In a recent blog published by the Wall Street Journal, writer Rachel Emma Silverman points out something that looks logical at first glance. Self-employed workers tend to land fewer jobs with established companies. It’s logical because it’s naturally assumed that most self-employed workers wish to work only for themselves and have somehow escaped the trappings of the corporate environment to do work from home. The reality is a growing number of young and aging adults are turning to self-employment as a vital means to an end.
A recent experiment from Erasmus University in Rotterdam looked at how corporate hiring practices viewed the self employed. Two pairs of fictitious resumes were sent off to job listings found around the web, and researchers found that individuals who listed self-employment as their last position were 63% less likely to receive what they requested for salary, or even land an interview at all.
The good news is that the green industry is hiring jobs ranging from manufacturing to project planning and sales. You should take your contract work seriously and use self-employment to boost your resume with real examples of your work.
Ask for Referrals
Each new contract you find might lead you closer to finding steady employment. Market your eco-friendly approach to work, showing how your reuse is more cost-effective. A freelance web developer, for instance, can offer green web hosting with his services and print referral business cards on recycled paper to distribute to clients with new invoices.
Get a Tax Professional
Self-employment can be a terrifying experience if you’re new at it. You might not be sure how much of your money should be retained for tax purposes, or which forms to fill out. A tax professional can provide IRS tax help to navigate these forms. Also take advantage of tax credits that might exist for hybrid vehicles, or carpooling. The choices you make to travel less help the environment and ultimately shave taxes off of your overall revenue.
Get Incorporated
Entrepreneurship teaches candidates leadership qualities, and forces them to make decisions that impact the state of their business each day. It can also be perceived as a negative mark, where a candidate is forced into unemployment. Incorporating yourself and becoming official is one method to gain a bit of extra credibility. Once you’re incorporated, join an organization like the green business bureau, where a yearly membership fee gains you even more marketability as a green business.
Don’t Stop Looking
A new job is right around the corner, and you should not stop looking for it. One advantage to true self-employment is that you are no longer required to look for full-time jobs, as you can sustain yourself through your own hard work. This should be a huge weight off your shoulders, which you should use to your advantage.
Focus your energy on hunting for that dream job. Find out what it requires, and look into pursuing those options. If you learned how to write a grant, you could use those skills to apply for aid to help your business run on solar and save more money as you grow or seek new employment.
The important takeaway is to not shy away from opportunity. Do not let the paycheck be the end of your ambition.
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