Today’s international marketplace for freelance AV jobs is both a blessing and a curse for freelancers who are just starting out. On the one hand, you have many more opportunities than there were previously. On the other hand, being part of a global talent pool means there are thousands of technicians out there bidding for the same jobs.
The gig economy has changed the nature of how freelance AV jobs operate, which means you must adapt in order to present a killer profile that grabs potential buyers’ attention. Want to know how best to stand out from the competition these days? Read on for major strategies to employ to land more freelance AV jobs.
Practically everyone has an online profile to advertise their skills and certifications to potential buyers, but that’s actually part of the problem of landing freelance AV jobs. On general job boards and networking sites, everyone from nearly any industry you can think of has a profile. What results is a mess of different professionals with many conflicting keywords and tactics employed to catch hiring managers’ attention.
You need to be more selective with your target audience. Freelancers like you don’t just need a couple jobs but a steady stream of work so you can build your reputation and professional network in the AV field. Creating a profile on an AV-specific freelance marketplace will help you do just that.
An AV freelance marketplace has a mutual rating system, similar to Uber, in fact. Both buyers and sellers will have easy-to-see ratings on their profiles, making it easy for you find the best companies to work for. There are also tools for creating simple work order contracts, for communication, and for invoicing, which will streamline your partnership with companies.
There are also tools for sprucing up your freelancer profile. You can easily upload your certifications to your profile, which an AV industry audience will be looking for in promising candidates. Uploading your certifications is key to standing apart from your competition.
Even on an AV freelance platform, you’ve narrowed down your competition, but you still have to make sure you’re able to compete with other junior techs and veterans (as you gain more experience), which is why you should train for more specialized skills as well.
Nowadays, there are easy and flexible training options for you to choose from to gain new certifications. Industry standard manufacturers and associations alike (e.g., AVIXA, CEDIA, Crestron, and Extron) are offering online programs for certifications that give you a competitive edge.
These online programs often offer free courses and resources that are designed so you can jump in at the points that best suit your current skill level and knowledge. You can tailor your training schedule with video courses, but you can also devote yourself to training streams that will make you a certified specialist of a specific set of brand technology and best practices.
Many of these programs offer digital badges that you can use in your e-mails and display on your job profiles as well. These badges are designed to be easy to spot and give your potential buyers at-a-glance confirmation of your technical prowess. Online training programs with industry manufacturers often offer bonus renewal units for renewing AVIXA certifications you already have as well.
Standing out from the competition doesn’t need to be complex. Targeting the right audience, with the right tools, and proving your worth with specialized skills goes a long way to building your freelance reputation. Try these three strategies out and watch as you begin to get steady work.
