IT Consultants: how to find new assignments?

As an independent IT professional, one of the major perks of the job is you get to follow your passion, choose the type of work you do and work the hours that suit your lifestyle. Whilst these benefits are immensely appealing, an interruption in workflow or the availability of suitable projects can make it tricky to maintain a steady work stream.

Fortunately, in today’s climate, there are many ways to reach out and find new clients and projects to work on. For example, IT professionals can utilise online job marketplaces or reach out via their existing networks. In this article, we will look at some of the most tried and trusted ways for IT consultants to find new assignments and projects to ensure they have enough work coming in whilst living an independent lifestyle.

The current demand for IT jobs

Following the digital transformation within many businesses, IT professionals remain in high demand as their expertise is needed more than ever. In the UK, Tech Nation reported that the volume of unique jobs advertised in the UK market outweighed that of key European countries by 259%. As businesses incorporate AI, cloud computing and cyber security into their systems to keep ahead of the competition, the demand for IT consultants and professionals will continue to grow. In 2022 the following IT job roles are reported to be in high demand as businesses become more digital:

• Software engineer

• Software developers

• Cloud architects

• Project managers

• Full-stack developer

• DevOps engineer

Where do you look for IT jobs/assignments?

If you are looking for new assignments or prospective projects for your pipeline, several resources are available to contractors looking for IT jobs. Here we will explore some of the most popular options:

INDEED

Indeed.com advertises thousands of jobs every day. It’s essentially the google of job hunting. It pulls job opportunities from across the web, which can be searched by job hunters that are looking for both contractor work and permanent roles.

LINKEDIN

Every professional contractor should have a LinkedIn profile. Keeping your profile updated helps build your network and increase your visibility on the platform, as will interacting with profiles that align with your professional interests. You can also create a LinkedIn services page to showcase what services you can offer to clients looking for someone like you. You can also browse LinkedIn job postings to find new IT jobs as they become available. Many companies choose to advertise job roles through the platform rather than a recruitment agency.

JOB BOARDS

For freelancers and contractors, there are many platforms available to search for work and projects posted that best meet their skillset and expertise. Professionals can use these multi-skill sites to send proposals and hopefully find some work. With 100’s of jobs being posted daily on platforms such as Upwork, Peopleperhour or Fivver, to name just a few, there are lots of opportunities for competent IT professionals to find their next project.

A word of warning though, getting started on these platforms can be a bit of a learning curve, and many first-timers find they have to bid lower than they would typically to win a new project due to fierce competition. Therefore, you’ll also need to learn the art of writing a winning proposal. That being said, once you are up and running, there are many opportunities to browse through, and you can make a good wage using these platforms when you put in the effort required to become established.

WITHIN YOUR NETWORK

If you can find out where your fellow IT consultants hang out, and by that, we don’t just mean their favourite bar or coffee shop. What we do mean is what forums are they active on, and do they attend networking events or trade gatherings. Joining online groups and organisations or networking through a management company like Hightekers can open the door to further opportunities to find high-quality clients.

Where do I start when looking for a new job/assignment?

So it’s all well and good having a list of places to start looking, but what is the best place to start when you need to look for a new job or assignment to boost your IT consultancy career? Before contacting prospects and applying for projects, there are a few things you can do to give yourself the best possible chance when you do start making contact with prospective clients. These include:

FIND THE BEST JOB LISTINGS

By investigating the above options, you will quickly become familiar with where the best opportunities lie, and those where the pickings are not as good and the competition is high. Once you have decided where to focus your efforts, you can create a profile and tailor your messaging that best matches the platform and the type of contracts you want to work on. Additionally, many job apps and tools are available to help any professional find out what work is currently available.

BUILD YOUR PROFESSIONAL BRAND

Whilst positioning yourself as an experienced IT consultant may help you appeal to the companies you want to reach out to, finding a way to make yourself stand out from the sometimes crowded job market. Creating a brand for yourself makes you more recognisable and, in some cases, more relatable. Not sure what makes you stand out? Think about your qualities as a colleague if you are the straight-talking, honest type; make that part of your messaging to appeal to clients who are drawn to your ethos. If you need more hints and tips on selling yourself to new clients, check out this article about how to become an IT consultant.

CONNECT WITH YOUR CONTACTS

If you are already active on platforms like LinkedIn, the chances are you already have a network of contacts who operate in the same professional network as you. Reaching out to these contacts can be a great starting point when looking for a new assignment. This is because they are already aware of who you are, and if you let them know you are open for work, they can keep you in mind for any future projects they hear about that may suit your skillset. Equally, by connecting with like-minded people on social media and posting regularly, you will also keep your services front of mind of your network.

CREATE A LIST OF COMPANIES YOU WANT TO WORK WITH

Who is your ideal employer? Make a list of the top ten or even 20 businesses you would love to work for. Then you can take your time to write a targeted resume to appeal to those businesses. At the same time, it might seem like a lot of work to tailor your resume and cover letter to individual businesses. It’s an activity that can really make you stand out from the crowd of generic applications. If you have a passion for a particular brand, tell them why and how enthusiastic you are about working on their upcoming assignment.

PREPARE TO ACE THE INTERVIEW

If you have managed to go through the above process and land an interview, then congratulations. The next and possible final hurdle to getting the assignment awarded is to ace the interview. Of course, doing some background research on the company you are interviewing with and having some answers ready to the most common interview questions is always a good starting point. Aside from that, showing that you are a good communicator that can integrate well with their teams will always be an advantage. More and more nowadays, hiring companies are looking for candidates that will fit in with their culture and core values. Being aware of these and incorporating them into your responses could be what sets you apart.

Final Word

Making yourself visible to clients, whether through online platforms, LinkedIn or by joining a network of like-minded professionals, are some of the best ways to learn about new projects and assignments for IT professionals. Joining a management company like Hightekers will also give you access to an internal professional network where IT specialists can liaise with like-minded professionals. In addition, within networks like ours, IT experts share job opportunities with their peers presenting further opportunities for the professionals we manage. Find out more about joining the Hightekers community.