Career Success Tips – Page 11 – My Freelance Academy

Top 7 Exciting Computer Science Jobs

From business models to biological simulations, computer science has its applications in most, if not all, fields. There is a huge, ever-growing demand in the market for computer science professionals, and with so many options available to explore, it can get confusing when deciding which option suits your career needs best. This article details everything you need to know about some of the top computer science jobs with high demand in the market.

1. Software Developer

Ever wondered who came up with your favorite photo-editing app? Or, the video game you played after school? Or, the music player on your phone? Or, the software that keeps track of your tasks? All of these tools that have been making your life easier were designed and brought to you by software developers.

Mobile applications — Photo by cottonbro on Pexels

So, What is the Job of a Software Developer?

Software developers talk through with their clients in order to understand what they need from their software. They, then, are responsible for designing, developing, coding, and shaping the required tasks into software programs. Once the software is ready, they must test it and make sure that it meets their clients’ needs. Maintaining the software, coming up with updates, fixing bugs, and training its users is also the role of a software developer.

Skills Required to Be a Software Developer

Software developers typically require a bachelor’s degree in computer science or equivalent computer science fields. Good command of multiple coding languages is a must and sound mathematical knowledge helps in coming up with efficient algorithms for a program.

Besides technical skills, this job also demands strong communication skills in order to communicate with and understand the demands of the client, and also to communicate within the team of other software engineers.

How Much Do Software Developers Make?

The median salary of software developers is $110,140 per year.

2. Information Security Analyst

Security analysis is one of those computer science jobs that would keep you under a lot of pressure.

The basic job of an information security analyst is to carry out safety measures to keep an organization’s computer systems and networks safe from potential security breaches.

What Does the Job of Information Security Analysts Involve?

Information security analysts design the security system of an organization, install firewalls, keep antiviruses updated, and more. They ensure the encryption of the company’s sensitive information and implement, conduct tests and analyze the security measures of an organization. During a security breach, it is their duty to investigate and resolve problems within the existing security system.

Skills Required to Be a Security Analyst

Usually, for entry-level jobs, a computer science degree is required. In-depth knowledge of operating systems, firewalls, antiviruses, IDPS concepts, and computer components — both software and hardware — is a must. Ethical hacking is a very useful skill that helps in conducting effective penetration tests and identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities in computer networks.

A security analyst should be able to anticipate complex problems and also have excellent problem-solving skills to resolve the same. In addition to that, they should also be a team worker and should be able to work under pressure.

How Much Do Security Analysts Make?

The median salary of security analysts is around $103,590 per year.

3. Data Scientist

Of all the computer science jobs, one of the most mathematically-inclined jobs is that of a Data Scientist. So, if you have a knack for mathematics and are fascinated by computer science, this is the job for you.

Basic Job Description of a Data Scientist

Data scientists are responsible for data acquiring, data storage, and data processing. The processing is done by creating algorithms and data science models with the help of data science techniques, like Machine learning, AI, statistical modeling, and more.

To put it in simple words, data scientists utilize their mathematical and computational skills to analyze big data to identify trends, and based on it, they come up with solutions to challenges — usually business challenges.

Skills Required to Be a Data Scientist

For entry-level jobs, typically a master’s degree in computer science is needed.

As you must have figured, Data Science is an amalgamation of both mathematical and computational methods. Therefore, employers look for a strong grip of mathematics and statistics for this job.

To implement these mathematical methods, a deep knowledge of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and programming tools, such as Python, SAS, or SQL, and their application in data science, is required.

How Much Do Data Scientists Make?

The median salary of data scientists is $126,830 per year.

4. Web Developer

Web development is one of the most time-wise flexible computer science jobs. One can choose to either freelance or work with a team or under a company.

This job is ideal for someone who has some interest in graphic designing and has a knowledge of coding computer languages.

What is the Job of a Web Developer?

Web developers design and develop the basic layout — from graphics to user interface — of a website according to their client’s/company’s needs and code for the same. Upon successful creation of a website, its maintenance, bug fixing, and updating also falls under the responsibility of the web developer. information research scientists

Skills Required to Be a Web Developer

A computer science degree is usually required for entry-level jobs. A standard knowledge of coding languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript is a must and should be familiar with database systems, like Oracle/SQL.

Employers may also look for basic knowledge of search engine optimization and a little bit of graphic designing. Some understanding of mathematics can also help produce more efficient codes and algorithms.

This job also demands strong communication skills to communicate well with clients and collaborate with the organization’s computer systems administrators and other team members.

How Much Do Web Developers Make?

The median salary of web developers is $77,200 per year.

5. Database Developer

A database is a collection of structured data which can be stored and manipulated. An organization’s massive collection of data is organized into a database by a database developer, who develops and manages it.

What Are the Roles of a Database Developer?

Database developers are responsible for developing, managing, and troubleshooting a company’s database. They also develop database codes for the extraction or modification of data from the database.

Skills Required to Be a Database Developer

A bachelor’s degree in computer science or IT is required. Database developers should be well trained with both relational as well as non-relational database management systems, like SQL, T-SQL, PL / SQL, DB2, NoSQL, and Oracle databases. They should also possess strong analytical skills and should be able to perform cost calculations to come up with efficient, low-cost solutions to a company’s database management problems.

How Much Do Database Developers Make?

The median salary of database developers is $98,860 per year.

6. Computer Systems Analyst

These analysts analyze the hardware, software, and existing systems of an organization and diagnose problems. Based on these analyses, they incorporate new technology which is cost-beneficial and then oversee its successful installation.

Skills Required to Become a Computer Systems Analyst

Employers usually look for computer science graduates for the job. Besides that, a systems analyst should have sound knowledge of computer hardware and software and should be up to date with the latest technology. Often, experience in business and management is also required.

How Much Do Computer Systems Analysts Make?

The median salary of computer systems analysts is $93,730 per year.

7. Cloud Architect

Out of all the computer science jobs listed, this one is based on one of the newest technologies. To understand this job, let us first understand what cloud is.

Some would say that cloud practically is the internet. Cloud basically refers to the servers accessed by the internet. These servers are located in data centers all around the globe and can be accessed by users from any device. A lot of businesses are switching to this technology as this way they do not have to manage, update, or maintain physical servers on their own, and this way the servers are more easily accessible.

What Are the Responsibilities of Cloud Architects?

Since cloud technologies are relatively new, the job of shifting the company’s current servers to adopt cloud servers, is that of a cloud architect. They must design and assist this change and ensure a smooth adoption by using their cloud computing skills. Once live, they are responsible for maintaining and updating the cloud infrastructure.

Skills Required to Be a Cloud Architect

A major in computer science or a bachelor’s degree in information technology or electronics and communication is usually necessary. A decent understanding of various operating systems, networking, and basic programming knowledge is required for this job. Concepts of TCP/IP, HTTP, IP addresses, and DNS must be known.

