Instead of hiring employees, many companies are hiring independent contractors. While these openings were once only freelance writing positions or related artistic jobs, today’s independent contractors can hold just about any open position. If you’ve been job hunting for a while, you might be ready to sign on the dotted line – but before you take a contract position, here are a few things you need to know about these kinds of jobs:

• You have to pay your own taxes.

When you’re an employee, your federal, state, and local taxes come right out of your paycheck, but as a contractor, you’ll likely have to pay this money on your own. That means that every paycheck you get will be bigger, but at the end of every quarter, you have to send in a lump sum to the government. If you don’t, you’ll owe all of this money at the end of the year when you file, and you could be looking at penalties and late fees for not paying quarterly. You’ll also pay slightly more, since in a regular position, your employer covers some of the tax costs.

• There might be a non-competition clause.
  

Most contracts, especially for artistic jobs, carry a non-competition clause, which means that you can’t complete any work for a competitor to the company. Some bar you for working for any other company at all, even if they’re not a competitor. If you’re working in an artistic freelance position, this could be especially important for you to understand. Make sure that the contract position you take pays well enough to cover your bills – if it doesn’t, you might have a hard time finding additional freelance work while still upholding the contract with the non-competition clause.

• Be aware of non-disclosure agreements.

Most contracts also come complete with a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA. This protects the company by saying that you can’t talk about trade secrets, future plans, or other information that the company shares with you, even after you don’t work there anymore. Some companies are very strict about this policy, so even an offhand remark on Facebook or Twitter about what you’re doing at the office could be considered a breach of contract. Keep your comments to yourself, especially on social media sites.

• Contractors rarely get raises.

Traditional employees are offered annual raises in most cases, and if you’re doing a good job, you can even ask for a raise. As a contractor, you can still ask, but it is less likely that you’ll actually get one – at least, not before your contract is up for renewal, at which point you can renegotiate. Make sure that the money they’re offering is an amount that will make you happy for the entire duration of the project.

• You probably won’t get benefits.
  

Full time employees get perks like health coverage and paid vacation days. Contractors are rarely offered benefits packages. Insurance coverage can be an especially large expense, so if you aren’t covered under a spouse’s plan, make sure you can afford it or  you negotiate coverage with your boss.

• You contract may not be renewed.

When your contract is up, you might be politely shown the door. Yes, even if you do a good job! One of the reasons companies hire contractors, in some cases, is that they don’t want to go through the process of firing you or laying you off. If your contract isn’t renewed, you won’t get a severance package or even unemployment. You’ll just be out of work. It’s nothing personal; some companies simply do not have long-term work to keep you busy and just needed you for a specific project. In the months leading up to the end of your contract, talk to your manager about the likelihood of your contract being renewed or you being hired in a full-time position. That way, if it looks unlikely, you can start applying for another job.

• Contractors have more freedom.
  

It isn’t all bad news! As a contractor, you’ll likely have a lot more freedom, with many be able to make their own schedules, work from home, outsource parts of a project, and more. Contractors also generally have more wiggle room when it comes to negotiating the contract in the first place, so that allows you to work with your future employer to customize a contract that makes sense for both of you. Don’t be afraid to ask for changes before you sign!

Recently, professional blogger Darren Rowse posted a chart on Google+ outlining the several different ways bloggers can make money online. Blogging is one type of freelance writing that is growing rapidly, so if you want to work in this industry, blogging a great option. Let’s go into a little more detail about the ways Rowse notes you can earn money in this type of career:

• Services

I personally have found that using a blog to promote services is one of the best ways to make money online. You can make money as a coach, speaker, consultant, and more based on the topic, or niche, of your blog. For example, want to work as a videographer? Start a blog about how to create videos with lots of tips and have a page on your site specifically for people to hire you to create their videos.

• Advertising

Advertising comes in many forms, but the premise is pretty simple – you’re selling real estate on your blog so companies can promote their products or services. You can work with advertisers through a network or email people directly, but in both cases, it takes some time to build up traffic before you’re attractive to advertisers. However, you can get started with a CPC (Cost Per Click) program right away. With CPC, you’re paid a very small amount whenever someone clicks on the ad.

• Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing allows you to promote specific products or services. You’re paid a commission based on how much you sell. Many large companies, like Amazon, have their own affiliate programs, and you can also join networks like Share-a-Sale or Clickbank, which give you access to several affiliate product programs at once.

• Selling/Flipping Blogs

If you’re experienced working online, you can create blogs or take over failing blogs, build up traffic, and then sell. It’s almost like working in real estate as a house flipper – you basically buy something that’s low-value and do as little work as possible to be able to sell it for much more than you paid for it. This is a challenging way to make money as a blogger, but some people have become extremely good at blog flipping, so you can certainly be successful on this career path as well.

• Continuity Programs

With a continuity program, people pay a weekly or monthly fee to access specific content on your blog. This could be videos, a forum for members, coaching sessions, premium blog posts, and more. You can use special programs in conjunction with your blog to renew their membership every month until they cancel.

• Products

Many bloggers sell products. You can produce physical products like books or t-shirts, but to get started for little to no out-of-pocket cost, think instead about producing virtual products such as email courses, ebooks, or software. You can also make it possible for other bloggers to become affiliates for your product, where you’ll pay them a commission to sell your products.

• Other Indirect Methods

Lastly, there are other indirect methods allowing you to make money working as a blogger. For example, having a blog online can actually help you find a full-time job! When you blog about a specific topic relating to your desired career, you’re showing potential employers that you really know your stuff, so they’ll be more likely to hire you. Think of it as a huge portfolio you can use to support your resume.

As any blogger will tell you, working in this industry is tough. Whether you work for yourself, running the blog of your dreams, or work as a freelance writer, blogging for other people, you don’t have the security of a steady long-term paycheck like you would with an regular office job.

Although it can be a tough career path, there are definitely advantages. Personally, I like working for myself and making my own schedule, as well as having a voice – it’s awesome to write something that other people will read on a daily basis. Other people have found other advantages to blogging as well.

Today, I went to Twitter and asked: In 140 characters or less, what’s the best reason to work as a blogger? Here were some of the responses I got:

“freedom and the ability to communicate with others your passion” – Christian Lisogorsky (@Kbzon)

“To solidify your own opinions” – Annie Pettit (@LoveStats)

“Create an online home for your voice & passions” – Scott Howard (@ScLoHo)

“Ummm the glory?” – Grandma Mary (@GrandmaMaryShow)

“To get a job in the industry I cov-OHWAITAMINUTE! ” (@MaximusPaynicus) (He recently got a job in the industry he used to cover on his blog!)

“You run the ship – Setting your own hours, writing about topics that interest you, no pushy bosses” – Serena Freewomyn (@serenafreewomyn)

“Spreading information to those with similar interests. What goes around…” and “Community” – John Henry (@PsychoVandal)

“So I can try to explaining to people what a blogger is!” – Keith (@kbloemendaal)

“The ability to change the course of an important discussion.” – Lisa Barone (@LisaBarone)

I agree with all of what was said above. Running your own blog is difficult, especially if it is your primary source of income. I recommend starting slow, working on your blog part-time and building traffic until you can monetize and someday make it your sole source of income.

One of the biggest stories in the freelance writing world right now is the lawsuit against The Huffington Post. Earlier today, labor activist Jonathan Tasini filed a class action lawsuit against the online publication, co-founders Arianna Huffington and Kenneth Lerer, and partial owner AOL because its writers didn’t get a piece of the pie when The Huffington Post was sold.

The problem? These writers were never promised any kind of payment.

Although Tasini is asking for $105 million on behalf of the nearly 9,000 writers who worked for The Huffington Post, few of these writers ever signed a contract that said they were going to be paid. It wasn’t some kind of sneaky deal, either, where they were verbally promised payment or were otherwise led to believe they’d be getting paid. No, these writers signed on to work for free. It was only after the big payday that some began to think it wasn’t fair. The only thing they were promised was the ability to get their writing exposed to readers of The Huffington Post.

This comes on the heels of the announcement that a number of AOL-owned blogs would no longer be paying their writers (though writers were invited to keep working for free).

