Share:

Knowledge Base

What to consider as an IT freelancer? Tips for success on freelancer platforms and in dealing with IT intermediaries.

08/30/2023 | By: FDS

In today's digital world, numerous opportunities open up for IT freelancers to work flexibly and independently. Freelancer platforms and IT intermediaries play an important role in this by bringing clients and freelancers together. However, there are some important aspects to consider in order to be successful as an IT freelancer. In this article, we take a look at the key points to consider.

1. Profile design and self-promotion:

Whether you use a freelance platform or get referred through an IT intermediary, having a strong profile is crucial. Make sure your profile highlights your skills, experience and previous projects. Remember that potential clients will use your profile to decide if you are right for their project.

2. Specialize and find niches:

There are a variety of specialties in the IT industry. The more specific you position your skills and knowledge, the more likely you are to find interesting projects. Focusing on a niche can also help you stand out from the competition and get better paying jobs.

3. Realistic prices and fair negotiations:

Determine a reasonable hourly rate or flat rate for your services. Be prepared to adjust your prices depending on the nature of the project and the scope of your work. In negotiations with clients or intermediaries, be confident in your values and skills, but also be flexible and fair.

4. Client reviews and references:

Collect positive reviews from satisfied clients on freelancer platforms. Good reviews are essential for gaining the trust of new potential clients. References from previous projects can also strengthen your credibility and increase your chances of success.

5. Transparent communication:

Clear and effective communication is essential to avoid misunderstandings and complete projects successfully. Clarify all important details at the beginning, such as the scope of the project, schedule, payment terms, and scope of delivery.

6. Contracts and legalities:

Make sure you have a clear and legally backed contract for each project. This should cover all agreements, disclaimers, and intellectual property rights. A solid contract protects both you and the client.

7. Time management and reliability:

As a freelancer, you have the responsibility to complete your projects on time. Therefore, good time management is essential. Show reliability and deliver on your commitments to build your reputation as a trustworthy professional.

8. Network and maintain contacts:

Maintain your professional network and make contacts in the IT industry. Even if you work through a platform or an intermediary, personal referrals and relationships can lead to new and lucrative projects.

9. Continuous education:

The IT industry is dynamic and subject to constant change. Keep your skills up to date by continuously educating yourself and following new technologies and trends. This will make you more attractive to clients and increase your marketability.

Conclusion:

As an IT freelancer, there are many aspects to consider in order to be successful. From self-promotion to transparent communication to a clear contract system, all of these factors will help advance your career. Take advantage of freelancer platforms and IT intermediaries to reach out to potential clients, but don't forget to actively work on your own network as well. With the right mix of expertise, self-promotion and customer focus, you can achieve long-term success as an IT freelancer.

Like (0)
Comment

The work of press photographers: between information and art

08/30/2023 | By: FDS

Introduction

Press photographers are indispensable players in the media landscape. Their job is to visually capture current events, news and stories and present them to the global public. These highly skilled photographers often face challenges ranging from securing the best shots under time constraints to maintaining ethics and sensitivity in their reporting. This article highlights the fascinating and varied work of press photographers and their role in the modern news world.

The role of press photographers in the media

Press photographers play a critical role in covering current events and stories. Their images often convey emotions, moods and the immediate impression of an event. A single image can be worth a thousand words and reach readers on an emotional level. Whether it's political protests, natural disasters or cultural events, press photographers are responsible for sending the world on a visual journey that puts us right in the middle of the action.

The work of press photographers also helps raise public awareness of important issues. Images can draw people's attention to social issues, drive political change, or capture historical moments for eternity. Press photographers' visual representations are critical to making complex issues more understandable and accessible.

Challenges for press photographers

The work of press photographers is not without its challenges. They often have to work in dangerous or unpredictable environments to capture images of crises, conflicts or disasters. The risk of putting themselves in harm's way to get the perfect shot is ever-present. It takes courage and determination to stand your ground in such situations.

In addition, press photographers are often under enormous time pressure. They must think and act quickly to capture the decisive moment before it is over. In a world where news is disseminated in real time, photographers must deliver their images to editors immediately to remain relevant. Competition among photographers is intense as everyone fights to get the exclusive image that will dominate the headlines.

Ethics and responsibility

Press photographers have a great responsibility, as their images can influence the understanding and perception of events. It is critical that they perform their work with ethics and sensitivity. The integrity of reporting must be maintained at all times, and the privacy of individuals must be respected. There is a fine line between informative reporting and sensationalist photojournalism, and it is important to respect the boundaries.

