Freelancing allows you to remain with your current full-time employer while creating a supplemental income stream for those incidentals we all enjoy. It also adds experience to your resume without leaving the security of a regular 9-5 job. However, freelancing with a full-time job can sometimes be tough to maneuver.
Freelancing involves a lot of hard work and commitment to not just one career focus but now a second. According to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 53 million Americans work as freelancers. If you juggle a 9-5 and seek to freelance, your main concern is completing a freelance project, while keeping your boss satisfied.
A few tips to keep your employer satisfied while working as a freelancer:
Check Your Job Contract
No-one likes to read the trivial details of the employment agreement. Keep in mind, this is of utmost importance while you’re beginning your freelance career. Some organizations contain non-compete provisions that could restrict you from undertaking any job outside the organization.
Moreover, if you don’t follow the written rules of the company, you could be fired or even prosecuted in some cases. So, check your employment agreement thoroughly. This will help you to be on the right side of your current employer and the law.
Be Candid to Your Boss
You might be attracted to the freelance projects that come about and believe that your boss would never find out about this. However, this thought process may affect you down the line. With the increase of social media, Google searches, and your acquaintances within your industry, your new freelance career could present itself.
And, once it’s unveiled, people from your organization may stumble across it. Even if your company is copacetic with your freelancing, it’s always a good idea to inform your boss about your side projects. Be honest to your boss and let them know that your side job will not affect your the work that you do for them full-time.
Share About Your Freelancing with eTeki
You don’t have to discuss each and every detail of your freelance venture with your boss. But, you should let your full-time employer know that your new side business is freelance technical interviewing. Working as a freelancer with eTeki allows you to use your technical expertise while interviewing candidates with the same mindset and skill-sets you possess. Being open about the type of freelance assignment you are embarking on or engaged in should diminish any perceived conflict of interest. The boss could quite possibly want to join the eTeki network of technical expertise. Your company will be glad to know eTeki doesn’t call on our interviewers to conduct interviews of candidates applying for positions at the companies they represent on a full-time basis.
By following these simple tips, you can embark on a new venture while keeping your employer content. Make sure regardless of whether your boss is excited about your freelancing or not, you will give a 100% to your full-time work. Here are some ways to show your commitment to your full-time job: be punctual for meetings, manage your time efficiently. Share your thoughts on your assigned tasks, accomplish your daily duties successfully, come to the office ready to accomplish the day’s work. Make sure to keep your freelance business close to the vest when working with your colleagues especially during office hours. Complete your freelancing projects on your own time (lunch breaks or after hours), and follow the rules of your company while at work.
So, be honest and notify your employer of your plans to be a freelance technical interviewer. If you can stay true to these simple tips, you’ll remain a valuable employee in your boss’s mind forever.