Since cloud architecture enables easy access to company data from any location and device, it is also important to have a strong knowledge of security in order to make this infrastructure safe and prevent unauthorized access.

How Much Do Cloud Architects Make?

The median salary of cloud architects is $112,690 per year.

You may also check out this video for more information on computer science jobs:

Top Companies That Hire Computer Science Professionals

Some of the companies which offer the best, highest paying computer science jobs are:

Google (I mean, obviously!)
Microsoft
Apple
Cognizant
Infosys
TCS
Facebook

and many, many more.

So, these were some of the best computer science jobs for computer science graduates. Let us know in the comments section which computer science jobs are you most interested in?

Useful Guide: How To Improve Work-Life Balance? Importance And 5 Tips To Maintain

What do you understand when we talk about work-life balance? Are you one of those people who are not able to maintain a healthy work-life balance?

Well, it is not something to be worried about. You can achieve success in creating a good work-life balance by keeping a few things in mind.

In today’s world, everybody has a hectic schedule. We are so preoccupied with the jobs that we pay no attention to our personal lives.

Whatever sector we work in, we are all motivated by the ability to achieve success and prosperity. Our appetite for success also causes us to put our health and well-being on the back burner.

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for your physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. Not only that, but it’s vital for our careers because working without a break can be exhausting.

When we talk about having a work-life balance, what exactly do we mean? On the other hand, work-life balance refers to striking a balance between your professional and personal lives. It is a situation in which you place equal value on your work and personal lives.

What leads to a poor work-life balance?

Many say that people who work from home are healthier. Many people believe that working from home makes it easier to maintain a work-life balance. However, I’m afraid that’s not right since people who work from home do not always have free time.

Some of the important factors that lead to poor work-life balance

1) Longer working hours–

People are required to work harder in today’s world. They are expected to come out of their respective comfort zones. The majority of people work longer hours, leaving them with less time for their personal lives.

2) Increased responsibility and workload–

No matter what business you work in, you will have a lot of obligations on your shoulders. Our ever-increasing workload only increases the burden on us.

3) Increased responsibility at home-We don’t have a bad work-life balance only because of our jobs; we still have work and commitments at home. We have a lot of responsibilities at home that we can’t ignore, which puts us under a lot of stress.

4) Having children-When you have children, your duties increase. You have to look after them while still being burdened—the burden of having to work even harder at work to keep your family happy.

Why is it important to have a healthy work-life balance?

We all have commitments at work and home. We need to make sure that none of them is overlooked. Having a work-life balance has many benefits. It includes reduced stress and improved well-being.

1) Excellent for employers also

A healthy work-life arrangement benefits not only workers but also employers. Employers who create a work environment that encourages work-life balance lead to a healthy work-life balance.

Employers would not have to contend with workers being absent due to sickness or other reasons if a work-life balance is well maintained. Employers would benefit from a productive workforce, which will be beneficial to their company.

You may be wondering how employers can help workers maintain a proper work-life balance. They can do it by giving them day-offs on occasion. They can also share their workers’ flexible work hours so that they don’t feel overworked.

Employers mustn’t place undue stress on their workers. These can seem to be minor details, but they can significantly impact an employee’s work-life balance.

2) Good mental health

Nowadays, mental health is a hot subject all over the world. We sometimes hear of people who die or commit suicide as a result of mental stress. If a person’s mental health is poor, they are at risk for depression, anxiety, and a variety of other problems.

Bad work-life balance is a major factor in today’s society. Especially when it comes to mental health, it harms people’s mental health. Burnout is one of the most common problems. It describes a situation in which an individual is subjected to a great deal of stress.

A healthy work-life balance relieves you of undue stress and strain from both the workplace and at home. As a result, it is important to separate work and personal life.

3) Physical well-being

Good health — *By: Pupunkkop/Shutterstock*

You’ve always learned that a healthy mind lives in a healthy body. So, you can only be emotionally stable if you are physically fit. Physical and mental well-being work together to make you a healthy individual.

A healthy work-life balance also maintains your physical well-being. When you learn to prioritize both work and personal life, you will have more time to work out and exercise regularly. It also allows you to grow healthier eating habits.

You will be tired if you spend all of your time working and have little time for your personal life. Money can’t buy happiness, so don’t put your job first and strike a healthy work-life balance.

4) Increase in productivity

Employers want workers who are creative and hardworking, no matter what sector they work in. Working for longer periods exhausts you. When you can’t strike a balanced work-life balance, it puts a lot of strain on your mind and body.

When you’re burdened, you’re not in the best mental or physical shape to function. The standard of your work will be poor. Work undertaken under duress is less effective.

According to studies, people who maintain a balanced work-life balance are more efficient. They are better than those who are unable to split their time between work and personal life.

5) Improves your personality and skills

Develop skills — *By: Yuri Zap/Shutterstock*

When you apply for work, employers consider more than just your education. They also evaluate your other skills and extracurricular activities. You lose out on the different positive dimensions that draw employers if you don’t maintain a consistent work-life balance.

Having a balanced work-life balance allows you to hone a variety of skills that enhance your personality. When you dedicate time to your personal life, you become a more well-rounded individual. This will support you at work because your CV will look better with your new skills and hobbies.

Tips to improve work-life balance

If you’re feeling overburdened by increasing commitments at work and home, it’s time to let go of the strain to stay in shape. A balanced work-life balance can be achieved in a variety of ways.

When you are unable to share your time, it rips you apart in some way. Here are several suggestions for achieving a better work-life balance:

1) Find a job you are passionate about

Who doesn’t want to achieve success in life? Everyone wants to make money, but the type of work you do significantly affects you. You would not be able to be fulfilled if you were doing your job for the sake of making money.

It is easier to strike a steady work-life balance when you choose a career passionate about. If you despise your job, you won’t be enthusiastic about it, which will cause you to be less concentrated outside of work.

Finding a career that you are passionate about is one of the easiest ways to achieve a balanced work-life balance. If you enjoy what you do, you will be able to devote sufficient time to it. Not only that, but you’ll be able to take time away from work to focus on your personal life as well.

It feels like you’re living in a toxic atmosphere when you’re doing something you don’t enjoy. This will make you feel even more burdened, and you will be unable to strike a healthy work-life balance as a result.

2) Take vacations and day offs

When you do something regularly, you become exhausted. The same can be said for our profession. You will begin to feel burdened if you continue to work without taking any breaks.

If job pressure builds up, it’s a smart idea to take a break or a few days off.

It is important to unplug fully from work to maintain a balanced work-life balance.

When we speak about striking a balance between work and personal life, we’re referring to the importance of taking time off for yourself. Taking time off from work is beneficial to your mental and physical health.

People are afraid to take holidays these days because they are so preoccupied with their jobs. People believe that taking time off from work would disrupt their productivity, which is false.

