Training means staying up to date, updating your knowledge and learning new things. In today's fast-moving professional world, keeping up to date and maintaining a high level of competence are imperatives for anyone seeking to excel in their field. This is particularly true for freelance consultants, whose success depends to a large extent on their expertise, adaptability and ability to respond to changing client needs.
Training is not just about updating your knowledge, but also about acquiring new skills and familiarising yourself with the latest trends in the industry. At FocusTribes, we understand the importance of ongoing training. In this article, we'll look at why it's essential to maintain an open and inquisitive mindset throughout your freelance career.
Discover our new episode "How to train when you're self-employed", from our Tips series hosted by Olivier Herlet, Associate Director at FocusTribes.
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Ongoing training gives freelance consultants a significant competitive edge. By keeping up to date with the latest trends, technologies and regulations, freelancers can offer up-to-date, high-quality advice to their clients. As Olivier H. points out: "We shouldn't assume that our current knowledge will be sufficient for our client until the end of our career".
Ongoing training enables consultants to diversify their skills and explore new areas. By adapting to new sectors or acquiring in-demand specialisms, freelancers can seize opportunities for professional growth and broaden their field of action. This diversification not only enriches their careers but also increases their added value in the eyes of customers.
As well as developing technical skills, continuing training can also help freelancers to improve their management and organisation. Training in project management, time management or the use of new software tools can contribute to greater operational efficiency, leading to more satisfactory results for customers.
Continuing training, an essential asset for freelance consultants, offers a number of advantages:
- Developing and diversifying skills
- Maintaining a competitive edge in terms of market relevance and competitiveness
- Responding to changing customer needs
- Exploring new opportunities
- Improving management and organisation,
- Learn to use new software,
Developing your skills has an added advantage. It increases your added value to the company and can result in an increase of your daily rate. Setting your daily rate as a freelancer ? Guidelines and useful tips.
This self-learning mentality is a key feature of success as a freelancer. It enables you to remain agile, adapt your skills to the changing needs of the market and stay competitive. It's a philosophy that requires discipline, motivation and curiosity to keep learning and growing.
Taking part in webinars on a regular basis is a cost-effective way of learning and sharing with peers and potential partners. Taking part can provide information on emerging trends, best practice and future opportunities. One of the key advantages of webinars is their accessibility. As a freelancer, it can be difficult to find the time to attend training courses in person. Webinars led by experts, and replays available online, give consultants access to value-added resources whenever and wherever they have the time.
O.H: "At FocusTribes, we hold regular webinars on very specific and varied subjects. Even though sometimes the subjects may not interest us, I think it's really important to take part in this kind of event," adds Olivier. "It's a great way of keeping abreast of the latest news, new subjects, new ways of working, changing regulations, etc. As a freelancer, the clients we work with are very important to us. As a freelancer, the clients you deal with are informed, so you can't just turn up and say you can give them advice on subjects you haven't mastered. So it's vital to take part in a variety of training courses to keep up to date throughout your career, while remaining open-minded; the various subjects can change rapidly, so you need to be constantly updating your knowledge".
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Podcasts are free and are a real source of inspiration and feedback. Many podcasts are specialised and cover subjects specific to entrepreneurs.
Easy to listen to and available on several platforms such as Deezer, Spotify and Apple podcast, podcasts are accessible and to be listened to without moderation!
Reading and e-books are also excellent ways of learning at your own pace and according to your specific interests. By exploring a variety of resources, freelancers can broaden their horizons and deepen their expertise in various fields.
O.H: "Freelancers can't afford to rely on an employer or organisation to provide training or learning opportunities. Instead, they have to be proactive in their search for knowledge, skills and training. This means researching resources, attending webinars, reading books and articles, taking online training courses and exploring other ways to keep up to date in their field."
On social networks such as LinkedIn or Youtube, you can also access a wealth of content from other consultants or managers who share their experience and best practice. You'll have access to invaluable advice on how best to develop and manage your freelance business. It's up to you to find the right mentors for the subjects you're most interested in.
MOOCs are distance learning courses, open to everyone and usually free of charge, although you may have to pay for the certificate. These online courses offer a wide range of subjects, from computer programming to project management and digital marketing. Platforms such as Udemy, OpenClassrooms and Coursera offer easy access to these courses, enabling freelancers to learn new skills at their own pace.
Numerous certification courses on specialist subjects are also available online. Whether it's ERP, CRM or other IT tools you want to improve your skills in, you can start with free modules and then, if you need to, upgrade to paid courses.
In conclusion, ongoing training is an essential investment for freelance consultants. By developing and diversifying their skills, they can maintain their competitiveness in the marketplace and seize new opportunities for professional growth. By engaging in a continuous learning process and exploring a variety of available resources, freelancers can enrich their careers and offer high-quality services to their clients. At FocusTribes, we strive to add value to our freelancers and enable them to become enriched members of the community.
Would you like to find out more about the world of freelancing and consulting? Feel free to consult our blog articles dedicated to these subjects by clicking below:
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