Freelance Network Engineering is more than just possessing the top-notch technical expertise and having a sleek portfolio. There’s a widespread wrong notion that a network engineer works remotely and so interpersonal skills may not be necessary. Below are the interpersonal skills that you’ll need in addition to your technical skills to be successful as a freelance network engineer.
Sharp Communication Skills
Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills are crucial if you want to excel in your network engineering career. By working remotely, it means you’ll be interacting with your clients and potential customers online or through phone calls. Impressive technical skills plus effective communication will give you a competitive edge. You don’t want to live a client trying to figure out the message you’re trying to pass.
Leadership & Collaboration
As a freelancer, you’re likely to land big projects that might need you to have a team of engineers to deliver within the deadline. You’ll need to possess proper leadership skills to schedule the work, communicate what’s expected of them, and track the progress. You’ll experience a lot of challenges including late delivery, and uncommunicated absent seem, all that you need to handle objectively.
Creativity and Problem Solving
It’s an undeniable fact you’re tech-savvy and can use your technical expertise to fix any problems within the network system. Unique problems in your networking career will come up. As an engineer, you need to show innovativeness by designing and implementing new solutions.
Sales & Marketing Skills
When bidding for work, you’ll be marketing your skills and landing the job is an indication that you don’t only have the technical skills but you’re also an excellent communicator. Besides, if your client requires that you make phones to communicate with the customers and prospective customers, your sales pitch should convert.
Self-Management
As a remote freelance network engineer, time management will determine the direction your career takes. Your clients expect you to deliver on time while the customers you’re supposed to call want their issues addressed. That calls for a working schedule to ensure that nothing is left hanging.
Stress Management Skills
Just like any work, freelance network engineering comes with a fair amount of stress. Rejection of bids, work, rude & unprofessional clients and too much pressure from work. You’ll need to handle all these sources of stress and disappointments soberly without engaging in exchanges with the client and customers. Otherwise, you might quit at the first attempt.
Active Listening
In freelance network engineering, your client might insist on video or phone communication rather than through email or messages on the platform. While being an effective communicator is a requirement, etiquette is needed. Be a keen listener who pays attention to detail. The same thing applies if you one your duties is to make phones.
A Freelance Marketplace Reinforces Interpersonal Skills for Success in Freelance Network Engineering
Aside from bettering your technical skills, working on a platform as a freelance network engineer offers more. You gain better stress management skills, learn the benefits of effective verbal and non-verbal communication, and the importance of teamwork get even more creative.
FieldEngineer.com (FE) is a platform is a platform that brings engineers closer to jobs. If you want to improve your portfolio and grow your skills as an engineer, you’re all sorted. Simply sign up, apply for jobs, work locally or remotely and get paid via the site.
