The contemporary world has brought down all barriers with regards to earning a livelihood. With the advent of globalization and the Internet, the world has become a much easier, well-connected, and more profitable place to live in, especially from the perspective of a freelancer. Decades ago when the world was still reeling over the idea of expanded international connectivity and potential advantages of the same, freelancers could not have access to a fair number of opportunities.
Many freelancers would remain confined to the territorial restrictions, and those transcending international borders would go through limitless ambiguity emanating from language and currency changes, increased transportation cost, and other concomitants of freelancing during that period.
Things have changed now, and we can have streamlined access to various freelance opportunities. Presently, there are too many options to choose from, but under this article, we shall discuss only one: Freelance Communication consultant. Like many freelancing areas, communication consultancy is an ever-growing, well-reputed area of work which offers high-income opportunities and diverse working conditions. However, freelancing in this area requires an exhaustive knowledge of nature, job and skill requirements, pay rate and other necessary aspects of the same.
Fret not, since we are going to unravel some really important things you need to know to become a freelance communications consultant.
A Communication consultant offers external or internal support to the communication department of a company. He/she is generally hired for the purpose of handling everyday correspondence and projects. A Communication consultant is shouldered with the task of handling a company’s dialogue with the targeted audience and controlling the internal communication to board members, employees, consumers, and other stakeholders. They are engaged in media and public relations, publicity, customer service, and other related activity. The responsibilities may differ with the seniority or experience of an individual such as a senior communication consultant may be entitled to directly participate in board meetings, be privy to sensitive company’s information, greater access to media by acting as the spokesperson of the company and of course, a higher pay rate. A communication consultant may be from within or outside the company.
Considering the nature of work performed by a communication consultant, one can easily fathom it being a very important functionary of a company or organization.
The first and foremost thing to do is to learn deeply about a strategic Communications consultant and what it takes to become one. Every job requires some skills for the efficient discharge of duties and positive professional growth. Before you dive into the technicalities of a freelance communication consultancy, you should first build an adequate understanding of the same. So, the following are the key skills employers or clients would expect from a freelance communications consultant:
The following are the remote communications consultant job requirements:
As a freelance communication consultant, you will not experience any dearth of opportunities. The Association of Professional Communication Consultants emphasizes much upon the importance of communication consultants in any professional organization, whether it is a private corporate body or a governmental institution. The functions of a communication consultant are universal and integral to every organization.
You can apply to various companies and other organizations for the post of a communication consultant, but you do have to keep a regular check on the vacancies. This usually takes a lot of time and therefore, it is recommended you take recourse to online freelance portals such as freelance.com, guru.com, upwork.com, worknhire.com, etc. There are many online discussion forums and yellow pages where one can easily find freelance opportunities.
If you go the online way, you would have to do certain things: Create an account, establish credibility through a well-drafted portfolio of skills, and apply to companies or other organizations by sending them a carefully drafted proposal letter. After having applied, make sure you follow-up periodically, but avoid projecting yourself desperate. Meanwhile, keep updating the portfolio as per the requirements of the openings on the websites. It is recommended you structure the portfolio depending upon the type of company you are applying or want to apply.
The Par rate is depended on the qualifications and experience of the individual. It also depends on the size and reputation of the organization you are applying to. If it is a multinational company with an impressive reputation, the pay rate will be handsome but not easily realized since the work is burdensome. You can study about the company or organization by yourself; what we are going to talk about here is what kind of candidates can charge what kind of pay rate.
If you are a highly qualified and experienced communication consultant, you can have a high pay rate since you have more credibility and years of strong standing in the industry. The pay rate is generally at or above the prevailing market rate. If, however, you are a young, fresh graduate or post-graduate with less or no practical experience, you would have to avoid presumptuousness and state reasonable pay rates. An obnoxiously high pay rate by a rookie communication freelance consultant will be treated mockingly, something which you would not like.
To get a better understanding of the pay rates in this freelancing area, it is advisable you join online forums or attend meet-ups. These act as hotspots of information and will help you learn from those who are actively engaged in the field.