A solo professional is a freelancer who works with different clients for various tasks. It could be a simple office work or other responsibilities related to the expertise of the solo professional. As someone working without a boss or a complete authority over work, a solo professional have complete control of his or her time as well as the intensity of work.
Although a solo professional may look like a dream job for many, excelling in this industry is very difficult. The mere fact that a solo professional is not identified with any company is a big block towards excellence since company identity is usually the basis for different business transactions. Anyone can’t just declare that they are good in something so that businesses will hire him or her to work on certain projects.
Establishing your skills so that it could be recognized by the industry takes a lot of time which is why some are not able to maintain their career as a solo professional because financial stability could not be achieved instantly. Without immediate financial rewards, a solo professional could give up and become a regular employee and earn regular pay.
Online Presence Needed
Fortunately, solo professionals are being assisted by social networking websites to easily establish their identity. Through social networking, solo professionals could make their presence felt by providing samples of their work wherein it could be scrutinized by clients immediately for quality purposes. Aside from gaining presence, solo professionals could even gain assistance in their career as they could receive feedbacks from friends, family and even other professionals in the same industry.
Of course through social networking, solo professionals could also increase their contacts which could lead to more clients. Instead of being limited to offering their services locally, social networking has enabled them to connect to as many people as possible. Their clients could be from another state or even from another country. Because of the internet, a solo professional’s client need not be limited by location.
Establishing Credibility Online
Although establishing a solo professional’s credibility could take time, the time frame of getting noticed could be shortened considerably due to social networking. A solo professional can gain contacts online and use them as referrals so that more clients could trust him.
Credibility is very important especially if a solo professional chooses to work online. Since the solo professional has met the client online, it’s just proper that the credibility should be established in the same platform where they met.
But credibility is not only on what a solo professional would be doing to establish a career. The past is also important for the solo professional since it will still be a reflection on what they can and cannot do. This is where social networking is again emphasized.
A solo professional may have posted thoughts, photos or anything that could destroy their reputation. Photos, videos and blogs may sound and look innocent but they can create a bad impression on the clients.
Persistence and Presence
There are two things that a solo professional must practice in social networking: persistence and presence. Persistence is basically a practice wherein something is done consistently in an expected time.
A solo professional could easily establish a reputation by consistently supporting an industry or practice. Through persistence, a solo professional’s career is slowly established until he or she becomes a recognized name in the industry.
But aside from persistence a solo professional should also have the ability to be consistently visible online. It’s not that the solo professional should be logged in online for 24/7, a solo professional have to be consistently visible by joining in different social networks with the same interests and actively joining in discussions. By being active in different social networks, a solo professional could easily find connections and clients.
A solo professional’s career could be difficult and challenging. But with the help of social networking especially though online networking, a solo professional could reach to as many potential clients as possible.
By carefully using the advantages offered by social networks, a solo professional could easily establish a good career. Financial stability for solo professionals could be achieved through these networks while practicing persistence and active presence in the industry.
