WORKSHIFTER - Dispatches from the New Executive Frontier

Part 1: Assess Your Life

Today we begin Part 1 of our Five Part series looking at the steps to becoming independently employed. Stay tuned next week for Part 2!

As a leading broker for the independently employed, I’m often asked the same question: How do I know if engagement-style work is for me and how do I get started? I always enjoy getting this question. It really is important to evaluate your life and your career before you make this transition, so I’m happy to offer my expertise. And what better way than to blog about it!

So, today I want to talk about the first step in the process, which is to Assess Your Life. Before you whip open your laptop to work on the resume, you need to look at your needs and wants within your lifestyle. A great way to do this is to ask yourself some questions: What is my motivation for working this way? What portion of my life needs to be work? What revenue requirements do I have?

Your self-assessment is so crucial because it will ultimately show you how you want to approach this kind of work. For example, looking for some more free time with your family allows for much more project work than taking that backpacking trip across Europe would. This really is the new way to work so take the time to think about what work-life choices you want to make. Not everyone is suited to this type of work and, in fact, EPOCH uses an in-depth assessment tool for those under consideration for its portfolio.

A great book to read while you are asking yourself these questions is Dan Pink’s book “Free Agent Nation.” It was truly an inspirational read for me and has some great information for people looking to become independently employed.

Once you’ve determined that you are passionate about project work and execution, it’s time to look at your skills and what you have to bring to the table.

Next up… Step 2: Assess Your Skills