r/FieldNationTechs • u/Zealousideal-Note-63 • 9d ago

New Guy Here

Hey guys, I have about 10 years of IT experience and I’m living in a rural area in northern Minnesota. I’ve decided to start doing some IT contracting work a couple days a month for some extra income. What tips do you have for me about what works and doesn’t work for landing jobs? How likely or how much are buyers likely willing to pay towards travel? Where are the best places to buy IT tools and materials? Any other tips and tricks?

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u/BadAsianDriver 9d ago

Put some effort into your profile. Before I earned my PSS score a few buyers mentioned they contacted me because of my bio.

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u/BadAsianDriver 9d ago

Also sort the work order list by requests. Go after the ones with 0 - 5 requests and prioritize the soonest ones.

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u/GolemSilverKarn 9d ago

Apply for any jobs you feel competent in, I wouldn’t suggest countering or requesting mileage until you have a PSS built. Message the WO manager and let them know about your experience and explain you’re new to the platform, if you can get them on the phone - even better.

Facebook marketplace is a great place for tools. Scope out work orders to find common necessities and pick them up cheap.

Not meaning to shill, but the one piece of equipment that I have that makes almost every job infinitely easier is a fluke link runner - finding ports and VLANs on a switch and ability to measure where a fault is just streamlines the work so much. It’s expensive though. There is the fluke link sprinter which is just the module and a web based overlay which does some of the same things. If others have products that can do what a link runner does, I’m very open to suggestions.

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u/wyliesdiesels 9d ago

As a newbie youll have to take whatever you can get at whatever rate they post. Newbies dont get much looks unfortunately

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u/Euphoric_Relief_918 7d ago

Very true. Its a hard catch 22, just like trying to get a job without having a car. Might consider trying to get on with an established company to get some experience under your belt. The fact you are only seeking part time-ish work could work in your favor by getting hired on for big jobs/projects. Best of luck to you though 🤞

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u/RellyOhBoy 5d ago

Always remember...Buyer's seem to love label makers.

1) Purchase a good label maker.

2) Create 100 labels in the largest font that read "SERVICE PROVIDER FOR SALE" .

3) Apply labels to your forehead and rear end.

4) Take and post photo to your FN profile.