Working without taking a break harms you because it puts pressure on your mind. You won’t be able to do your job if you aren’t safe.

3) Pay attention to your health

As we mentioned earlier, your health is your original capital when discussing the value of work-life balance. Prioritizing your physical, mental, and emotional health should be your top priority.

If you believe you are suffering from anxiety or depression, seek appropriate therapy and sessions. Even if it means taking time off work, that’s completely fine.

There are days when we don’t feel right (physically or mentally). But, many people are unable to take sick leave because they believe it will hinder their jobs. Always keep in mind that working too much makes it harder for you.

When you’re sick, put your job aside and relax. A balanced work-life balance is when you devote time to your personal life in addition to your work.

It does not make you a bad employee if you prioritize your personal life and health. Simply put, it ensures that you can split your time evenly and maintain a balanced work-life balance. It merely increases productivity at work and home.

4) Set work hours and boundaries for work and home

Setting boundaries is one of the easiest ways to split your time between work and home if you’re having trouble doing so. You should set specific work hours and limits for work and personal life to achieve a balanced work-life balance.

Setting limits for yourself and your coworkers is a safe way to prevent burnout and high work pressure. Avoid worrying about tasks or problems at work until you’ve left your office.

If you want to achieve a good work-life balance, schedule your work hours ahead of time. This way you’ll know how much time you’ll spend working and how much time you’ll devote to your personal life and home.

Setting limits and work hours allows you to handle both your work and your home equally. You can complete the job during working hours and then concentrate on your personal life after those hours have passed.

5) Set certain goals

Setting goals for yourself is one of the most effective ways to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Put, having a work-life balance means being able to handle your time effectively.

Setting targets for work and personal life saves you time that might otherwise be spent making decisions later.

No one knows a person better than they know themselves. You must be aware of the best times to be active. Set your job goals for when you have the most time to be productive.

At the same time, you will devote the remaining time to your personal affairs. This will assist you in achieving a good work-life balance.

So, do you have a lot of pressure on your shoulders? Do your duties at work and home make you feel overburdened? If you answered yes, you need a balanced work-life balance.

This guide is fantastic for teaching you about the value of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. After reading this post, you should have a good idea of splitting your time between work and personal life so that you are all healthy both physically and mentally.

Non Profit Jobs Near Me: 10 Ways To Land A Non Profit Job

For non profit jobs near me, the search will lead you to several results on the internet. We are going to list everything you need to know about non-profit jobs here.

What Are Non-Profit Jobs?

Non-profit job refers to those jobs that are related to non-profit organizations. These jobs can be employees, CEO, managers, volunteers, and so on.

You may be wondering what a non-profit organization is. Their main aim is not to earn a profit but to work for the betterment of society. You may have seen animal shelters, research centers, religious institutions, and so on. Their purpose is not to make money but to ensure the welfare of society. In other words, they may provide care for animals, education for children, and so on. The difference between a profit-making organization and a non-profit organization is that the former generates income through its activities, while the latter does not. The former can be called a business, while the latter is a non-business.

A common thought process is that non-profit jobs do not pay well, which is not correct. They are successful organizations with good revenue. In addition to that, they also raise funds by various means like campaigns, donors, grants, and other fundraiser activities. Non-profit organizations ensure that after covering essential costs like employee wages, the rest of the money goes to furthering whatever cause they are working towards bettering.

They are being given an exemption from tax by Internal Revenue Service (IRS). An organization needs to request 501(C) before starting their work with a tax exemption.

A picure to represent non profit jobs near me — Photo by Katt Yukawa on Unsplash

A Few Non-Profit Job Title

Most jobs remain common between both non-profit and for-profit organizations. This means both have similar positions like human resources, accounting, directors, managers, and so on. Although, there are jobs that are unique to non-profit organizations and job seekers can apply to like:

1. Grant Writer Jobs

The job of filling out applications for funding falls under a grant writer. Grant writer aims to make sure they achieve their financial goal for the year. You have to be one of the qualified candidates. Meaning you have to be a good writer and have a good hold over the preferred language.

2. Outreach Coordinator

The Outreach Coordinator’s job is to reach out to society to raise awareness among them. Awareness can be raised by organizing different types of events. They also work to hire volunteers.

3. Development Jobs

People working under this position aim to make sure the annual goals of the organization are met. They plan fundraisers, manage finances and run other projects. It is one of the great professional development opportunities you can access working at a non profit organization.

Most Common Non-Profit Job Title In An Organization

1. Administrative Or Accounting

To run a successful organization, we need people who are good at planning, organizing, and also manage money. They should be able to interact with clients and do their everyday work effectively. Some job titles under this category are aides supervisors, financial aid representatives, community service project coordinators, and so on.

2. Human And Health

Many non-profit organizations help people who have dealt with abuse, traumatic events, addiction, and so on. An organization like this requires employees skilled in dealing with emotional, physical, and mental health issues. They should be able to help guide these individuals, be empathic towards them, and provide counseling. Job seekers can apply for various positions under this category like a case manager, child care worker, counselor, human service worker, medical social worker, and so much more.

3. Human Resource

You will notice both nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations have one department in common that is human resources. The job function includes managing everything from building teams, manage community projects. They also hire and manage volunteers. Job seekers can apply for team leader, event team recruiter, volunteer coordinator, program coordinator, and so on.

4. Management

Management in nonprofit organizations can take many forms. The primary responsibility can include foreseeing a project from start to finish. Guiding the project in the correct direction and making sure all goals are achieved. They also oversee national or regional efforts to guide the projects. Job seekers can apply to various roles under this category like social service director, critical care director, administrator for nonprofit organizations, compliance director, development manager, special event manager, and so on.

5. Marketing

Marketing is a very important department in nonprofit organizations. They require people who can organize and manage the funds. The primary point in the marketing department is to make sure to manage the organization’s goals are sustainable and viewed positively. Job seekers can apply for fundraising coordinator, grant writer, grant administrator, marketing associate, online activist, social media coordinator, and much more.

10 Ways To Look For Non Profit Jobs Near Me

Now you may have an understanding of what non-profit jobs are. You can start your search for non-profit jobs near you. Job seekers will need to know a few things before they apply for these jobs. You need to decide where to look, what will be ideal for you, and who to connect to in the field.

1. Know Yourself

The most important thing you need to know is yourself. Let’s go point by point. First, let’s start with things you find interesting. You need to note down somewhere all things you like. When you look for jobs, crosscheck them with your list. The job you apply for should hold your interest or else, you will grow uninterested and will not work.

For instance, you are interested in gardening or like to read about plants. You can join a foundation that works towards saving trees and planting them.

2. Evaluate Your Skills

Next, you need to know the skills you possess. You need to be sure if they are sufficient for the role you want. If not, you can maybe learn them on online courses. Once you know your skills and interest, you will look for a job fit for you. And with the right motivation, you will be able to work at your best capability if you want to apply for a writer position at an organization such as a grant writer. You will need to be fluent in the preferred language. You can take a course to learn all the basic skills you will require for the position.

