Line Up a Client and a Contract Assignment


It's Up To You

  • P.A.C.E. is neither a recruiting firm nor a placement agency

    • That is why we are able to charge so little and offer so much.

    • Of course, we still want to provide you with as many resources as possible to help you secure clients and contract assignments on your own.

    • Some useful resources are described below.

    •  

  • P.A.C.E. ProCure Marketing Center

    • In the near future this page will direct you to the new P.A.C.E. ProCure Marketing Center. P.A.C.E. ProCure will offer marketing tools and resources to help Contract Professionals "procure" contract assignments on their own, without the assistance of expensive and predatory recruiting firms.

    • Below is a partial list of marketing tools and resources that will soon feature in the P.A.C.E. ProCure Marketing Center.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader

    • You may have to download a free copy of the most current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view these files.

    • Download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader to open PDF files on your computer. The PDF format is modeled after the PostScript language and is device and resolution independent. Documents in the PDF format can be viewed, navigated and printed from a workstation using the freely available Acrobat Reader software from Adobe Systems Inc. Versions of Acrobat Reader run on DOS, Windows, Macintosh and UNIX systems.

  • Contractor-Friendly Job Boards

    • Contractor-friendly job boards are online job-posting sites that discourage postings by third-party firms such as placement agencies, recruiting firms, contract employment agencies, and other so-called consultants in the bodies-for-hire business. At the very least, contractor-friendly job boards identify agency postings, or they let you exclude agency postings from your search.

    • Put another way, a contractor-friendly job posting makes it easy for the contractor to interview directly with the client, without the intervention of a third-party agency. In situations where the client requires a third-party employer of record the contractor is free to select a pass-through agency or umbrella service such as P.A.C.E.
    • You will find a list of contractor-friendly job boards in The Contract Employee's Handbook, Appendix A: Resources for Contract Workers.

    • The listings in Appendix A may or may not qualify as contractor-friendly—P.A.C.E. makes no guarantees or certifications—but they seem to be more friendly than, say, your average recruiting firm job board.

     

  • Help With Your Resume

    • Resumes for Contract Workers
      This section of The Contract Employee's Handbook introduces the P.A.C.E. Functional Resume. Use the enclosed template to build a powerful marketing tool that will attract clients and discourage predatory recruiting firms.

     

  • Useful Articles

    • The material in the following PDF documents will help you market your consulting services directly to client companies.

    • Avoiding Contractor Recruiting Firms
      This document explains how you can register your availability online, yet avoid getting lots of calls from predatory recruiting firms.

    • Inefficiency and Greed
      This document explains how to calculate the inefficiency and greed in agency margins. It also explains how to calculate a fair corp-to-corp (or 1099) billing rate based on your agency's initial offer of a W-2 pay rate.

    • Setting Your Rates
      This document discusses how to set your hourly rate at the same high level charged by the recruiting firms.

    • Someone Else's Employee
      Print this white paper and give a copy to your potential clients.

      • Someone Else's Employee" explains how independent contractors are systematically stripped of their independence by a recruiting system that disenfranchises contract professionals from the benefits of self-employment, limits them to mediocre health and retirement benefits, and seriously eats into their potential earnings.

      • The concluding paragraphs of this white paper show how contract professionals can avoid the oppressive influence of predatory recruiting firms, and regain control over their consulting careers, even in those situations where the client company wants them to be someone else’s employee.

      • The white paper also explains why billing your contract services through an umbrella service like P.A.C.E. is an excellent alternative to traditional staffing agencies, given their high margins and mediocre benefit packages.

       

  • The Contract Employee's Newsletter

    • The Contract Employee's Newsletter is a free online publication for technical and professional contractors containing news, commentary, tips, links to useful resources, nuggets of wisdom submitted by readers, and anything else that seems appropriate at the time.

    • The CENewsletter is published intermittently, whenever circumstances warrant and time allows. Back issues are archived online, and content is eventually rolled into the Contract Employee's Handbook.

    • The subscriber list is confidential and will not be disclosed outside this organization.

    • Sign Up Now!

    • The Contract Employee's Newsletter

     

The P.A.C.E. Certified Marketing Agent (PCMA) Program

  • Free Agents Helping Free Agents Find Work

    • P.A.C.E. will soon introduce The P.A.C.E. Franchised Marketing Agent (PFMA) Program, the first true "Talent Agent" model for technical and professional contractors.

    • PFMAs will work exclusively for talented Contract Professionals. And, like P.A.C.E., the program is designed so that PFMAs will have zero conflict of interest with the Contract Professionals they represent.

    • Many Contract Professionals have neither the time nor the inclination to market themselves to client companies. Also, many agency refugees and newbie contractors are not yet culturally attuned to marketing themselves. Thus, many Contract Professionals turn to recruiting firms for help. Unfortunately, that move is like a lost hen asking the fox for directions to the chicken coop.

    • Indeed, there are some who call themselves talent agents. But more often than not they are really just predatory recruiters in sheep's clothing. P.A.C.E. Franchised Marketing Agents will be the real thing.

    • It is our expectation that the PFMA program will create legions of free agent PFMAs whose primary job is helping Contract Professionals find work. P.A.C.E. will provide the support infrastructure to make that happen.

    • In order to qualify, PFMAs must agree to at least the following standards. They must:

      • Abide by the principles and guidelines of The Contract Worker's Bill of Rights.

      • View Contract Professionals as their only customers.

      • Market Contract Professionals directly to client companies who will directly use and directly supervise the services of Contract Professionals.

      • Not market Contract Professionals to intermediary staffing agencies that in turn market Contract Professionals to other staffing agencies or to client companies.

      • Accept a marketing assignment only when they are willing and able to give the marketing assignment their full attention.

      • Report fully and regularly to the Contract Professional on the status of the their marketing efforts.

      • Charge Contract Professionals no more than 10% of gross revenues for job matching and contract negotiation.

      • Negotiate favorable billing rates and contract terms for Contract Professionals.

      • Avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest in representing Contract Professionals.

      • Sign no recruiting deals or side deals with client companies that specify compensation by the client company for professional services provided by the PFMA.

      • Allow the Contract Professional, or the Contract Professional's designated employer of record, to sign a contract directly with the client.

      • Not operate as an employer of record.

    • P.A.C.E. will publish a list of P.A.C.E. Franchised Marketing Agents. PFMAs who violate the standards will be delisted.

    • PFMAs are under no obligation to refer contract professionals to P.A.C.E. or to become a P.A.C.E. Warranted W-2 or Certified IC, but if PFMAs do refer Contract Professionals to P.A.C.E. we will make sure that they are paid their finder's fees (never greater than 10% of collected revenues). P.A.C.E. will also run the PFMAs finder's fees through P.A.C.E. if they want to become a P.A.C.E. Division Manager and receive P.A.C.E. benefits.

    • Likewise, Contract Professionals who use PFMAs will be under no obligation to contract through P.A.C.E. Contract Professionals may run their earnings through another employer of record or agent of record, or they may contract directly with the client. But we think that the overwhelming majority of Contract Professionals who use a PFMA to land contract assignments will want to run their revenues through P.A.C.E.

    • Keep tuned to P.A.C.E. for more information on this exciting new development.

     

  • Now You're Ready for The Next Step:

Join Now!

>>> Return to Individuals Home Page

>>> Return to P.A.C.E. Home Page