The advantages of being autonomous when you are an engineer or architect
I will start by telling you that in Spain being autonomous is not a panacea. You suffer abusive social security contributions, tax disadvantages, you hardly have unemployment coverage and you risk your personal assets (and that of your partner if you have assets). Despite what has been said, I think that to work as a project writer or project manager is the best option. Then I'll tell you why.
The advantages of autonomy
Being autonomous allows you to:
- Be in control. You will depend on customers and suppliers, of course. But you organize yourself.
- Contain spending, especially in the early stages. It is cheaper, when you bill little, to be autonomous than to manage a company.
- Lead and be the architect of your own results.
- Limit the need for accountability.
When you are ready to not depend on anyone, or when circumstances force you, become autonomous. But be careful, first prepare the ground. If you work in a company, think about burning the ships (very fashionable in the world of personal development) and act strategically.
Start working for someone else
Working for a third party is the best option to start. Don't let your rings fall off for starting the activity on an internship, as an intern or with a low salary. Understand that it is like one more stage of your training. In a few months you will be able to know if you like the job, you will meet people, and you will learn the basic processes and how to document yourself. I graduated in November, while I was working as an intern in a technical office, when I had to renew the scholarship, in February of the following year (4 months), they offered me a labor contract, I declined it, I negotiated a collaboration as a freelance, and I started my activity as a freelancer.
Before becoming independent, develop an action plan, take advantage of your time as an employee to start building a personal brand, train yourself and if it is compatible with your current activity, look for potential clients.
Focus on a niche that has a market, and where the competition is not overwhelming. A good option is, instead of focusing on a typology of projects (or only on a typology), to also target a sector of activity (for example, refrigeration projects and thermal installations for the wine industry). Be careful that your niche is not too small. Do content marketing aimed at customers in this sector. Increase your visibility by participating in your school's events, network and attend fairs and conferences. Go to work as much as you can, and meet everyone you can in the administration.