Consulting on Shine

Final post, but still working this new economy

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When I started this blog in April, I knew it had an expiration date. I signed a short-term contract. I referred to myself as a guest blogger on Yahoo! Even the title, "Working the New Economy," suggested that this was a project of limited duration. After all, how long could this "new economy" last?

Now that it's time to wrap up, it's pretty clear that the new economy has become the new normal. And I can't say that I have figured out exactly how to work it. Unemployment has now topped 10%. Counting those who are underemployed, it's closer to 20%. Mass layoffs are still happening, including a round at BusinessWeek last week where several of my most respected colleagues were shown the door.

One defining feature of this not-so-new-anymore economy is that we will all need to flexible and nimble. I've worked independently for nearly a decade. And now it seems that my usual mix of contract work, freelance relationships, consulting and other kinds of affiliations has become standard in what Tina Brown so aptly dubbed the gig economy.

How to break into freelancing

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I can’t go a day without talking to someone about how to get started as a freelancer, consultant or entrepreneur. Some folks are going solo by necessity; others are betting on themselves over employers in a market where jobs are no more stable than gigs. I spent the weekend with my cousin and her fiance who had both been laid off from jobs in adventure travel. We brainstormed about how they could build careers as entrepreneurs or consultants.

A few days later I had lunch with a colleague who is in the midst of a negotiation with her boss about moving from employee to consultant because she thinks she’d have more opportunities if she diversified her client base rather than remain at one company.

Those conversations came in handy this morning when I was interviewed by Tory Johnson on how to break into freelancing for a video series promoting her new book, Fired to Hired, which will be published in early August.

Here's a summary of our chat:

Dip into freelancing while keeping your job. Start by quietly spreading the word that you are available for projects and taking on assignments that don't present a conflict with your current job. The goal is to test the waters to see whether your services are in demand and to have at least one or two clients lined up once you're completely out on your own.

WHAT...You Haven't Heard? Iggly Biggly Is The #1 Choice for This Season & Many to Come!

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A career in transition: 5 questions for Gina Trapani

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I’ve been thinking a lot about time management and productivity lately, so I decided to check in with Gina Trapani, who is best known as the founder of the blog Lifehacker, and the author of the book “Upgrade Your Life,” an indispensable guide to how to work smarter in the digital age. When I last interviewed Trapani, she was still editing Lifehacker, which is owned by Gawker Media. She left that position in January. These days she divides her time between computer programming, writing for her personal blog, Smarterware, and freelance writing for a variety of publications.

We chatted via phone and email about going through transitions and forging a new path away from a brand you’ve been closely identified with. The following is a condensed version of our conversations.

So how does it feel to be just Gina Trapani after four years of being Gina Trapani, editor of Lifehacker, one of the most powerful blogs in the world?

Lifehacker is this great brand, packaged really nicely and my name was tied very closely with it. Now that I’m not there, I’m not a brand anymore.

Finding the perfect part-time work

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Part-time work is on the rise, and it's no surprise. People are taking on extra jobs to make up for hours or income lost, an out-of-work partner, or even a business facing hard times. But part-time jobs can me more than a stop-gap money generator. They can also be a training ground for career reinvention or an audition for a full-time position with both parties getting a chance to try before buying.

Before you start searching for a part-time job, there are a few things to consider, especially if you already have a job and you'll be layering part-time work on top of that.

Need a Hero? 'Miracle on Hudson’ Pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger also a Small Business Owner Helping Other Enterprises

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The US Airways pilot who brought a jet down safely into New York’s Hudson River earned a reputation for safety before he saved all 155 people aboard the damaged plane. When Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger is not flying commercial aircraft, he serves as president…

Job security. Come again?

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I’ve now realized that job security is an oxymoron. Seriously, the two words just do not go together as they once may have. So when I was offered the chance to accept a 3-month contract, there wasn’t much to think about. Yes, I accept! You’ll take me – even if you don’t know if you want me past 3 months! At an earlier time, I may have held out for a permanent position. (There’s another oxymoron). Yet in some pre-economic-meltdown era I would have second-guessed this about a hundred times. I would have wondered if accepting the short-term offer would mean missing out on a permanent job that was just around the corner. But now? Is there much to think about?

Want to make a great first impression? Series 1

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Beauty Blooms purpose is to help a woman's inner and outer beauty blossom.

5 productivity killers & how to fend them off

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Written by Brandie Kajino

We've all been there, the pen that won't work, the phone that doesn't quite fit the bill and a chair that wobbles just enough to send ya right over the edge. In the biz of organizing (and pretty much the whole world), they're known as the formidable "productivity killers." You're just trying to get stuff done, and these little things can drive you crazy! So, what can you do about them? Lots! Here are a few suggestions: