelance workers. Technology makes freelancing easier, and there is varied work available to people who are either looking to build a full-time career or simply earn some extra spending money.If youre looking to advance your career in 2019, but need to build up a portfolio, expand your network or even get your own business off the ground, freelancing is a great way to get started.What Kind of Work Is Out There?There are opportunities for freelance and contract work in nearly every sector. Its often easier and cheaper for companiesespecially small businessesto hire a short-term freelancer than to hire a full-time employee who needs benefits. From marketing to writing to web design, you probably have a set of skills that are in demand for a small business locally, or for a larger company who has an ad up on the web for just such a freelancer.A skill youve never even used p rofessionally could become a freelance job. Have a nice voice and maybe some high school theater experience? Popular freelancing site UpWork reports that voiceover work is one of the most in-demand freelance skills.Perhaps your coworkers are always asking you to proofread letters, presentations, or reports even though doing so is nowhere in your job description. Start scouring the web for freelance proofreading and editing opportunitiesthere are plenty out there.If youre interested in learning more about a specific skill, put what youre learning to use by earning a little bit of money on the side while you build up a portfolio. For example, earn a social media certificate from HubSpot, then look around for a local business who needs help with their Facebook or Instagram page. Youll have learned a skill, put it into practice, and have tangible evidence either for gaining more clients on your own or for applying to that job youve had your eye on in the marketing department of a large company.Will My Current Employer Be militrischer abschirmdienst About Freelancing? Couldnt It Actually Hurt My Career?In 2019, it likely wont come as a surprise to any employer that one of their employees is picking up some work on the side. You probably arent the only one in your office taking on a side gig, either. However, even though a side gig or freelance work is very common nowadays, you still need to be sure that you are leid violating your contract by picking up extra work, or taking on work for direct competitors that could compromise you professionally. And, of course, you need to be sure that your side gig is not impacting your day job at all. Keep them sepapropositione, and be aware of how much side work you can take on before your day job begins to suffer.There are ways to both have a side gig and advance your career within your company. One way to do so is to find a gig as an expert blogger. If you work in finance, there is probably a site out there willing to pay for your insights and to give the company you currently work for a plug in your bio. Look at publications within your industry, and see how you can contribute to them as a writer. Doing so wont just advance your company, though, it will establish you as an authority in your field, giving you a platform from which to advance your career.If youre honing your social media or web design skills as you work on freelance projects, your employer may be happy to find out you have these skills and offer you a new title or a bump in pay to take on added responsibility in that arena.Could 2019 Be the Year You Go Out on Your Own Full Time?Perhaps youre not looking to advance your career, just to stay within your current company or to keep climbing the corporate ladder and running the rat race. Many people in 2019 are looking for careers with more freedom and careers that are more directly tied to what makes them happy. However, for many people it simply isnt financially feasible to quit their day j ob and start living off of short-term contracts alone. I knowIm one of the people who advanced my career through freelancing.I was working as an HR Manager, but wanted a way out of the corporate lifestyle. I started helping people with their resumes and cover letters, working on the weekends, late at night, and early in the morning to get my side work done.I can hear you saying now, But I dont want to work two jobs forever just to advance my career. Whats the point of that? Well, I wont lie to youits not easy to freelance and hold down a full-time job, but in 2019 with freelance job search sites and Wi-Fi nearly everywhere, its easier than ever. I can also tell you, if advancing your career to the point where youre your own boss is your goal, you can get there. It only took me 18 months to grow Great Resumes Fast from a side gig to a full-time business. That was ten years ago, and it was the best decision Ive ever made for my career and for my long-term happiness. Yes, those 18 mont hs of juggling freelance work with a full-time job were tough, but it certainly paid off.As you consider freelancing to advance your career, think about the benefits and how it can get you to a happier place in your career. Its a lot of work initially, but so is sitting at a desk feeling frustrated or bored day after day.Use freelancing to advance your career in 2019. Whether youre working on a particular skill, trying to build up a network, establish yourself as an authority in your field, or looking to become a business owner yourself, once you start looking you will find there are opportunities out there that will help you advance your career.Are you tired of your resume being rejected by applicant tracking systems? I know how frustrating it is to submit your resume and receive no response. I hate seeing qualified people never breakthrough the screening process. It shouldnt be that way. Thats why I created this guide and I encourage you to download the FREE PDF so you can start s eeing better resume response rates