3. Make connections

Research who holds key positions in the company you want to work for. Try and get in touch with them. Make appearances in front of them. These could be people who are in charge of hiring or key players in the organization. Your mission is to be able to get them to endorse or recommend you. Or put in a good word for you at the company. For example, if the organization is putting up a public event and needs volunteers. You can join in as a volunteer.

4. Do An Internship

If you are sure, this is the field you want to work in for a long time, going the lengthier path might not be a bad idea. You can start by doing an internship, which will help you prepare for the actual job. You don’t have to wait for your studies to be completed to find an internship. You can do internships along with your studies.

This will help you build the skills and ethics required for the work. You will also gain experience while working. The key players at your internship will also be able to endorse your skills for future jobs. If you show great potential, you can also be offered a job in your interning organization. You can also volunteer at certain places or do small assignments to gain experience. Experience is a very important requirement to get your dream position.

For instance, you want to work for an animal shelter. You can volunteer at various places. Or you can join as an intern and learn how to take proper care of the animal. But also how to achieve a financial goal, host events, and community outreach.

Animal shelter as a part of non profit organization — Photo by Joe Duty/ Flickr

5. Personal Network

I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a personal network. Connect with people who work in the company. You may think your personal network is not sufficient. However, it probably is. Personal connections can be anybody you have met, studied, worked with previously. Friends and family can also be useful connections. They can help you connect with people who work at the organization you want to apply to.

With the evolution of social media, networking has become so much easier. The internet will play an important role in helping you grow your connection. One key site to help grow network along with Instagram and Facebook is LinkedIn. Search for the organization you want to work for. Look to see if you have connections in common it could be somebody you went to school with. Or you can simply connect with someone working there directly.

6. Be Well Prepared To Ask Questions

This is in continuation with the personal network topic. You need to be well prepared to ask the questions. People usually don’t have time to answer questions. You need to research well, write down questions, organize your thoughts. In general, you need to be clear about the topics you want to know more about. The person you are contacting should feel that you are well prepared. This will inspire them to help you connect with the organization or people immediately.

7. CV Or Resume

Build up your CV or resume. Volunteer whenever, wherever you can. Help organize events at your school or college. Participate in events, competitions and gain experience. This basic experience will help build skills like leadership, dedicated team player, ethics, time management, communication, and so on. The section your organization is most likely to look at is the interest section. You should do activities related to the cause the organization works. Again, most important is the volunteering experience. Volunteer towards the cause you want to work for or any other cause that interests you.

8. Be Motivated

Don’t let small hiccups derail you from your goal. Landing a job in the non-profit sector is not going to be easy. It is going to take a lot of motivation and focus on achieving your goal. Put in the time and effort to prove that you will be a valuable addition to the organization.

9. Be Thoroughly Prepared For Your Interview

You have achieved a major step in your process of getting the job. Don’t be too happy that you have scored an interview just yet. The interview is the most important and maybe a difficult step of your process. At this stage, you have to be sure of everything you want. You also need to be armed with all the knowledge about the organization, your role, and all related skills. You have to be confident in communicating. Ask well-thought-out questions this will make a lasting impact. Ask questions related to what your role will entitle. If you have done your homework properly, you will ask proper questions and not absurd ones.

10. Don’t Forget To Be Thankful.

Be thankful for all the people that helped you. Thank them personally for their support if possible. Stay connected with them and help them out too. You will likely need each other in future endeavors. Also, don’t forget to drop a thank you note at the place of your interview. Don’t stop growing your personal network. Connect with more people. Help those who need guidance.

Benefits Of Working Non Profit Jobs

1. What You Contribute To Society Will Really Matter

Being a part of the current young adult generation, you are brave enough to follow your passion. You are most likely to follow through with what you start. Working at a non-profit organization will positively impact students even when it is way different from other people’s paths. So, you are most likely to put your heart and soul into your work. All for the cause you are working for and make a difference. And the efforts that you put in will help the community a lot. You will work in diverse environments and work for well-known organizations.

2. Opportunities

A common cause of stress and anxiety after graduation is getting a job. It feels impossible to land a job in the for-profit sector with all the expectations they set. The for-profit organization will look to hire some with experience, the best skills, and much more. However, non-profit organizations, on the other hand, will look for your passion, drive, and motivation. Non-profit organizations are more likely to hire freshers.

3. Experience

Non-profit organizations will help you gain a lot of experience in different ways. You will meet a lot of new professionals with different backgrounds, goals and explore different situations. Every new project will help you learn new skills. Every day is not the same as the previous one. You experience newer things every day. Also, in addition to this, you will be working for a good cause. What you do will help people in numerous ways and will leave you feeling good about the work you do.

4. Networking

When compared to for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations make it easier to network with people above your role. In for-profit organizations, it is difficult to connect with managers and bosses. On the other hand, in non-profit organizations, you can connect with the higher-ups and learns valuable skills.

5. Responsibilities

Working for a non-profit organization will give you ample opportunities to have different responsibilities. Non-profit may have smaller groups of people. This allows you to work in different roles. On the other hand, for-profit organizations are usually very specific when they give you a set of tasks for your job. And there is usually no room for growth in other sections of work.

When you are taking on different major or minor responsibilities this early on in your career, you will reap its benefits in the long run. You will be way ahead in your professional growth as compared to someone working in a for-profit organization. You will be learning what is right and wrong for you. You will learn from your mistakes too. And taking on all these responsibilities will certainly elevate your resume and cv.

6. Make A Difference

You will be able to help make a difference in the lives of people. Working for a non-profit organization will help you take a stand for whatever cause you are passionate about. You will experience and learn new things along the way. However, you will also help spread awareness for a cause and, in turn, help a lot of people or animals. You feel content and happy when you achieve your goals.

Misconceptions About Non-Profit Jobs

1. Non-Profit Organizations Don’t Make A Profit

I think this is a common misconception people have. After all, the name non-profit/ not-for-profit can be majorly misleading. Non-profit organizations should make a profit. Compared to for-profit organizations, the profit made by non-profit foundations goes back to the cause or purpose they are pursuing. The profit made by them will not go to a particular individual, only towards the cause. The difference between the two is the distribution of the profit. Non-profit organizations are formed for the benefit of the public and not private gain.

2. Donations Are The Only Way They Get Money

Another misconception is that non-profit foundations only get money through donations or fundraising events. While this might be true for some, it is ideally impossible to run an organization like that. Some organizations have their own products or service they sell. They use the revenue earned from selling these services at an affordable price to grow their cause.

Donations are only way non-profit foundation works — Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

3. Services Provided By Non-Profit Are Free

Services provided by non-profit organizations are not free—local fundraisers or grants fund services. The end customer might not be the one paying but, somebody is.

