How to Become a Freelance Assessor/Trainer
With how the economy is going at the moment and more people are thinking about what they want from work and life. More people want flexibility as they want to manage and be in charge of their own time. The prospect of becoming self-employed is looking extremely rewarding. If done correctly, this can be really profitable, and why wouldn’t it look desirable?! Not having to work 9-5 anymore, not answering to bosses and managers. As well as having total flexibility to work with who you want and where you want. So becoming a freelance assessor or trainer is looking really good.
Details?
So before we go into any specifics we want to outline some things you should have or are undertaking before becoming a freelance assessor or trainer. If this is all completely new to you but you like the idea of becoming an assessor or even working for yourself. Don’t worry, we’re here to help.
First things first, you need to have occupational competence in the area you work in. So you know the ins and outs of the industry and have been working within it for years. If you have significant competence you can become an assessor. Once you’ve established that, you need an assessor qualification. There are a few different ones you can gain. But if you want to become a fully qualified assessor, you need the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement or CAVA for short!
Advantages
There are many advantages when it comes to being a freelancer. You can choose when you work and where this could be at home! You can enjoy more variety in your work day and develop your experience. Freelancing gives you complete control over your career and progression. If you want to achieve something or offer a specific service, you can. The only limitation would be yourself.
Disadvantages
Like with anything there will be disadvantages. You can’t rely on a fixed salary every payday, especially in the beginning. Sometimes where you work can have distractions, so you need to be disciplined to maintain a good work/life balance. Especially if you work from home because it can become tempting to put more hours in. You also need to develop a range of business skills such as managing finances, sales, marketing, planning etc. Some skills may come naturally and others you may have to learn.
First steps?
Before becoming a freelancer, it’s important to plan and do as much research as possible. This will help you complete a road map for you to move forward with. To do this, you can ask yourself the following questions:
- How will I cope financially?
- What clients will I take?
- Will I outsource to another company?
- What training can I/will I offer?
- How much should I charge?
- How and where should I market my services?
You don’t have to know everything about freelancing before you start as one. We all learn from experience, but having a vague understanding of freelancing is a good idea.
Know your numbers
Knowing the numbers is essential, regardless of whether you’re new to freelancing or a veteran freelancer. Asking yourself these questions will help you when it comes to personal and business monthly outgoings.
- How much do I need to earn?
- How much do I want to earn?
- Are there specific dates when annual insurances or other payments need to be renewed or paid? For example car insurance.
As you start to do more business you can track the incoming and outgoing you make. Any busy or quiet times of the year. Knowing all your numbers will help you pinpoint how you need to structure your services to meet your targets.
Keep CPD fresh
As a freelancer, it’s vital that you keep your CPD up to date. Meaning keeping your skills and knowledge up to scratch, so you’re not working behind the industry standard. As well as not giving your clients old skills and ways to do things. You need to be innovative when it comes to this. Be on top of your industry and know the new technologies, theories and skills. It will also help you to maintain your competitiveness in the market. Additionally, elevate your business.
Know your goals
The next step is extremely important. With anything in life, it’s always a good idea to set goals. You need to know them so you actually have something to work towards. Becoming a successful freelancer doesn’t just happen overnight. It is, in fact, an ongoing process, that you need to stick to. Pinpoint your goals and stay focused on working toward them. Every time you make a decision ask yourself whether it will bring you closer to your goals or push you further away.
Become a training company?
Do you want to set yourself up as a training company or business? If so then you need to know what it takes to become one. Lucky for you, we have plenty of blog content that explains all about becoming a training company! In essence, you deliver your own training, whether that’s through bespoke courses, accredited courses or government-funded ones! We can help you, as we offer a consultation service that helps you run through your ideas and goals and we help you achieve them.
If becoming a freelance assessor is for you or you even want to get a consultation, you can contact us at the office on 01205 805 155 and our team will be happy to help!