As a freelance writer, I firmly believe that writers deserve to get paid for their work – but not if they agree to work for free. I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t know how this case will end, but I personally don’t think the writers should have ever agreed to do the work in the first place if they weren’t receiving payment. Since they agreed to those terms, I don’t believe they deserve payment now, after the fact.

If you’re considering freelance writing, don’t let this story turn you off of this career path. I think there are a few important lessons here for anyone who wants to find freelance writing jobs:

• Don’t work for free unless you are okay with working for free. Even if the person makes millions of dollars from your writing in the future, they really aren’t obligated (in my opinion) to pay you if you agreed to work for free.
• Sign a contract. A solid freelance writing contract protects both parties if there is ever a lawsuit. Make sure that both you and your client have a copy of the contract signed by both parties.
• Understand the value of “exposure”. The Huffington Post bloggers were promised exposure in exchange for their work, rather than payment. If you’re going to sign that kind of contract, make sure that you know what kind of exposure you can get. According to reports, the blogs at this publication received a very small percentage of the actual traffic to the site, which means that for many of these writers, the “exposure” wasn’t worth much.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to work for free. I certainly don’t, and most of the freelance writers I know don’t either. This industry is definitely competitive, especially if you’re hoping to find a blogging job with a top publication, but even as a new freelancer, you don’t have to take jobs that pay little or no money unless you want to. There are tons of paying writing jobs out there – it is just a matter of finding them and applying.

If you want to find a writing job or work in any kind of position that requires you to have writing skills, prospective employers will likely want to see your writing portfolio. The writing portfolio you present is just as important if not more important than your resume. Here are some tips you can use to put together the perfect portfolio to help you find a writing job:

• Show a wide variety of pieces. Most writing jobs will have you working in a number of areas, so your writing portfolio should include pieces that show a wide range of skills.
• Fill in missing pieces with faux samples. Don’t have experience writing press releases? Write a mock one to include in your portfolio if the job you want will have you writing them.
• Show a range of writing styles. You want to have some pieces that are more objective and others pieces that are more opinionated or stylistic.
• Spell check everything – and then spell check it again!
• Include information about when and where the piece was published, if relevant.
• Make both digital and hard copies. Some people would rather you email your portfolio while others want to look through a binder.
• Make sure your pieces are formatted well. You want them to be pleasing to the eye as well as well-written.
• Have others read over your sample pieces. Not only can they give you feedback, but they can also point out any typos that you may have missed.

In addition, if you’re looking for a writing job, you might want to create a personal website so you can put your portfolio online. This is great for you if you want to become a freelance writer and look for gig to build a client list, or you can also use it if you’re looking for a full-time writing job with a newspaper, magazine, advertising agency, or other type of company. Remember to include your social networking profiles (Twitter, Facebook, and especially LinkedIn) as part of your writing portfolio website, and also list your email and phone number so potential employers can contact you.

Becoming an author is definitely not the easiest career path.

You can choose to become a freelance writer either online or in print, or you can turn to an even more challenging task – writing a book. Even if you aren’t trained to work as a journalist, you can pen a novel or non-fiction book if you have good ideas, a unique look at the topic, and the tenacity to finish such a daunting project.

Earning money as an author can be hit and miss. Sure, there are people like J.K. Rowling out there, but for every one writing celebrity, there are over hundred writers who are extremely talented that don’t earn millions with their books. Writing a book is taking a risk; make sure it’s one you you can afford to take.

Brainstorming and Writing

If you want to see your book on a library shelf someday, the first step you need to take is determining what you want to write. Both novels and non-fiction have the potential to sell well, but the market for novels is often over-saturated. In many non-fiction niches, you have a much better chance at finding a publisher.

It may seem like simple advice, but the best way to write a book is to write about what you know. Everyone is an expert in something. Maybe you’ve been knitting for ten years. Maybe you have had some interesting life events that can be fictionalized. Maybe your father was a truck driver for 50 years and you can interview him to write a book. Pick a topic that you already know a lot about – and then do research.

Yes, even fiction writers need to do research! Look at the market to find out what else is out there in your niche, so you can do something different. This will also help you when you approach agents and publishers, as they will want to know what is selling well right now and how you will fit into that market.