4. Non-profit Organizations Don’t Have The Most Qualified Leaders

The leaders of the non-profit organization have extraordinary skills. It takes good leadership to navigate a whole organization, maintain a budget, work for their cause. They have to do this on a small budget. The most important thing is that they help people hurt, have developmental disabilities, solve problems, and work through complex situations. It can also affect their mental health. Their main aim is to make the world a better place and put their hundred percent towards it.

5. Non-profits Are Not Number driven

The difference between for-profit and non-profit is that the success of for-profit is calculated based on the revenue they make. On the other hand, the success of a non-profit organization is calculated based on its mission and goals. And this varies from time to time and organization to organization.

6. Running a Non-Profit Organization is easy

Nonprofit organizations take the same amount of planning and managing as for-profit organizations. Running a non-profit is definitely challenging. You have to start from scratch, most probably. Meaning raising funds will also be difficult. Managing with little funds and trying to further the cause is very challenging. Eventually, you gain recognition; however, still maintaining sustainable goals is tough.

7. Only Volunteers Work For Non-Profit Organisation

It might seem like the only people working at the non-profit organization are volunteers. However, that’s not true. Volunteers only make a small part of the organization. The majority of the people at non-profit organizations are paid, employees. Some non-profit organizations solely rely on their paid staff, and other non-profit organizations choose to hire volunteers for their help.

Misconception about non profit organization — Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash

Is Working For Non-Profit Sector Worth It?

Based on everything we have seen so far, I would say if working at a nonprofit organization is a dream of yours, go for it. You need to have the drive and motivation to work for it. You also need to be empathic, dedicated and love making a difference in society. Working at a non-profit organization is probably one of the best decisions for your professional growth.

11 Interesting Legit Online Jobs You Can Find on Internet – bit copied

Are you looking for legit online jobs? Also, the one that will be a full-time income job, working from home rather than something that’s only going to help you make money for a short period?

It is necessary while considering today’s Coronavirus situation because businesses all across the globe have shut down their offices and adapted the remote mode of work. As per Time Magazine, COVID led the “world’s largest work from the home experiment.

Earlier, most people didn’t encourage the work-from-home concept because it wasn’t profitable at all. According to the time, there are many opportunities for people to earn money from home as various legit online jobs are available.

In 2020, the improvement in technology and the emergence of large-scale social media usage ushered in a new wave of legitimate online jobs.

11 best legit online jobs you can find on the internet

The top 11 legit online jobs have the ideal mix of large-scale demand, a low supply of talented individuals,s and the potential to start earning fast.

1) Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is a person who offers support services to a business from a remote mode or location. Administrative tasks are generally common for virtual assistants, but they can also be related to any other elements required by the business.

Virtual assistants are in demand by Traders and Online businesses that need help but don’t want to spend money on office space for staff.

This is a good option if you are looking for legit online jobs. However, many small businesses use virtual support, especially for specific tasks such as social media management. These people work as remote executive assistants doing some particular tasks.

Following are the common tasks carried out by Virtual assistants, including answering emails, scheduling appointments, or booking travel.

Some assistants take on multiple agents simultaneously, allowing them to earn over five figures a year from home.
Average pay: $15 to $40 per hour approx

Benefit: The more systematic and efficient you become, the more clients or customers you can add.

Disadvantage: Mostly business people would want you to work only for certain hours of the day.

2) Photography

If you are looking for legit online jobs and your photography skills are amazing, you have plenty of online jobs for photographers and image buffs. You can take awesome photos of anything, and there are good chances that you can sell them to online image sellers and create a niche side income online.

It is an easy task with smartphones and digital photography technology today, and anyone can take and sell photos. Many websites, blogs, and even social media need images and photographs to engage and attract their audience, so they are willing to pay for great shots.

It doesn’t matter whether you are taking pictures of natural attractions in your area or focusing on staged shots. There is supposed to be a buyer out there who wants to use your photograph and is willing to pay for it. Therefore, it can prove to be one of the best legit online jobs.

Average pay: 10 to 40 cents per image approx

Benefit: Many of us have it as a hobby, which can be turned into a profession.

Disadvantage: It takes time to build up your stock of photos for sale.

3) Freelance Writing

If you are good at writing and looking for a legit online job, you can earn a high income as a freelance writer. You can work in a niche that you enjoy and understand while making (from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars per article.)

A freelancer can be described as a self-employed person who provides services, usually to multiple clients at a time.

As a freelance writer, if you want to increase your earning capacity, you should try working directly with businesses and finding online clients. Regarding freelance writing, you write online content for blogs, magazines, and online businesses, etc.

There are a variety of legit online jobs available in the field of freelance writing. To search for customers, try engaging with online businesses to inquire if they need any content.

Talk and engage with their social media contacts online, and reach out to site editors to look if they have any vacancies.

Apart from that, you can try having your website post your written content in the niche because this is a great way to find new customers. They can see your writing’s standard or quality, which leads you to the top paying online jobs.

Average pay: $10 to $35 per hour approx

Benefit: In the contemporary world, the growth of online publishing is increasing, and because of this, there is a huge demand for freelance writers.

Disadvantage: One should have some experience

4) Bookkeeping

Are you looking for legit online jobs to work from home? If you have a head for figures and especially if you know accounts or have financial planning experience, you can earn money by helping individuals or other businesses with bookkeeping. Bookkeeping is a major task for ensuring that a company runs smoothly and will survive in the future.

Market your services to entrepreneurs to help them manage their finances. Find customers by searching local works in your locality or joining social media such as Facebook groups to promote your services.

One can make a lot of money if they are interested in numbers and do legit online jobs. There are a lot of opportunities available in this field. It doesn’t require any certification.

Average pay: $20 to $50 per hour approx

Benefits: You will work with customers on an attendant or retainer basis, which offers you a steady income base.

Disadvantage: Atleast need basic training for the first customer.

5) Translator

If you are looking for suitable legit online jobs, then becoming a translator is the best option. A translator converts the written word from one language to another without losing the literal meaning.

It doesn’t matter which country you are in. Being a translator is always fruitful. So, one can use translation online earning sites to make more money from home.

The best thing is that one doesn’t require a degree (although having a bachelor’s degree helps), but the most important requirement is fluency in at least 2 languages.

One can easily look for hundreds of projects related to transcriptions to make money online. Not only that, the approx national wage in this field was around $46,000 in 2016, although the top 10% of workers earned an average of $83,000.

There are sites available like LinkedIn and Freelancer, which can help you find legit online jobs. Everything depends on the languages you are an expert in and how effectively you can translate from one language to another.

Average pay:$5 to$50 per page approx

Benefits: It is very convenient and easy if you are fluent in any two languages.

Disadvantage: It can be very time-consuming, and at the same time, is a slow process to make money.

6) Online Tutoring

In India, during this pandemic, the high-growth business industry right now is online education. Apart from that, one of the fastest-growing niches within online education is online tutoring jobs.

