The Move From Freelancer to Staffer

From the Wall Street Journal | June 1, 2010 | By DENNIS NISHI

Becoming a full-time employee after a career of freelance and contract work isn't always an easy transition. Some employers view career freelancers as a flight risk or as lone wolves not suited to working in collaborative environments. How to prove you're ready to join a staff.

• Tap your networks. Connect with past and present clients. They're already familiar with your work, so may be receptive to taking you on or even creating a new role for you. Try getting a referral from an employee or trusted third party. This can include vendors, former employees or even trade-group contacts.

• Show commitment. "Clearly articulate why you're at this place in your life and career that you want to make this transition from [being] independent," says Diane Adams, vice president of human resources at Chicago-based Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions Inc., creators of software for the healthcare industry. She says it's important to hear that you want to contribute in specific ways and can learn something by being on staff, too.

• Be specific about your experience.It's important you portray what you've done "in a results-oriented way," says Brian Drum, president of Drum & Associates, a New York-based executive-search firm. "Companies will look at that more favorably because it's hard to decipher when you just say you're an accountant." Mr. Drum adds, "What did you do? What did you accomplish? Show them."

• Target your résumé. Use the job description of the position you want to apply for to prioritize your résumé. "Usually, the skills and qualifications are listed in the order of their needs," says Mr. Drum. Your résumé should be tailored to reflect that. "If you don't have the right key words for that specific job, you might get bypassed, regardless of the experience you have," he says. "Most résumés are not only scanned electronically, they're read electronically."

• Show team spirit. Employers will want to know that you can work well with others. Be prepared to provide examples of collaboration, including how you've worked with clients, vendors and other third parties. "Working as an independent contractor and working inside are two different kinds of collaboration," says Ms. Adams. You can go outside of your profession to show you can handle the latter. Doing community work with a group like the Rotary Club or serving on a nonprofit board can be useful examples.

• Promote your freelance experience. Successful freelancers are typically driven, hard working and independent, which are qualities that you'll want to emphasize. But you don't want to seem as if you're intent on changing things within the company—unless that's what you'd be hired to do. Use your ability to handle many assignments or contracts as a way to show you are adaptable.

• Do the math. Research what the bottom line costs amount to for both choices. Typically, you'll earn less as a full-time employee, especially when considering the tax benefits of being self-employed, but you'll get health and retirement benefits as well as paid vacations, sick leave and workman's compensation coverage.

Write to Dennis Nishi at cjeditor@dowjones.com