Self-employed individuals or independent contractors who provide instructional training to employees of various companies are known as freelance trainers. Freelance trainers frequently provide basic training in sales techniques, management processes, and other skills that are used people working in a variety of industries. Trainers are sometimes tasked with teaching employees about proprietary systems and processes that are only used a single company.
Many independent trainers have degrees in human resources, business administration, or related fields. In other cases, they are people who have worked as supervisors or managers in specific industries for a long time. Some freelancers have previously worked for large corporations as in-house trainers. Many work alone, while others work for independent companies that match the trainer’s skills to the firm’s business clients. Trainers are usually compensated for each class they teach.
Some freelance trainers provide classroom-based instruction to large groups of people who work in specific positions at a company. The trainer is responsible for developing the itinerary and ensuring that all relevant materials are covered within the sessions, which may last several days or weeks. To supplement written materials that are normally printed in corporate training manuals, trainers use slideshows, DVD presentations, and interactive question and answer sessions. They may, in some cases, administer and score examinations at the end of a session to ensure that students have a thorough understanding of the material.
Those who teach basic sales techniques and other commonly used skills are usually in charge of creating their own training materials. Many large corporations have internal training manuals, and freelancers are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these manuals and using them as the basis for classes. Typically, major corporations negotiate long-term contracts with freelance trainers in order for them to become intimately acquainted with the firm’s internal policies and procedures. Some businesses offer ongoing classes, but instead of hiring in-house trainers, they hire freelancers.
Many trainers specialize in teaching people how to use various types of software and telecommunications devices. These individuals frequently attend seminars led employees of information technology (IT) companies and then pass on the information learned during these courses to employees of various companies. IT trainers must work with both entry-level employees and company executives because certain types of software are used employees at all levels. As a result, these individuals must possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to relate to people with varying skill sets and levels of knowledge.