CAREERS NOW 07-27-08

Considering Free-Agent Jobs in Downturn

DEAR JOYCE: I've been bouncing between job boards and newspaper ads trying to find employment comparable to my last (non-technical) job which ended four months ago. In this soft job market I'm thinking of temporarily turning to the "free-agent" lifestyle where I seek out projects, consulting assignments, freelance gigs or other independent short-term employment stints requiring bids. Am I on the wrong track? - G.B.

No, you're not on the wrong track. But do watch where you step. The free-agent mania of a decade ago has undergone a few twists and turns. Moreover, the free-agent lifestyle is not the promised land of release from cubicles that it once was hyped to be. When I checked out comments on forums by experienced free agents, I found that while some were satisfied with their experiences, many weren't.

BIGGEST COMPLAINTS. Dissatisfaction centered on the following five factors, which are amplified in my paraphrasing of actual remarks of temporary workers who used free-agent sites to find employment.

-- Pay rates. Information Technology workers in particular thought too many IT project awards went offshore to low-wage nations: "I found it very difficult to compete with those in other countries who bid to get themselves a living wage and thus underbid me in my efforts to do the same. Saw one for a Net developer for $5 an hour."

-- Bidding wars. At sites where technology matches consultants to projects, bidding wars begin when notices are sent to a couple of hundred consultants: "The job board comes out way ahead and the consultants perform work for little money."

-- Communication failures. What employers and contractors want too often was lost in translation by middlemen: "Putting across clearly the expectations of what you are looking for and what they are looking for becomes almost impossible."

-- Stale job listings. Too many gigs were mined from other sites and closed by the time they hit the free-agent sites: "I tried for eight gigs but none were still open. Or they weren't real jobs in the first place."

-- Radio silence. Most employers didn't get back to the bidders to clear up any questions and didn't answer queries either: "Their silence leaves the impression that they are not serious about hiring anyone."

ONLINE RESOURCES. One short-term worker said choosing a free-agent site that works for you depends on the industry it courts: "I have used (a certain free-agent site) site and found that it's totally useless for finance professionals whereas it will have limited use for IT professionals."

One fairly recent resource: TheFreelanceNation.com isn't free, but it is localized in the sense that it's a network claiming free-agent sites in more than 100 cities. Sites that technical users liked include Dice.com, eLance.com and Rentacoder.com. Several other previously recommended sites have been sold or shuttered.

And remember, your newspaper's Web site is other good online resource to ferret out short-term jobs.

BUSINESS MODES. Distinguish between three basic formats used at various free-agent sites: auction-style blocks where employers do the bidding; auction-style locks where free agents do the bidding; no bidding but posting of job openings for freelancers and their resumes for employers.

The hiring index for free-agent jobs is part of the overall temporary and contract employment industry, which the American Staffing Association reports is off only a few points from a year ago; at 99 for May, the index is down from the same time last year when it was at 102.

When you need a paycheck, you need a paycheck whether its source Is a free-agent gig or regular status employment.

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