Every writer takes a different approach to getting the writing done. I’ve written a number of ebooks and am currently working on some print books as well – what I find works best for me is drafting an outline first. Writing 100+ pages can seem like a daunting task, but if you break it down into smaller chunks, it is much more manageable. Make sure you set aside time to write every day; otherwise, you may find that you get distracted and never finish more than a few chapters.

Approaching Publishers

Finding a publisher for your book can be best done with an awesome agent. By finding an agent, you can get your foot in the door at both major publishing houses and smaller firms, and your agent will not only help you secure a book deal, but will also help you negotiate a contract. To be seriously considered by an agent, you need to send a submission package, which typically includes the first chapter or two of your book, your resume and published clips (if you have them), some market research, an outline of the rest of the book, a synopsis, and a cover letter. Every agent is different, however, so make sure to follow their guidelines (which are often available online.

You can also work directly with publishers, though this is usually only a good option if you have a working relationship with a publisher in some capacity already. Many publishing houses won’t even consider submissions from writers without agents.

Increasingly, writers can use Twitter, Facebook, and other forms of social media to connect with both publishers and agents. Having a large social media following can also help increase the likelihood that you’ll be accepted, as it means that you already have a built-in fanbase of buyers.

You can also self-publish, where you print your books at your own cost and sell them yourself. This is an option to consider if you have a popular blog, are a professional speaker, or otherwise have the potential to sell a large number of books directly to people.

Payment?

So what can you expect in terms of payment if you write a book and get a book deal?

Typically, how much a writer earns depends on the niche and the publisher. Most offer an advance and royalties. The advance usually reflects how well they think the book will sell and can range from nothing to several thousands of dollars. Your royalties reflect the percentage you’ll get from the profit of each book sale and usually range from 5% to 15%. You won’t receive royalties until you exceed what you’ve been paid as an advance.

Some publishers will also buy things such as movie rights and merchandising rights.

While there’s no ceiling as to what you can earn as an author, keep in mind that most people don’t find success on the level of Dan Brown or Stephen King. You can earn some money this way, but this isn’t a recipe for becoming a millionaire!

A full-time job that pays well is the dream of many. But the reality of a lot of us, especially in this job market, is that we have to piece together a number of part-time or even full-time jobs.

If you are looking for some quick ways to earn a little extra money online, here are some quick and straight-forward suggestions.

Take Online Surveys – paying anywhere from $1 to $50 per survey and more, online surveys were once the purview of online scammers, but have not become a respectable and stream-lined way for marketers to tap into the social conscience of today’s “connected” generation. Start with well-known reputable companies, such as Pinecone Research, and be sure to avoid any outfit that asks for your bank account details. Another tip-off that the site is spam? A questionnaire that takes you longer than 3-5 minutes to complete.

Sell stuff on eBay or Craigslist – With the holiday season right around the corner, you may be looking for quick ways to earn a little extra pocket money to buy presents for your loved ones. Why not dump the clothes and gadgets you no longer use? Ebay has a thriving 2^nd hand market and setting up your own store is quick and easy. All you need is a paypal account and you’re ready to go. For more information on being an eBay seller, check out this post on How to Sell on Ebay.

Take on some freelance writing jobs. You don’t need to be Hemingway to earn a living from freelance writing, but you do need a good turn of phrase, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate well — with your readers and your boss. Some writers find their gigs on Craigslist; others turn to bidding sites. Some even like to take fate into their own hands by writing a blog.

Become a video game programmer. Not only do most gamers work online, you can even get your video game degree online. Totally seamless tradition! Learn more about getting your start in the gaming profession from this article on How to Be a Video Game Programmer.

Whether you’re in Montana or Mozambique, one of the best parts of working online is that you can literally do it anywhere that you have a computer and a high speed Internet connection. Learn more about how to work online from abroad in this post on Freelance Travel Writing.

Whether it’s because of the economy or just because you are looking for new challenges, reentering the work force after several months or years at home with your children can present a lot of challenges.

How do you appeal to employers who want candidates with up-to-date skills and fresh experience? Can you compete with other candidates who just graduated from college and have all the latest research at their fingertips?

Believe it or not, the answer is Yes! Even after 10 years out of the workforce, you can jump back in as long as you know how to package yourself and your experiences. Here are some things to consider:

1. Networking is key. How often do we talk about networking on this blog? Constantly, right?! And we’re always saying how important it is and that something like 60 percent or more of the jobs out there aren’t even advertised. Well, as important as word of mouth is to the average job seeker, it’s even more important to stay-at-home parents looking to reenter the work force. These job networking connections may well make the difference for you between a first response of “too old, out of the loop” and a reaction of “you know what? let’s take a second look”. Dust off your rolodex and start calling people. Contact old employers and colleagues, but also take a look at the carpool pickup lane – who do you know now that might be of assistance to you as you build your future?

2. Volunteer Your Time

Another great way to expand your work-free resume and develop more networking contacts (see #1) is to volunteer your time at a local or national non-profit organization. When you work for a nonprofit, you will be able to strengthen your leadership, organization, administrative, fundraising, management and other types of work-related skills within a professional environment.

3. Make a Functional Resume

Consider seven things you have accomplished in your adult life. Write a short paragraph about what you did in each scenario. Then translate each of these paragraph into a list of action verbs. From among those lists, you will sense a number of themes – leadership, organization, personnel management, interpersonal communication, etc. A functional resume uses those themes as the organizing principles. After your name and contact information, make a list of each of those qualities, with one line of description about how you define that quality. Under each quality, make a bulleted list of experiences through which you developed those skills.

For more information on how to develop your functional resume, read the quintessential career guide, What Color Is Your Parachute.

4. Consider Working From Home

Whether as a way to build up your resume for your “real job” or as the real job itself, working from home as a freelancer is a great way to transition back into the work force. If you have writing skills, you can work as a freelance writer or blogger. If you are crafty, you can sell your works on etsy. If you are a bargain shopper, you can leverage your good deals by reselling on eBay. If you have great typing skills, you can work in transcriptions or medical records. Find out more about work from home jobs here.

Have you made the transition from being a stay-at-home parent to working a full time job? What tips and advice do you have to share? Post in the comments section!

Are you thinking about starting your own blog to make money from home?

While you probably won’t get rich overnight, blogging is a great way to build community around an issue you are passionate about, while also earning income from advertising and affiliate linking.

If you’d like to try your hand at writing a blog, the best way to start is with a free blog blogging platform. After all, why invest a couple hundred dollars in a self-hosted blog before you are sure your writing is going to earn you the kind of income you had envisioned?

The two most popular free blogging platforms are Blogger and WordPress. (Note that WordPress also has a self-hosted platform, which requires you to have your own web host. That WordPress is wordpress.org. The FREE blogging platform can be found on wordpress.com.) While either will provide you with great support, good design options and easy-to-use tools, there are a few important differences between the platform that may sway your decision one way or the other. Here is a look at some of them:

Blogger Pros:

• Super easy, intuitive, user-friendly interface – you can be set up and running in 10 minutes, even if you have no prior experience in writing a blog
• Requires no knowledge of HTML
• Numerous customizable templates to choose from
• Can be monetized with ads from Google Adsense (If you are planning to monetize your blog, this is a big pro in comparison to WordPress.com, which doesn’t allow any third-party advertisting.)
• Large network to connect with other bloggers
• Compatible with site statistics monitoring programs such as Google Analytics

WordPress Pros:

• Has over 100 templates to choose from and hundreds more that can be downloaded for free; many have plug-ins that make the look and feel more customizable
• Turning on plug-ins is an easy process
• Posts can be categorized and subcategorized
• It is easy for visitors to comment
• SEO (search engine optimization)-friendly, since you can add an unlimited number of tags
• Can add pages, as well as posts

Blogger Cons:

• Does not allow for hierarchal categorization
• Comments are more strictly regulated, making it more difficult for visitors to leave a comment
• Standard blogger templates are less professional.
• Does not have plug-ins to further customize the look, feel and functionality
• Can not make separate pages

WordPress Cons:

• Many templates don’t work with all web browsers
• Plug-ins have to be updated regularly, but can easily be broken if there is a coding issue
• Can not feature paid, third-party advertising, including Google Ad Sense
• To edit the templates, you have to purchase a CSS upgrade
• Limited site visit statistics provided; not compatible with Google Analytics or Feed Burner

Ultimately the best blog platform for you is the one that matches your blog’s function and purpose. If you intend to monitize your blog at some point in the future, WordPress.com will not work for you. However, if your blog is going to be more personal and/or recreational, you will probably really appreciate the plug-and-go functionality of the Word press plugins.

