You're a self-employed Engineering Management professional. How do you find your first client?

Value added to the project managed is always the best recommendation for your niche in the marketplace. My first try at online marketing was a result of investing money to fulfill a contract that I had signed before and could get help to fulfill again. We then can help others to do the same to get it.

If you want to provide a professional service you need to begin to define your niche and special what problem you are solving. Understanding your unique value proposition is key; this means comprehensively articulating the distinct benefits and advantages your service offers to your customers.

Landing your first freelance gig as an Engineering Management pro is all about strategic positioning. Just like in product development, we gotta find the perfect product-market fit. First, I niche down – what industries and challenges truly light my fire? Then I hone my value proposition. Think specific outcomes and ROI I can deliver. Finally, I build my personal brand, highlighting the unique blend of experience and skills that sets me apart. By targeting the right audience with a laser-focused message, I prime myself to attract clients hungry for the kind of impact I bring to the table. This targeted approach not only lands my first client, but sets the stage for long-term success.

When I embarked on an engineering management career after doing a little of everything to that point in my spotted career. The next step was to manage the price of the gas required to operate between jobs and still bring enough home to the table. A portfolio will always include happy customers that you know up to the fourth connection and the potential client knows as well. I had to keep a resume for each career path I took as an employee, and it usually required at least two to four years of experience in the skill and environment worked in to fit into the next path I could teach. I normally use LinkedIn but get experience on more than one to network online.

Landing that first self-employed gig is all about building trust and showcasing your impact. My strategy?Craft a compelling portfolio that highlights past wins. Think project scope, budget, results – the whole package! Technical chops are a given, but emphasize the leadership magic too: stakeholder engagement, building high-performing teams, clear communication. Think of your online presence as your digital storefront – LinkedIn, a professional website, GitHub – make it shine!

When I started my engineering career it was networking, brand building, and blogging to find the ways I have obtained the leads to management mentors.

You should always seek feedback, document the results, celebrate the success, and then write a book! The final product should include the clients' or the mentee's success as well or else just be on time and budget if it is a government project.

If you're hands-on, you can simply offer work samples, Github links, etc to show your prowess on the keyboard. If you're looking for fractional CTO or contract EM work, you'll want to reach out to people above AND below you. Get one or two testimonials from your former bosses and two to three testimonials from former direct reports. Don't worry about how to collect them (there are tons of tools, but you can also just get the testimonial in an email or LinkedIn and then slap it into a Canva template if you need to make it pretty for a professional landing page in the future).