There are a lot of legit online jobs available in the field of education. If you enjoy helping others learn, your knowledge can be put to good use through online tutoring.

You don’t require any qualifications if you are good at that particular subject. Platforms such as Udemy are a great place to sell your course.

Average pay: $20 per hour approx

Benefits: There is a chance to start earning in as little as a few weeks.

Disadvantage: Limited upside.

7) Medical Transcription

If you are looking for legit online jobs, being a Medical transcription is one of the best options. Even though many medical transcriptionists work at hospitals or physician’s offices, most can work from home or at a time or place according to their wish.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report: Medical transcriptionists earned a national median wage of $34,770 in May of 2018 or $16.72 an hour even after being self-employed.

They usually edit medical transcriptions for local healthcare providers. The most important thing regarding this is that medical transcription requires a certification. With the medical transcription certification approved by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, you can prepare yourself to land an online job as a transcriptionist in an industry that’s hungry for qualified talent.

Average pay:$10 to $25 per hour approx

Benefits: It is a steady source of income

Disadvantages: One needs a high startup cost to earn a credential.

8) Travel agent

One should believe that travel agents are still in demand, and there are many opportunities present in this field if you are looking for legit online jobs. It just depends on finding the right niche. This is a good business for you if you have personal or professional travel experience because you can offer your clients insights they can’t get from a website.

Travel agents are in charge of helping individuals, groups, and business travelers plan and organize their travel schedules, purchase tour packages, and book flights and hotels. A travel agent also plans trips and offers advice on destinations.

We all know that job prospects can be best for travel agents who offer expertise in certain areas of the world, have experience in planning tours, or focus on group travel. So, if you have experience in traveling, there are various legit online jobs available in that field.

Average pay: It depends on the cost

Benefits: It is a way to earn more money for those who love to travel.

Disadvantage: Income can vary, as travel tends to rise at certain times of the year.

9) Social media marketing

Use social media platforms to connect with your audience to build your brand or increase sales and drive website traffic. This involves publishing great content on your social media profiles, engaging your followers, evaluating results, and running social media advertisements. This is an excellent option when you are finding legit online jobs.

The prime social media platforms are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and Snapchat.
Generally, what happens is that many company owners don’t have the time to make consistent updates to their social media platforms or to respond to customer requests and answers made through social media.
That is why companies nowadays hire social media managers for media marketing.

As long as you can post accurately and manage content on social media channels, you can take on customers and begin your job. So, what are you waiting for? Search for legit online jobs in the field of social media marketing.

Average pay: $20 to $100 per hour approx

Benefits: They work on a retainer basis.

Disadvantages: Limited upside

10) Data entry

Data entry may not be one of the exciting legit online jobs, but it can offer you to earn $15 to $20 per hour. Data entry is a legit online job that does pay less than some of the others we’ve listed, but it can provide you to make a decent side income.

These jobs tend to be highly flexible, which provides you to work in your spare time. You can opt to work as much as you can or as little as you need according to your schedule.
There are various platforms like Capital typing, which allow you to find online data entry jobs. Most of these generally require setting up a basic profile and confirming a few details before you start earning. This is one of the best legit online jobs.

Benefits: It is a very convenient task to do.

Disadvantage: Less earning.

11) Graphic Design

If you are an artist, graphic design is a great way to monetize your hobby to turn your passion into money. This is one of the most creative legit online jobs available. The web is becoming more and more visual, especially as mobile devices have become the supreme browsing method.

The highest-paid graphic designers compile multiple skills into their designs. Knowledge in branding or sales can help – graphic designers to charge over $150 per hour. Choose this among all the legit online jobs if you want something creative.

Average pay: $150 per hour approx

Benefits: One can work in flexible hours

Disadvantage: It needs certain kinds of certifications.

Overall, we can say that the internet has made it much easier to make money from home nowadays. Many people are just looking for legit online jobs and opportunities to make a little money here and there by taking online surveys. Whether your goal is to work full-time, part-time, or run your own business, there’s no shortage of work-at-home jobs. So, it is time to get ready and get started today. Take at least one action and give a fresh start to your career.

7 Tips on Becoming a Successful Content Creator

What is the first thing you notice whenever you see an advertisement or a business page? It’s the content, right?

As the world evolves, it takes a lot of planning and talent to create compelling content. A content creator creates appealing and robust content for the viewers.

“Content is the reason search began in the first place.” – Lee Odden

About Content Creation

Who is a Content Creator?

The content creator is responsible for generating exciting ideas and creating content that connects a brand or an entity to its target audience. The content can be either educational or entertaining enough to grab people’s attention to develop an interest and visit their page regularly.

Content creation includes copywriting, designing, production, and other media that provide value and connect you with your audience.

How Should a Good Content be?

Good content must positively impact people and attract them towards the business concerned. Content is not always about educating us. It is about entertaining; for instance, the memes and jokes that make us smile are also a kind of content.

What do Content Creators do?

A content creator’s job is to produce work on different platforms such as social media, blogging sites, podcasts, case studies, video platforms, infographics, and many more.

Though, the responsibilities of content creators vary from each other depending upon which platform they are working on and who their audience is.

Some of the tasks that you have to do as a content creator include:

Generating ideas: You must make your brain cells run in a way that helps you come up with creative ideas for your content. It takes a lot of brainstorming to produce content that delivers positive results.

Research work: Before creating content, one needs to do a lot of research work as per their needs. Only after studying various articles and studies can you deliver impactful content.

Brand analysis: Before you start creating content for a company or a brand, you must evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, strategies, and competitors of that brand or company.

Editing: This is an essential skill you must possess when creating writing, videography, and designing content. If you notice the flaws in your work and cut them down to make the content well polished, you will successfully keep the clients and audience happy.

Design and creativity: A content creator must be creative and good at designing, as well designed and creative content always attracts the audience.

Project management: You often get the task of managing the projects for which you are creating content. So, you must be good at management to become a good content creator.

Videography: Platforms like YouTube have opened new paths to connect with our audience. It is one of the ‘must-have’ skills for a content creator as it helps a company or entity promote its brands through a video demonstration.

SEO: This is significant, especially for web content writers. They should be knowing the basics of SEO so that they can apply them to their works and articles for better visibility.

What Kind of Jobs do Content Creators Get?

The content creators find jobs in various agencies, companies, and in-house teams. They can even work as freelancers, per their comfort zone and choice. You will find different jobs within these categories, such as videography, photography, and content writing.

Here’s an insight into the kind of jobs you can find among various categories:-

In-House content creation

In-house content teams work for both one company and a group of companies. It offers you many benefits and a stable income. Under this, you will be focusing on one industry only, but if it turns out to be the one you are interested in, it could be great for you.

In-house content teams will allow you to have greater control over the content-related strategies and closer collaboration with other groups in the market. However, the minus point is that you will get less content variety and less place for creativity.

