There are definitely benefits to being hired on as a full time and permanent project manager. Job security, obviously, is one of them. Being able to really bond with your team as you move from project to project within a company is also great (provided you like everybody). At the same time, because of the nature of the work, finding a permanent/full time gig is rare. So what do you do in the meantime? Do you just allow a series of layoffs to hang out on your resume while you scour job boards and volunteer, living off of your severance pay or unemployment? This is certainly one approach.

The other approach is to go full-time freelance

This sounds a little bit counter intuitive. Especially, as noted in this diary of an anonymous freelance project manager, most companies think of project management as some superfluous thing that isn't really needed. Indeed, the same diary makes a point of telling us that this particular project manager usually goes into a company to do something else: a writing job or something else. Then, as he stealthily improves the communication flow (or whatever), they notice that things are better with him around so they hire him to turn their botched situation around completely. 

Still: because most projects are temporary in nature anyway, being able to bounce from company to company has some definite benefits:

  • You make a lot of industry contacts that you might not have otherwise made.
  • You can charge more for your services than you could as a regular employee.
  • You can choose with whom you work.
  • You make your own schedule.

So how do you do it? How do you start freelancing as a project manager?

Step One: Register as a Temp

Working through temp agencies and placement firms is a great way to start building your network and generate word of mouth promotion. Do a great job at a few temporary engineering jobs and project management placements and you can bet that people will be contacting you directly to come in and work for them on their projects.

Some project managers even choose to simply stick with their staffing agencies and temp recruitment companies. This way they are still sort of freelancing but the staffing agencies and temp placement companies do all of the marketing and selling work for you.

Step Two: Background Check Yourself

You likely did a version of this before your last job interview. Now it’s time to kick it up a notch. These companies will be inviting you in and trusting you with, often, confidential and highly sensitive company details. You can bet that they are going to do their due diligence on you. Therefore, you must make sure that there is nothing eyebrow raising for them to find.

In this business that means more than just making sure the photos from your frat days are erased from Facebook. This means doing a thorough background check on yourself including things like checking your credit.

If you find anything that would make you hesitate to hire someone else (try to be as discerning as possible here) in your self-research, take pains to fix it. This means hiring a credit repair agency if your credit history is less than perfect. It means making sure that your online reputation is spotless.

Step Three: Put Out Some Feelers

When you are confident that a background, reputation, and credit check will come up squeaky clean, it’s time to start contacting previous employers and team members. Let them know that you’re “going rogue” and setting up your own freelance operation. Ask if they know of anybody who might need a good project manager or leader. More importantly, ask them to refer potential clients to you when they do hear about these jobs.

Step Four: Get Certified

There are lots of opinions as to whether or not you really need PMP credentials. On the one hand, actual experience from “the field” is invaluable and not something that can be recreated via a certification course. On the other hand, obtaining (and maintaining) your certification shows a commitment to project management. It establishes you as a pro instead of a dabbler who thinks that project management is a great way to get paid to be bossy. It’s also important to note that if you are relatively new to the field, PMP can help open doors that ordinarily only be opened to those with extensive resumes.

Step Five: Make it Official

Each state has strict laws as to how a freelancer can operate his or her business. In some states, as long as you report your income, you are free to take on whatever projects you like. In others, you must register your status with the state and your county and get certain types of licenses before you can start taking on clients and projects. It’s a good idea to make an appointment at your local SBA office and find out what you need to do to make everything official. Think of it as your first project!

Step Six: Branch Out

Remember when we talked about the diary of the freelance project manager and he said that he often got Project Management jobs via other types of jobs? This is a good idea for you too. If you have other skills that you can leverage and market, do that! The freelance writing jobs or coding work you take on can help bridge the gap, income-wise, between project management gigs. This way you won’t be so desperate that you take whatever comes along. You can hold out for the jobs that will work best for you and for the career you’re trying to build for yourself.

The point is that it is possible to become a freelance project manager. The temporary nature of the work lends itself fantastically to freelancing anyway and, of course, you can always simply freelance while you look for your next permanent gig, right?