Manipulation and falsification of images are strictly prohibited in press photography and can have serious consequences for the credibility and reputation of photographers. The public trusts that the images they see reflect reality, and photographers must live up to that trust.

The Art of Press Photography

Although press photographers primarily cover current events, their work is often considered an art form. Through their creativity and technical skills, they can create influential images that have a lasting impact. The choice of composition, perspective and exposure can have a significant impact on the emotional and informative potential of a photograph. An image can change the world if it is captured in a way that touches people and makes them think.

Press photographers can also choose abstract and artistic approaches to tell their stories. Photography as an art form opens up the opportunity for them to play with light, shadow and color and convey their message in a poetic way. This creative freedom gives photographers the opportunity to bring their personal vision to bear and present readers with images that will stay with them for a long time.

Technological developments

With the advent of digital technologies, the way press photographers work has changed dramatically. The rapid availability of cameras and the ability to transmit images instantly have increased the pressure on photographers to document current events in real time. Social media has also accelerated the distribution of photos, resulting in tremendous reach for their work. Still, press photographers must deal with the impact of digitization and ensure that the authenticity of their images is maintained.

Despite technological advances, the importance of craftsmanship and photography expertise remains. Press photographers must continue to hone their technical skills and sharpen their ability to capture the right moment.

Conclusion

The work of press photographers is vital to the news industry and society as a whole. They ensure that important events and stories are properly documented and made available to the public. Their images have the power to stir emotions, convey information and raise awareness about global issues. Press photography is a fascinating combination of information and art that plays an important role in shaping our perception of the world. The work of press photographers is a marriage between harsh reality and artistic expression. While they have a duty to provide objective and informative images, they can also use their photographic skills to tell powerful visual stories.

The work of press photographers is a constant pursuit of the perfect shot. They must not only master the technical aspects of photography, such as exposure, focus and composition, but also develop an understanding of the stories and events they are documenting. This requires keen observation skills, the empathy to capture people's emotions, and the ability to anticipate the moment and react to it in a timely manner.

Photography is also a means of freezing time and capturing moments that might otherwise be forgotten. Historical events, political upheavals, social movements - all these aspects of history are often preserved for posterity through the lens of press photographers. Their images become testaments to the times, enabling future generations to understand and learn from the past.

Press photographers must interact with a variety of people, from those involved in the midst of events to other journalists, editors and the public. Good communication and interpersonal skills are therefore just as important as photographic expertise. Photographers must behave respectfully and responsibly to gain the trust and approval of the people they are photographing.

In today's digital era, the proliferation of images has reached unprecedented speeds. Photos can be shared on social media and news portals with a single click, spreading around the world at lightning speed. While this facilitates access to information, it also poses risks, as images can be taken out of context and manipulated. Press photographers must therefore be careful to ensure that their images are correctly labeled and not distorted or altered.

The work of press photographers has also changed in light of economic challenges. The decline of printed newspapers and the rise of online journalism have led to financial cuts. Many photographers work freelance or as part of smaller teams and must be creative to market their work and earn enough income.

Despite all these challenges, the work of press photographers remains vital to democracy and the maintenance of an informed society. Their images serve as gatekeepers of truth and ensure that important events are not forgotten. Photography is a universal language that needs no words to move people and make them think.

In a world awash in information and images, the role of press photographers as gatekeepers of truth and guardians of history is invaluable. Their work allows us to see and understand the world as it really is, providing us with visual stories that can touch, inspire and sometimes shake us. The work of press photographers is therefore not only a vocation, but also an obligation to society, which they fulfill with their unique talent and passion.

Like (0)
Comment

How can you get in touch with journalists or editors?

08/30/2023 | By: FDS

To get in touch with journalists or editors, there are several ways. Here are some steps you can follow:

Research: Identify the appropriate journalist:s or editor:s for the topic you want to talk about. Look at the articles they have written in the past to make sure they are relevant to what you want to talk about.

Media Website: Visit the website of the media organization for which the journalist(s) or editor(s) work. There you will often find contact details, including email addresses or contact forms.

Social media: Many journalists and editors are active on platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. You can try to contact them through these channels. However, be sure to remain respectful and professional.

Email: If you have the journalist:s email address, you can write them a short, concise email introducing your issue and explaining why it is relevant to them and their readership.

Phone: In some cases, a phone call may be a good option to speak directly with the person. Make sure you do your research and prepare well before you call.