Content Creation agency

Those agencies provide you with great opportunities to work with a wide range of clients and help you sharpen your existing skills even more. It also offers the benefits of a salaried job and stability. The income is better than those who work for in-house teams, due to which there’s more competition as well.

Freelance Content Creator

Freelance content creation is a good option for those who value their freedom more than stability and income. They can either work for others or promote their own media channels to earn their living. A great example of freelance content creators is the social media influencers who are so much in trend nowadays.

Freelance content creation has its perks as it facilitates flexibility, allows you to create a variety of content, and lets you set your price. However, they do not get any employee benefits that regular employees get.

How to Become a Content Creator?

There are a lot many ways to become a content creator. You have to find the right path for yourself. While on the one hand, you need to have relevant marketing, writing, or designing degrees and experience as per the need of your content creation field; on the other hand, you need less experience and degrees to be a freelance content creator.

Before starting your career in content creation, you must get to your specializations and then choose the field accordingly (be it writing, videography, technical SEO, content marketing, or some other area). You must apply for both paid and unpaid internships to improve your skills and experience.

Always try to maintain your brand through blogs, podcasts, or social media accounts, as it highlights your expertise and helps you find new job opportunities. To be a content creator, you must have the ability to give shape to your thoughts and ideas to showcase your creativity.

Try to be connected with the industry through online and in-person networking events related to your field. You can even join various social media groups about content creation to know the industry.

You should always keep in mind an important thing is never to stop learning. We learn something new every day, which helps us grow and enhances our knowledge about things in particular. Keep learning new things about content creation to have a better grip on your career.

7 tips to Become a Successful Content Creator

1) Do not Sign with an MCN or Agency in the Beginning

Remember that when you start your career as a content creator, never sign up with a multi-channel network or a big agency too early. They might claim to help you make money overnight, but it can become a massive disappointment, as in a big agency, their expectations from you will be too high, which might make you feel burdened.

Just try to grasp new information and learn everything about content creation like editing, videography, writing ideal content, creating thumbnails, negotiating brand deals, etc., on your own first.

After you become well versed with content creation, pick the right agency of your choice to work with. The right people and agency will never make you feel suppressed but instead cooperate and collaborate with you to ensure your progress.

2) Never be Unidimensional in Terms of Content

You can be a successful content creator only when passionate about it. When entering the content creation field, remember that you are a content creator because you are interested in that industry, and you are not there to be an influencer but a creator.

An excellent way to ensure success as a content creator is to be active on more than one or two platforms. Don’t limit yourself to a single content creation field as no platform is unbeatable and has its shelf life, so you should always have a plan-B in another content creation field.

One must build audiences on multiple platforms to be successful. As a successful content creator, you should always have a goal to be an independent content store instead of choosing the influencer’s life.

The more variety of content you create, the more success you will achieve, and the more you will earn money through your various forms of content.

3) Be Up-to-date

Always be up-to-date about all the facets of your industry to succeed in content creation. Do not just keep yourself limited to the knowledge relevant to your field, but rather be aware of other related areas as well. Keep all the information regarding your industry’s innovations, rules and regulations, trends, opportunities, and threats.

The more you know the industry, the more valuable content you will create according to the market needs. You should understand that change is a constant and keeps happening in the industry, so you have to bring changes according to your content. You should read others’ content.

Keep in mind that a good content writer is always curious and looks for topics that their target audience cares for.

4) Always Look for Ideas

Brainstorming and putting your brain cells at work can be fun at times, but at the same time, this is the most challenging part of content creation. An excellent way to brainstorm is to look for inspiration in other relatable content and get ideas from your competitors’ strategies (not to copy).

If you wish to become a successful content creator, rely on existing ideas. Keep striving for more new and creative ideas all the time. A good content creator should always think differently and find new ways to produce content.

5) Know Your Industry Completely

Take a step closer to your success by learning your industry inside out. Look at it as your priority to get to know everything about the content creation industry’s past, present, and future. It becomes more critical when creating content for the field you are unfamiliar with, as you must have the necessary knowledge before writing about it.

You should do research even when you are familiar with your field, as it will only add to your knowledge and help you create better content once you know the industry. A good content writer produces content that is forward-thinking and up-to-date with the industry’s latest trends.

6) User-intent Should Always be your Priority

Before creating content, the creator must completely get to know the target audience. Keeping in mind the audiences’ needs is the sign of a good content creator as they can only create relevant content.

When outlining the ideas for content, the end-user should always be the priority. You can be a successful content creator only when you think about what the audience is looking for and give your best to satisfy the intent behind their search through your content’s ideas, order, and design formatting. For this, you should also know about SEO and other important things.

7) Analyze the Results and Learn From Your Mistake

Before you start creating content for a client or take up a project, you must decide what kind of success you want for that particular client or project. After you are done with it, start analyzing your actual and potential performance and compare it with your expectations.

When you create content, its success can be measured in many ways, like increasing website traffic, the number of links it generates, its conversion rate, etc. You must analyze your work after you are done with it, and if you find flaws, you must learn from them.

A successful content creator is the one who picks apart what is working and what is not. They should always look for improvements in the future to achieve greater heights.

So, now that you are well aware of everything regarding a content creator’s job, are you excited to try it? Are you ready to be a successful content creator? Well, my best wishes are with you. Keep all the points mentioned above in mind, and nothing can stop you from creating great content.

The Top Tips to Set Revenue Projections for Law Firm?

Most law firms set out annual revenue projections for the next year early – at times long before they could even understand if the present year’s projections would be met.

There are quite a few challenges to this approach – especially if you’re looking to get the revenue projections right. Determining what’s going to happen a year and half around the line is difficult – there are a lot of variables involved.

You don’t even know the price of mangoes a month down the line. It depends on different variables – the weather, the supply, the demand for mangoes worldwide, the government policies and more. You could take an error margin of around 5% but even then there isn’t a surety you would get it right after a month.

For businesses, things are a lot more complex. The variables are a lot more – from the fixed overhead costs to the variables.

What you need is a good strategy.

Setting Strategic Revenue Projections – The Right Way to Set Revenue Projections for Law Firm

Your strategic budget doesn’t just give you one traditional budget – instead, you underline a lot many goals and expectations and set budget for each.

What happens, thus, is that instead of looking at everything together, you’re looking at only one, piece by piece. So, if you need 10 fruits, you focus on the price of one mango, the price of one grape, the price of one papaya and so on. You may go wrong in a few but you won’t go wrong totally. Plus, studying them individually will help you get better insights, ones that you wouldn’t get otherwise if you looked at ‘fruits’ as a whole.

This reduces the error of margin. You’ve a greater probability of going wrong in your projection should you consider the price of all the 10 fruits together – which leads to more variables, than when you add up each individually. Focusing on each goal or component gives you a better chance of getting it right. Additionally, it helps you get better management.

