10 Ways to Contracting Out Your Brain Power & Earn $$$

Most businesses have plenty of information, but too many lack the raw brain power to be able to frame their challenging sales, service or operations problems in ways that would give them a competitive edge.That’s where you can come in — as a brain for hire. An old fashioned word for it is “contractor”.

I regularly recommend contracting to job hunters and career changers who seek an alternative solution to traditional job hunting and want to earn good money for their experience. Here is how.

Start with showcasing

Showcase your talent and ensure to make yourself and your talent noticeable to as many people as possible. It is important that you show the world what you can do and how well you can do it. The more that people know about you the better off of your chances at getting recognised for your talent.

Below is a list of six (6) ways in which you can showcase your talent and brainpower.

#1 Website for Talent – Uploading your work to the right kind of website is the best way to showcase your talent. By uploading your work to a website specifically meant to showcase your kind(s) of talent allows professionals to be able to find you based on what you’re great at. Online sites such as Expert360 provide this type of exposure for you.

#2 A Contractor Resume- Simply stop looking at hundreds of full & part time jobs and instead hunt for contractor opportunities. Tailor and re-write your resume to suit your approach. We can help you to achieve that. Just contact us.

#3 Contests – It is always important to challenge yourself regardless of what talent you possess. It’s a great idea to participate in contests to see how you measure up to others who potentially have similar talents. Just participating in contests is an excellent way of showcasing your talent. You’d be surprised by how many people have been recognised and that have made names for themselves from participating in contests.

#4 Competitions – There are so many talented people in the world who have talent, but do not allow their talent to shine because of fear. The only way to know if you can do something is to do it. Competitions allows the talent to see how they would be judged by professionals. Competitions are a wonderful way of showcasing your talent.

#5 Social Networks – Facebook ,Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn (and the list goes on) are also great ways in which a person can showcase their talent. This allows for all your friends and followers to be able to see what you can do with your talent. You just have to promote yourself properly so that the work winds up being viewed by a professional that would want to work with you.

#6 YouTube – YouTube is also another unique social network where people can upload their works. YouTube allows for talent to even make money from their content based upon the number of views they get. The more views they get the better off they are. The only thing with YouTube is that the talent has had to have made a name for him/herself on YouTube in order to be recognised. So, it’s a long term project, not a quick fix.

Show that you’re a Pro

If you’ve been a part of the workforce for any period of time, you have at least some level of professional expertise. You’ve got a certain unique set of skills, knowledge and experience that makes you an asset to an organisation. But, what are you really driving? Are you using all 4 wheels or do you just cycle along on two or 3 wheels? I know it sounds a little odd, but your expertise is a powerful 4WD vehicle that deserves to be shared. It’s yours. Yes, you earned it. So share it and take others on your premium Fee for Service ride. Here’s how…

#7 Profile Yourself Become a Mentor – Coach – Expert – Guide – Trainer – you name it

There’s no shortage of young and older professionals looking for guidance. When you see a newbie with potential but in need of support, offer to mentor. As a mentor, you’ll gain a new perspective about the work you do. Your mentee’s age-old or youthful inexperience can actually provide you with a wealth of powerful insight … if you’re open to it.

#8 Promote Yourself

• Write – The written word is always a powerful tool for reaching others. Consider writing an article for a publication catering to your industry or profession. Or start a blog! Nothing is more empowering than putting your thoughts out there for the world to see. My point is this: a few regular posts can quickly elevate your professional visibility and shape your reputation as a leader in your field. Just be sure that whatever you put into writing is something you stand by wholeheartedly and are proud of because it creates a permanent record that can and will follow you for the rest of your career.

#9 Pro Bono your Expertise

• Be a Free Resource- Each and every day, you likely have something worthwhile to share that could be beneficial to someone out there. Give two – ask one back. That’s my personal credo. It has helped me through life in many situations and it makes my work so much more fun. You don’t have to wait for a formal training session or explicit request for help. Instead, simply shoot off an email to your co-workers or write a useful post on LinkedIn or regularly post helpful blogs on your own website.
• Train Others- Offer to present on a topic of interest at a local conference or meetup of your profession. Host a lunch and learn event at one of numerous collaboration spaces. Present what you know with confidence and in a way that engages and enlightens your audience. Training others in any setting, big or small, will help boost your public speaking skills (incredibly valuable for any profession) and position you as an authority. Just like writing, standing in front of a room creates automatic credibility.

#10 Price your Experience

Business owners, professionals and individuals will recognise your value if you attend to some or all of the 10 valid and proofen ways of showcasing your talent. People will start to ask you for “your price” to hire out your service. Be sure to have a price ready! You are worth what you negotiate, so get started and remember to hunt wisely!

Uli