Here in Switzerland, hiring managers are increasingly making use of outside independent contractors to complete specific projects within a defined time frame, and to perform specific tasks at a defined rate. By employing contractors, employers can benefit by having an extremely flexible, up-skilled workforce who are available at short notice to cater for busy periods and down times by limiting redundancies.
Once they have successfully completed their contract or project, they are then free to take on their next challenge. Sometimes contractors even end up being hired permanently by companies if their performances are particularly impressive.
Here are 3 tips if you would like to be a part of Switzerland’s lively contracting market
Position yourself as an expert
Employers turn to contractors to provide services that are outside of their competency in order to meet project goals and deadlines. Therefore, contractors are expected be highly autonomous and are expected to deliver results from day one. Rather than describing yourself solely as a contractor, position yourself as an expert in your domain of expertise. Ideally, your CV should include not just the tasks you were performing in your previous role, but also contain a list of accomplishments that are relevant for the role you are targeting. Don’t just follow the crowds: actively plot out a path for your contracting career! Like any other type of job search, those who have great references and can prove to have delivered excellent results in their past projects will have preference.
Hone your skills
Employers are going to hire you to do specific tasks and expect you to deliver results straight away. Therefore, you must continuously work on your certifications and stay on top of recent trends in your field of expertise. Specific companies require their external workforce to have industry-standards and up to date certifications (such as CCNP, CCNA, CCIE certifications for network experts or UML certifications for Project Managers or Business Analysts). Maintaining your certifications is your personal responsibility and pays off in the long run. Failing to invest in your professional trainings and certifications will quickly lead to you having a tougher time securing employment. Do the math: invest in yourself and others will invest back into you!
Timing is everything
Companies look to employ contractors to plug immediate gaps in their organization. Therefore, your availability is critical: agencies are expected to find you, interview you and hire you in a very short period of time. On average, recruiters have 72 hours to deliver profiles to the client. To make sure that you are not missing out on the right contracting opportunities, register for job alerts and visit relevant websites for newly advertised contracting roles as often as possible. Be sure to head to Switzerland’s most visited site for IT jobs: https://www.experis.ch/
If you’re looking for opportunities within the IT and banking industry, we would love to help you so don't hesitate to register today: https://www.experis.ch/users/register/new/registration.
