Guide To Become a Freelance Project Manager

Project Management is one of the hottest career options out there. Project managers earn big bucks

and occupy positions of repute in an organization. However, what stands out about the profile of work is

the fact that freelancers can more or less enjoy similar perks along with the added benefit of working

from the comfort of your home.

One group of project managers’ freelance fulltime. The other group freelances by the side and often

works out of a need to earn extra money. However, what both groups must realize is that Project

management is a well-paying career option and you can earn more than designers earn as a project

manager.

Job Duties:

You will have to fulfil many roles as a freelance project manager. You must be willing to take on duties

that are similar to a fulltime engagement, albeit from the comfort of your living room. Project

management is an important position in an organization and you should be extra careful about the

quality of work you turn in, and the deliverables you set for the liaising teams should be clear and

concise. Some general duties that you will undertake/or be responsible for, as a project manager will

include:

Agreeing project objectives

Representing the client’s interest

Providing independent advice on the management of projects

Organising the various professional people working on a project

Risk assessment

Making sure that all the aims of the project are met

Making sure the quality standards are met

Using the latest it to keep track of people and progress

Recruiting specialists and sub-contractors

Monitoring sub-contractors to ensure guidelines are maintained

Accounting, costing and billing

Skills :

As a Freelance project manager, there are many skills that you must perfect and be adept at to garner

success. Project management is a skillset which is in demand and offers a more rewarding alternative to

daily run-of-the-mill office work in the freelance segment. Thus, you need to develop some skills and

hone them to a razor’s edge. Some of the important skills include:

Be highly organised and be able to multitask

Be a leader and take charge

Be an effective communicator

Be a good negotiator

Be detail oriented

Recognise and solve problems quickly

Posses the necessary knowledge of platforms, technologies etc.

There are many websites, forums, and videos that can teach you project management online.

Lynda, Pmi.org, Stanford.edu, UWaterloo and Telegraph offer many free, paid-for courses that teach you

the basics of Project Management and you can take on many certification programs and become a

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).

Being Successful as a Freelance Project Manager:

As a freelance project manager, your success can be determined by the kind of reputation you boast off,

and how employers rate you. Like other freelancers the initial bedding in period that you will face can be

tough and very new, however, there are steps you can take to ensure success as a project manager.

Some of them, include:

Being able to market your services and creating a Social Media presence

Creating a responsive network, one which you can leverage to find projects and extra work

Problem solving skills

Ability to work under pressure, and to strict deadlines

An understanding of the industry

Average Remunerations

Usually freelance portals offer various kinds of payment models. In the fixed-price model, the price is

usually pre-determined. The hourly model is the most popular and employers usually pay a

predetermined sum per hour. Finally, in the project-budget based model, you often need to auction for

such projects. Usually a fixed price model may range from $20- $200 and upwards, while you have to

pitch for hourly projects, and budget payments, which usually range from $5- $35 an hour. Project

Managers usually earn $28 an hour.

Finding Work:

As a Project manager there are many small scale, medium and even large organisations that may have a

use for your talents. Many websites offer jobs for project management. As a project manager you can

find many freelancer opportunities. Odesk, Peopleperhour, Elance and Freelancerare some of the

popular websites offering job opportunities to project managers like you.

Resources:

Lynda, Pmi.org, Stanford.edu, UWaterloo and Telegraph offer many free, paid-for courses that teach you

the basics of Project Management and you can take on many certification programs and become a

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).

For more information on Freelance Resource please visit www.careerlancer.net