In a strategic budget, you have three parts – one where you make a projected revenue, one where you make an estimation of projected expenses and another where you record the projected profits and cash flow. However, it is how you derive at these projections that makes a difference.

Projected revenue, for instance, is the bug that’s difficult to catch. Law firms have constantly changing scenarios – from the unpredictability of clients to government policies and employee management, there are a good many things that can go wrong.

Simply taking a percentage growth and trying to work things around it isn’t the ideal way – instead, as I said above, it’s about looking at the different components together – the practice group levels – to understand the growth you can possibly achieve.

How Far Ahead Should You Carry Out Revenue Projection?

That’s the other question to ask yourself when you get to set revenue projections for law firm.

To know how far ahead you could ideally forecast, there are a number of things that we need to consider. The legal market in India, for instance, is even now concentrated mostly domestically, unless one is working at a LPO.

That means that you need to know just how long you could continue your present growth – and the answer may lie in india’s GDP itself. Studies state that most organizations cannot grow faster than the country’s economy, but that isn’t the sole criteria.

Let’s suppose you are selling eggs for a living. The primary indicator would be just how many people are there in the neighbourhood who eat eggs. That would be your potential – to do more, you would have to reach out to other neighbourhoods. However, not all egg eaters would buy from you at all times. They could order online or buy from other sellers. It’s your competitiveness, brand credibility and market position that would determine actually how many egg buyers would flock to you.

Similar is the case with mid sized law firms. You need to look at how competitive you are and your market position, to make the right assumption. You could use the DCF analysis to help you do the same.

The DCF analysis, while we would not get into the nitty gritties of it, states the following:

If your organization is slow growing, and operates in a highly competitive industry with low margins, you shouldn’t forecast ahead for more than one year.
You could forecast for as many as 5 years, if you have been witnessing outstanding growth for the last few years, and are in a dominant position in the market. Forecasting for 10 years is probably foolhardy.

How to Set Revenue Projections For Your Law Firm?

Most law firms have different groups – like one for the litigation and one for taxation. Ask the team leaders the fundamental questions – like the number of deals in the pipeline, or the cases to go on trial soon. Enquire from them how they think they can respond to changes – like enquiring from the tax team what effect would it have if the government increased the tax bracket next year by 10%? The individual leaders are much better prepared to answer these questions than anybody else.

The next thing would be looking at the individual members – what is the work coming in from existing clients? What is the percentage of new clients each month on an average? How many billable hours does an employee have on an average? Important to note is that you need to do this for each practice group.

After this, look at the number of hours you expect each member to work the next year to achieve the goal – from the amount of workload you see. Normally, you would have someone working around 1,800 hours a week. So if you see your projections state that members may have to work more than 1800 hours a year, you are looking at an understaffed scenario. And if it’s less than 1,800 hours, you need to get more clients and work to avoid over-capacity.

If you feel that there would be over capacity in a certain department, it is a good idea to re-evaluate the current marketing strategy and transfer a few members, where possible to other groups. On the other hand, understaffing means that you need to allocate more budget to your recruitment team so that they are able to hire the right talent next year. If you’re already on a healthy budget from the last few years, you may even want to look at acquisitions to maintain a balanced headcount.

The other thing to note is that not every payment would come as expected. Even the Government doesn’t give you the tax rate you need – changing it often to their liking. Life’s unfair, and even if you’ve the best circumstances, you would have to face a default at one time or the other. You have to discount the billings by a realization rate – and you might want to look at the realization rates of your previous years here. Realization rate depends on different factors though and with many mid-sized firms, drop over the years.

With some clients, you would know that it would be an easy affair, with others you do not. New clients and assignments are difficult to forecast too. Additionally, when calculating the realization rate, you need to look at discounts if any, given to particular clients, transition costs of lateral hires or any alternative fee arrangements.

Building the Foundations is Important To Set Revenue Projections for Law Firm

The above paragraphs state one important thing – you need to have the basic fundamentals cleared to be able to make revenue forecasts correctly.

To reach the right ballpark, you need to focus on realistic expectations. When you are asking your team leaders to give you the specifics and their assumptions, it’s important that they focus on the following:

The ground revenue projections they currently get
Evaluate key revenue assumptions strictly
Understand sales channels and their prospects

To do all this properly, team leaders need to take note of the following, as applicable.

The total number of clients they could actually serve
The amount of calls they make and the amount of time it takes on an average to close a deal
Customer satisfaction and sales channels – which includes the speed and effectiveness
Any seasonality in question – like for litigation, courts could be closed for the summer break.

Focusing on Customer Service

While you may be a medium sized law firm, the one thing that will separate you is your customer service. Customer satisfaction works across all services and industries.

Let’s talk about Air India and Jet Airways.

Both are in the same league, and don’t have the reputation of low cost carriers. They offer seats with more leg space, good food and are premium carriers in the country. However, unless you’re left with no option, you probably wouldn’t want to go for Air India – which has been traditionally notorious for poor customer service. You wouldn’t know what to do if your flight gets late. You wouldn’t know what to do to get refunds. And you wouldn’t enjoy the entire journey.

Customers and repeat clients continue to happen when they are happy – and revenue projections need to take into account just how many repeat clients you have. It needs to take into account the number of clients you normally keep, versus the number of clients who wouldn’t want to try out your service because they were unhappy. Building on customer satisfaction ultimately helps you set better revenue projections.

The Top Tips to Keep in Mind to Set Revenue Projections for Law Firm

The other thing to note when setting revenue projections for your firm is that you shouldn’t look at making implicit assumptions – even when it seems most likely. Let’s go back to the egg seller example. It may seem likely that if two people from the same family buys eggs, the third member of the family could eat eggs too. However, you really cannot be sure unless you know it.

Similarly, you may want to believe that your staff could handle the client workload. You may not anticipate any difficulty staffing up but it could happen – a reason you need to look carefully at whether your employees would be able to manage workload, and the recruitment drives, if any, you need.

Assumptions must be tested and verified.

The other common mistake is to mistake assumptions for facts. Let’s take a look at the egg seller example again. He only caters selling eggs to your neighbourhood. You may likely want to assume that he ‘never’ sells eggs to others outside the neighbourhood. However, the word ‘never’ is the problem. He could sell eggs to those outside the neighbourhood, should they come to him, a reason you only need to use the word ‘never’ only when there is no other possibility. If you feel that the growth rate shouldn’t dip below a certain level, it’s likely that it won’t. You cannot possibly guarantee it.

The next thing to do is to be disciplined while making risk analysis, and focus on each point, including making a best and worst scenario case. This would ensure that you know both the extremes. To do this properly though, you would need to talk to all stakeholders or team leaders, who in turn, need to be properly knowledgeable, as we talked before.

It’s difficult to make accurate revenue projections. Just arriving on an expected desired market growth rate compared to current year revenues isn’t going to work, after all. However, focusing on the basics can just help you hit the right ballpark.