Why Pursuing Your Passions Can Increase Anxiety

Why Pursuing Your Passions Can Increase Anxiety We all know truly passionate people in our lives. Theyre the ones who fully embrace their calling, vocation, or dream and pursue it daily with a mixture of enthusiasm and discipline. Theres the all-star athlete who balances a rigorous training, practice, and game schedule. Or the food blogger who carves out time late after the kids have gone to bed to dive into recipe preparation, writing, and photo editing. And theres the activist whos passionate about helping others and logs long hours at a homeless shelter after a full day at the office.When were passionate about an activity, cause, or talent, well do whatever it takes to devote ourselves fully to it, which is exactly why the admirable work of pursuing our passions can slowly ramp up symptoms of anxiety.Time LimitationsWe only have 24 hours in each day to pack in a host of demands related to work, relationships, and home life. Thepace of life is increasing, but the reality is, theres only so much time to fit it all in. When going after your passions, you have to weave in extra commitments amid other priorities, but that means something else must drop off. If it doesnt, life quickly becomes out of balance, increasing feelings of stress and ultimately,anxiety.In Randi Zuckerbergs book,Pick Three, she advocates for choosing three focus areas for a single day from this list of five work, sleep, family, friends, and fitness. There are many othertime management theories, so do your research and choose one that lets you pursue your passions without chipping away at your mental health.Internal PressureWhen taking risks and striving toward our goals, its tempting to feel the weight of others opinions and expectations. But sometimes, our harshest critic and biggest enemy is ourselves. Were not bornfeeling inadequate, but many worry that theyre just not good enough. When we place high expectations on ourselves, we can start aspin cycle of anxiety that starts with feelin g inadequate, that things are out of control, and that you cant handle them. You may also experience stomach aches, chest tightness, shortness of breath, nausea, or panic.War against high expectations when chasing after your passions by setting realistic, SMART goals with attainable benchmarks that allow you to step back and celebrate your accomplishments. Remember, its a marathon, not a sprint.Strong Self-IdentityStrongly identifying with your passion and internalizing this as who you are like a writer, marathon runner, or Fortune 500 executive creates even mora pressure as you work to live up to that standard. Virginia-based Talkspace therapist Cynthia Catchings, LCSW-S, notes that while most people envision rising to the top of the field theyre passionate about, only a select few can successfully manage the anxiety that comes along with it.The more challenges andnegative thoughts we experience, the more difficult it can be to get to the top without feeling anxious, Catchings sa id. Fear of failure, not wanting to leave our comfort zone, or being a perfectionist can create this anxiety.Seeing yourself holistically, beyond your token passion, can help create other opportunities for fulfillment. Beyond a marathon runner, you may also be a wellness coach, son or daughter, or another role that you excel at.A Recipe for BurnoutOn the path to our passions, where we continuously push ourselves physically and emotionally, theres an increased risk of erschpfung and stress. The brain, just like a muscle, canlose its strength from extreme exhaustion and overwork, which paves the way for a host of mental health challenges, including anxiety. Health professionals are beginning to recognize the impact of chronic stress, with some evencomparing burnout to diseases like diabetes.Catchings recommends creating a detailed plan of action to effectively handle the emotions that arise with our passions and the associated feelings of stress and anxiety.Keep a journal to avoid bot tling our emotions and also to see a clear picture of our accomplishments and the things we need to work on, deep breathing exercises or meditation to lower the anxiety, mindfulness to recognize our emotions and be able to process them as needed, and looking for professional help either by seeing a therapist in person or online, she said.Pursuing your passions doesnt have to come with a barrage of anxiety or stress. Create checks and balances to effectively manage your schedule and more importantly, your mental health, to keep you on track for living out your dreams.--This story originally appeared in TalkSpace.

A Secret Weapon for Writing My Skills Resume

A Secret Weapon for Writing My Skills Resume Resume writing can be an overwhelming job, and it can be difficult to understand what things to include and what to leave out. Writing and editing is a rather extensive category. Writing and editing need a lot of interrelated abilities, and its tricky to understand what to include. Soft abilities, on the flip side, arent simple to quantify. Hard abilities, on the flip side, could be taught and learned on the way. Technical skills are either something youve got or you dont, but theyre always something which youre able to learn. Double-check if youre utilizing the appropriate abilities and experience keywords. Rather than listing every skill you might have, its much better to list the skills that are related to the position. 3 First, you must select the best skills for your resume. Communication skills are among the most valuable abilities that employers search for as they are central to a lot of professionals and play an impor tant part in most. Resume is being regarded as a zeugungsfhig tool to advertise oneself for a specific job prospect. Hard skills can be classified in various ways, based on your job title. Carefully reread the work description and choose which skills are completely essential for the job. Some say it is the hard skills that needs to be included, since theyre those that are less difficult to quantify and measure, which means performance evaluation is more objective. Hard and soft skills say various things to prospective employers, and you would like to be speaking the language of hard skills. The Upside to Writing My Skills Resume 1 other approach to describe hard skills is that theyre quantifiable or measurable. As soon as youre done Get rid of all of the skills you simply have a simple grasp of. List all the skills which you have. You should do the exact same for technical skills also. What to Do About Writing My Skills Resume Before Its Too Late Writing is a daily por tion of several jobs and its a significant part communication. Written language skills are an essential part of many positions in virtually every industry. Want to Know More About Writing My Skills Resume? Resumes may be used for a number of reasons, but most often theyre utilized to secure new employment. They may be organized in different ways.