The Uberization of Project Managers: A Survival Guide for Corporate Refugees
Ah, isn’t life great?
Maybe I should pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.
That’s what you tell yourself as you’re toasting to the good life with your friends on the patio of the luxurious St. Regis hotel. You even order a round of drinks for everyone.
You only live once, right?
The next day, you casually stroll into work with the confidence of a star athlete. As you set your bag down on your desk, your boss walks by and asks if you have a minute to meet in her office.
“Yeh, I’ll be right over,” you say as she walks away.
The formality of her expression didn’t register. It’s just another day in the office.
You power up your laptop and check a couple of emails before making your way to her office. She ushers you to the round table instead of the casual chairs you normally sit in.
Out of the corner of your eye, you notice someone pokes their head in the room. You swivel around in the chair to get a better look. It’s the HR manager from the 3rd floor.
What’s he doing here?
Before long, reality sets in. You’ll be exchanging your employee ID for a “Hello I’m a Corporate Refugee” sticker.
Welcome to the Wild West of unemployment.
The U.S. Department of Labor expects management occupations such as IT and construction project managers to grow approximately 6 percent by 2024. This is comforting news for some managers, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics -
“1.6 million Americans have been out of work for six months or longer as of April 2017. Almost a million have been jobless for more than a year.”
This is forcing many professionals to forgo full-time employment and rent themselves out for temporary assignments like a homeowner might rent out an extra bedroom on Airbnb. They’re mercenary employees-for-hire.
Freelancing is to Work as Uber is to Driving
Maybe you’re a technical project manager who has fifteen AI patents to your name, an MBA with a concentration in marketing, and you build tiny homes for the homeless in your free time. Kudos and a virtual high five. You’re a corporate recruiter’s dream.
However, if your LinkedIn profile doesn’t read anything like this then there’s a good chance you’ll end up freelancing at some point. It’s best to prepare for the inevitable than wait for the hammer to drop on your comfy white-collar job.
The future of work is freelancing. Fast Company cited a study that said -
“By 2020, a separate study estimates that more than 40% of the American workforce, or 60 million people, will be independent workers-freelancers, contractors, and temporary employees.”
Did you catch that?
At least 40% of the U.S. workforce will be moonlighting for more than one company at any given time. So, unless you have a cushy government job or your parents own the multi-million dollar company you work for, the likelihood of you staying on a job long enough to collect a gold watch is slim to none.
Another study, Freelancing in America: 2017, said the perceptions of freelancing as a career are becoming more positive.
It went on to state -
- 57.3 million people freelanced this year.
- The freelance workforce grew at a rate 3x faster than the U.S. workforce overall since 2014.
- Younger generations are driving the acceleration of freelancing. Almost half of working Millennials (47%) freelance, more than any other generation.
- At its current growth rate, the majority of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers by 2027.
Over 57 million Americans took on freelance work this year alone. It won’t be long before freelancers make up the majority of the U.S. workforce.
When Gigs Grow Up, They Become Projects
Many freelancers see themselves as more employees-for-hire than entrepreneurs-in-the-making. The rise of microwork sites such as Upwork and Guru give them a myriad of opportunities to choose from. It’s not hard to see how freelancers can get spoiled.
I have some news for you though. It’s for your own good. Trust me.
Get off the fence and make a decision.
Either treat your gigs like a business or focus on landing a 9–5 (aka a J-O-B).
Why?
Money flows to those who create the most long-term value. By its very nature, a gig is short-term. This is fine if the gig is part of a larger business strategy, but most of the time it’s not.
If you’re not careful, you’ll end up hopping like a bunny rabbit from one gig to another and living a life of feast-or-famine. In your haste to pursue the next gig, you’ll leave a trail of carrots (aka long-term opportunities) behind.
What you gain in freedom, you give up in consistency.
You have to think ahead. What will your future look like? The last thing you want to do is wake up in retirement with a pocket full of marbles instead of a bag full of gold.
It’s time to tidy up your house.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to embrace an entrepreneurial, ownership mindset. Look at yourself as a Project CEO rather than an employee-for-hire. (You can read the lite version of this concept here or a more in-depth version here.)
Start by asking, “Why do companies hire freelancers in the first place?”
Three of the primary reasons include -
- They have a short-term assignment.
- They can’t afford you full-time.