Press release: If you have something important or interesting to share, you can also write a press release and send it to the relevant media. Note that press releases should have a clear structure and contain important information in a compact way.

Events: Sometimes you can meet journalists or editors at events, conferences or press events. Use these opportunities to introduce yourself and start a conversation.

Network: Expand your network and join various journalistic associations or industry events. This will increase your chances of making contacts with journalists or editors.

It is important that you remain polite, clear and respectful in your communication. Journalists often receive many inquiries, so it is important that you present your request in a concise and understandable manner. Remember that not every contact attempt will be successful, but persevere if you have an important story or information to share.

Like (0)
Comment

How do large language models (LLMs) work?

08/30/2023 | By: FDS

Large Language Models (LLMs) are artificial intelligence systems designed to understand and generate natural language. They are based on deep neural networks, specifically an architecture called Transformer.

The way LLMs work can be roughly divided into three steps: Training, Coding, and Decoding.

Training: LLMs are trained with large amounts of text data, which can come from various sources such as books, articles, web pages, forums, etc. This text data serves as the training dataset. During training, the model learns the statistical relationships, patterns, and structures of the language.

Coding: once the LLM is trained, an input in the form of text is given to the model. The text is broken down into tokens, which are individual words or subwords. Each token is then converted into a numerical vector that serves as input to the neural network. The model processes these vectors in layers of neurons and computes complex mathematical operations to recognize patterns and meanings in the text.

Decoding: after the input is encoded, the model can generate a response or a continuation of the text. This step is called decoding. The model calculates the probabilities for different words or tokens that could come next, and selects the most likely token based on those probabilities. This process is repeated iteratively to generate the text incrementally.

The power of LLMs relies on the enormous size of the neural network and the amount of training data. By training on large data sets, LLMs can learn a wide range of knowledge about language and the world. They can answer questions, compose texts, perform translations, simulate dialogues, and much more.

It is important to note that LLMs base their answers solely on statistical relationships in the training data set. They have no actual understanding of meaning or context, and thus can sometimes generate incorrect or inappropriate responses.

Like (0)
Comment

Why real companies post fake jobs - THIS is really behind it

08/30/2023 | By: FDS

In today's digital era, where jobs are fiercely contested and competition in the job market is ever-increasing, many job seekers are struggling with a disturbing trend: real companies posting what appear to be fake jobs. These are job openings that look appealing, but in reality do not exist or have already been filled internally. Such a practice may seem ethically questionable at first glance, but there are a few reasons why companies resort to it. In this article, we'll take a look behind the scenes and find out what's really behind it.

Building talent pools:

One of the main motivations for real companies to post fake jobs is to build a qualified talent pool. By collecting applications for non-existent jobs, they can identify potential candidates and store them in their database. Later, when a suitable position becomes available, they can immediately access this pre-qualified pool and speed up the recruiting process.

Image building and market research:

Posting job ads, even if there are no immediate plans to hire, can serve to strengthen the company's image as an attractive employer. Additionally, they gain insight into the labor market, demand for specific skills, and competition in the industry.

Covert investigations:

In some cases, fake job ads can also be used by real companies to spy on employees or competitors. For example, by mentioning specific skills or technologies in the ad, they can check if their competitors are looking for similar skills or if internal information is leaked.

Budgets and compliance:

Sometimes companies need to spend their HR management budgets to avoid cutting their funding for the next year. By posting job ads and interviewing candidates, they can justify their budgets and may receive increased funding in the future. In addition, some companies must meet certain regulatory requirements and receive a minimum number of applications for certain positions.

Flexibility and planning ahead:

The world of work is dynamic and ever-changing. Companies can maintain flexible workforce planning by advertising fake jobs. This allows them to respond quickly to unexpected staffing needs without losing valuable time on job postings.

Although the practice of posting fake jobs is considered unethical by some, real companies may actually have legitimate reasons for doing so. It is important to emphasize that companies should not deceive or mislead their applicants. Communication should be transparent, and applicants should be notified early on if the job is no longer available.

For job seekers, it remains advisable to be vigilant when applying for a job. Research companies in advance, check their online presence, and use personal networks to learn about potential employers. That way, you can focus your time and effort on seizing real job opportunities and advancing your career.

Like (0)
Comment

Our offer to you:

Media & PR Database 2024

Only for a short time at a special price: The media and PR database with 2024 with information on more than 21,000 newspaper, magazine and radio editorial offices and much more.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the latest news & information on promotions: