Modern Successful Individual Career Guide

Author: (American) Fox, translated by Lan Wei Ban
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-07-01
Features: In the past few years, the number and variety of individual professionals have greatly increased. The self-sufficient lifestyle of independent entrepreneurs has become a viable alternative. The expansion of individual practice can be attributed to three reasons. First, large companies, in order to cut management costs, outsource tasks that were previously handled by internal employees. Professionals engaged in advertising, sales, writing, design, tabulation, transcription, and many other fields have benefited from this practice of seeking external expertise. The second major reason for the rapid growth of individual practice stems from the remarkable development of the non-traditional service industry. My own organizational profession did not exist a decade ago; at that time, there were no wardrobe management experts referred to as "proxy wives," nor many other service-oriented businesses. I believe these service industries will continue to expand, particularly those that can alleviate certain family burdens for dual-income households. Third, our society's increasingly free and unbound atmosphere encourages individuals with special skills to start their own businesses. People can become independent computer programmers, word processors, private tutors, translators, and dog groomers, achieving success nationwide or even globally. As the number and variety of individual professionals grow, people recognize that individual practice is a promising career with potential for growth and substantial income. To realize this potential, while enjoying the freedom (which is perhaps the primary motivation for independence), individual practitioners need to know what? Foremost: how to identify potential clients; how to market themselves; how to propose solutions or present ideas; how to make sales decisions; how to negotiate fees; how to handle contract matters and legal liabilities; and how to manage office operations and seek additional help when needed. Perhaps most importantly, one must be able to calmly evaluate the temperament and personality traits necessary for a successful individual professional life. It can be said that until today, every individual practitioner must rely on practical experience and exploration to reshape their destiny and find answers to these questions, because in the past, no one knew or had shared experiences to draw from. This book fills this gap in two ways: by thoroughly and clearly clarifying the aforementioned issues and many others, and by drawing insights from the diverse experiences of individual practitioners, demonstrating that individual practice is indeed a viable career choice. While individual practitioners are independent, they are not alone. This book serves as an excellent reference for anyone who is already an individual practitioner or is considering becoming one.