- They want to try you out.
Take this a step further. Map your value (short-term and long-term) to their primary reason for wanting to hire you.
This will allow you to show tangible results as quickly as possible while at the same time setting yourself up for future success. In this way, you can turn finite assignments into longer-term projects.
If you’re really good at doing this, you’ll build ongoing relationships that lead to bigger and better opportunities. Before you know it, the snowball effect will kick in. As you start managing larger and larger projects, you might need to hire some freelancers yourself.
Keep in mind -
“All wants are temporary unless you deliver valuable, unique experiences that prove you’re an INDISPENSABLE need.”
Mini-Case Study: How a Master Plumber is Killing It in the Gig Economy (And How You Can Too)
Living in a house has its pluses and minus. I recently experienced the latter.
My downstairs toilet started running and began leaking water from the bowl joints. If that wasn’t bad enough, the shutoff valve decided to take a permanent vacation, so I couldn’t stop the bowl from leaking.
Just great…
I had a royal mess on my hands that continually nagged at me like a newborn baby crying out for its mother. As you can imagine, I wasn’t a happy camper.
Well, I did what any self-respecting homeowner who has two left hands would do. I called an expert — Clint The Plumber Man.
Hiring an independent plumber you’ve never used before is a lot like dropping your car off with a backyard mechanic you found on Craigslist. You read about so many horror stories, but I did my research and went out on a huge leap of faith.
When I answered the door, Clint introduced himself and before he stepped into my house, he slipped on a pair of boot covers. He then took a moment to explain how he operates, so I would know what to expect.
I was liking this guy already. Whatever worries I initially had began to subside.
Next, he proceeded to walk through my house and inspect my plumbing. After he had finished his assessment, he wrote up a no-obligation quote with several options. He explained his assessment and showed me what he was going to do, so there wouldn’t be any surprises.
I chose the second option and signed the paperwork. Before getting started, he covered the floor, so it wouldn’t get dirty.
For the most part, he kept to himself as he did his work. Occasionally, he would point something out, but he wasn’t annoying. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he took an etiquette class for tradesmen.
Once he was done, I had a fully rebuilt toilet bowl with a new supply line. He even pointed out some non-toilet related plumbing issues that I might want to consider.
As we finalized the paperwork, I asked him out of curiosity, how he got started in the business. He explained that he went to school for it and worked for a plumbing company until he got licensed as a master plumber. Once he felt confident, he branched out on his own.
Today, he doesn’t do any advertising and he’s booked out two weeks in advance. This really got my mind wondering -
“How is he able to consistently grow his business from referrals and word-of mouth while many other contractors have to constantly chase new business?”
Here are the top 3 things I learned -
1) Master Your Craft
Clint spent time working for a company, so he could learn his trade. He studied hard and eventually got his master plumber license.
2) Set Yourself up for Success
When he went out on his own, he knew he’d have to invest in his business. He incorporated, bought a van, and branded it with his company information.
Also, he developed a consistent process and promised himself he’d never compromise on the quality of his work. Furthermore, he wouldn’t leave a job half done or overcharge a customer to make up for a mistake he made.
3) Stand Behind Your Work
All of his work comes with a written guarantee. If a customer has any problems, he’ll take care of it.
Final Thoughts
Although our engagement started off like a typical client-vendor relationship, it turned out to be a classic lesson on how to deliver a unique experience that sets you up for future opportunities. I didn’t tell him, but I suspect he knew, I added him to my list of go-to experts.
Don’t be a rolling stone that makes its home wherever it happens to be that day. Plant your seeds, so you can grow.
Get a logo. Buy some business cards. Setup a website. Use a separate phone number. In other words, treat your work (temporary or permanent) like it’s a long-term business instead of a short-term gig.
Model yourself after Clint The Plumber Man. Transition to an entrepreneurial, ownership mindset.
About Oliver Yarbrough, PMP®
Oliver is a LinkedIn® Learning Author, speaker, trainer, and leading expert in project management, PMP® Exam Prep, and growth strategies to raise competitiveness. You can follow his musings at OliverYarbrough.com and on Twitter @OliverYarbrough.
You can get a 10-day free trial to the Lynda.com (a LinkedIn ® company) learning platform. It will give you access to an entire library of courses including my courses on Project Management: Government Projects and Exam Tips: Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com on November 6, 2017.
