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Above-Average Jobs and Pay
LANDING BETTER FREELANCE JOBS & BETTER PAYING PROJECTS
By GT Bulmer
There's
a simple thing you can do to qualify for better jobs and better
pay.
It will help to increase your value to employers and could
be the secret to getting paid what you're worth.
I don't know you, but I know a lot about you. That's what makes
the internet such an incredible resource. I can sit here writing
about you and you can sit there in awe of my amazing insight.
(Okay, now I'm indulging myself). Seriously, I know you are a
person with a skill, trade or talent. You are a person with desires,
dreams - a destination or goal you're aiming for. You are a person
with initiative and drive. You are a freelancer and as such, I
can tell you exactly what your job title or job description is
without even knowing your niche or specialty.
Have you thought about your job title?
No doubt, in your resume
or business profile, you list your training, history and experience.
You tell 'what you do', what your focus is, your area of expertise.
You call yourself an 'accountant' or 'illustrator' or 'manager'
or whatever the recognized industry title is for your field.
These are all important. But do you ever get the feeling that
you're just blending in with all the others applying for the
same work? Wouldn't it be great to spice up your resume or
application with an extra little bit of color that makes it
stand out from all the rest? There are three words guaranteed
to do the trick. I'll tell you how to make them work for you.
There are two parts to making the three words work. The first
part, you know already - that's using them to help you get on
the interviewer's 'A' list. The second part will help you clinch
the position and get extra pay. Maximum effectiveness will depend
on one thing - your attitude about the three words. If you recognize
their value, buy into the concept, project confidence and enthusiasm
and present yourself as a sincere professional capable of producing
results based on the concept, your positive attitude will be the
deciding factor in the mind of your interviewer.
The three words that will stand out on your application and open
the door for you to shine are 'Professional Problem Solver.'
Does
that title sound too simple? Think about it. That's what you are
- a professional problem solver. Whatever your field is, you solve
problems. People come to you with work or jobs. The results you
create are the solutions to their problems. You are the solution
to their problem. If they could do it themselves, they wouldn't
be coming to you.
Page 2 - Getting above-average jobs and pay - GT Bulmer - June
19, 2002
When interviewers see those three words in your title they'll
respond in one of two ways.
They'll either say, "Whoa! Professional
Problem Solver? That's exactly what we need!" Or they'll
consider it a 'gimmick' and be amused. In either case, you will
have caught their attention and they are going to ask you what
it means. The door has opened.
Now it's up to you. Be sincere in your approach.
Explain that
you, as an experienced Professional Problem Solver, find solutions
and create beneficial results. They can hand their project over
to you knowing that it's in capable hands. Then, give them specific
examples (relative to the project at hand) of how you've actually
taken similar 'problems' and created solutions. Any work you've
done can be presented from the point of view as being a 'problem'.
Any successfully completed project is a 'solution' to a problem.
Be positive, enthusiastic and confident. Smile, look them in the
eye and BE the person they want to hire. Trust me. A Professional
Problem Solver has far greater appeal and value to a company than
just an 'ordinary' service provider.
I don't know you. But I do know that, as a freelancer, you are
already a Professional Problem Solver.
I encourage you to focus
on that quality as one of your key values. That kind of mindset
will motivate you to produce above-average results. And honestly,
with the right attitude, that can mean the difference between
average and above-average jobs and pay.
==========================
GT
Bulmer is a Canadian writer providing business copy writing
services and general freelance articles and columns. For information,
contact GT at 780-675-5765 or gtbulmer@telusplanet.net