Have you started a blog with either Blogger or WordPress? Which did you chose and why?

Sometimes traveling abroad is about just that – traveling. People don’t always decide to live abroad because they are looking for a cultural experience at work, but rather because they enjoy travel.

Picking up work along the way may be easy for some, and more challenging for others. For those with a proclivity for writing and some expertise about a certain topic, freelance writing jobs provide a means of income that you can do from anywhere with an Internet connection.

Freelance writing jobs take on many forms, the most popular of which is writing for the web. Blogs, websites and online magazines look to freelance writers to provide content, generally around a specific topic (like jobs, for example). Successful freelance writers know a lot about their topic, and can create articles or blog posts that draw in readers.

Where do you look for freelance writing jobs? Just about anywhere! There are websites devoted to helping freelancers find work, and job boards like Monster and Careerbuilder (and Craigslist) often post jobs for people working remotely. If you are first starting out, the task of finding your first client can seem daunting (combined with the fact that you are living and traveling abroad!), but luckily, there are freelance writing tips to help you.

Writing About Your Travels

Many travelers, especially those who are making a multi-legged journey or particpating in a program or project might set up a blog or microblog to record their travels and keep in touch with friends. When talking about freelance writing jobs abroad, it is important to distinguish this kind of writing from writing for a living. While friends and family, and even strangers who stumble upon your blog might be interested in your adventures, creating revenue from your blog takes time, energy and most of all lots and lots of readers.

There are travel writing (and travel photography) jobs available for people living abroad that can involve writing about yourself for a little extra cash. Work abroad websites like Transitions Abroad look for articles about real people traveling abroad and doing good work. Prestigious travel jobs for major newspapers and magazines are much more competitive (but have better compensation) – but starting small with an established travel blog can help build your skill and reputation.

Airline magazines (you know, the ones that you skim through while you are waiting for the plane to land) are great clients for travel writing, and you don’t have to be a veteran to land a writing gig. Do an Internet search for a few airlines and the words “writing guidlines” to get a sense of what kinds of articles the magazines are looking for. You’ll most like have to pitch your idea first, then create an article that meets their specifications. Imagine how many travelers like yourself could be reading your words as they fly to their own destinations!

Social Networking From Overseas

The best thing about freelance writing from home is that you still have access to some of the most important networking tools that a writer can have: social networking. There are many resources about how to use social networking to find freelance writing jobs – many writers find clients through word of mouth or through job postings on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

But more than simply providing a place to find jobs, social networking can make a freelance writer better at their job. While working abroad you can sign up for alerts, RSS feeds and Twitter feeds about topics that you are writing about – creating a niche and becoming and expert can be the key to developing more loyal clients.

Translating for Local Businesses

While the web is undoubtedly the most popular place to find freelance writing jobs, you can also take advantage of opportunities locally. If you speak the local language, take a look around your local business or cultural district – many of these local businesses are potential clients.

Tourists from English-speaking countries provide necessary income to many local businesses abroad, and having English language materials makes cafes, restaurants and gift shops more attractive to many travelers. Yet, the ability to translate materials like signs and menus (not to mention the time or energy to spend on translating) may not always exist. Consider approaching your favorite coffee shop or taqueria and asking if they’d like to have anything translated. You don’t have to charge a lot to make enough money to help you get to your next travel destination. You may even be able to work out a barter system – maybe translating a wine menu will result in a free glass for you and your friends?

Reaching out to local businesses can also open the door for larger freelance writing projects, like creating copy for English-language brochures, or placing ads in English-language newspapers or websites. if you speak multiple languages, that might increase your appeal (depending on the demand, of course). It also doesn’t hurt to have some local friends in the neighborhood!