New Tips And Triks For You

When Sahil Manekia (see details below) returned to India after a 4-year stint in the US, he was expecting to land a good job with a leading organisation. However, the data analyst who specialises in assessing the impact of non-profit ventures, drew a blank.

"I wanted to focus on non-profit projects, but the jobs on offer did not match my skill set," says the 29-year-old Mumbai resident. Manekia now works freelance for companies to assess the impact of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.

In another part of India's financial capital, corporate trainer Maneesh Konkar is preparing a PowerPoint presentation for a workshop later during the month. A freelancer, 43-year-old Konkar conducts workshops for the sales teams of companies. Till now, he has trained employees of FMCG companies, consumer electronics manufacturers, auto companies and even IT firms.

"They may be from different sectors but the fundamentals of effective sales are the same across industries," he says. Freelancing, once seen as the preserve of writers and photographers, is increasingly attracting professionals from other streams. The Internet has spawned opportunities for teachers, data analysts, IT professionals and corporate trainers like Konkar.

You can grab freelancing assignments not only in your city or in India but literally in any corner of the world. According to one estimate, every third user of Freelancer.com is from India.

The US-based website helps freelancers get assignments and takes a cut when the deal is done . It's a trend that is slowly catching on. A growing number of professionals is junking regular employment to try their hands at freelancing. They are driven by the dream to be independent and work on their own terms without the straitjacket of a 9-to-5 job. To be fair, freelancing does unshackle the individual from the tyranny of corporate hierarchy.

You are your own boss and get to draw your own schedule. However, it is not a cakewalk. "While being on your own offers you the flexibility of working in your own fashion, it is certainly not a bed of roses. One has to work very hard to establish oneself and, subsequently, get a regular income to be successful," says Aditya Narayan Mishra, president (staffing), of head-hunting firm, Randstad India.