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How to get IT jobs in the USA with Field Nation
Short answer: Field Nation is a marketplace that connects customers who need IT work with independent technicians, a bit like Uber. You register at fieldnation.com, pass a background check, browse jobs in your area and request the ones you want. Field Nation takes a fee from what the customer pays.
What Field Nation is
They have the customers and they have the technicians, and they sit in the middle taking a commission. Unlike Uber, they don't push one job to you: you see all the jobs in your area and request the ones you like, and you can work whenever you want. Work Market is a similar platform.
Requirements
If you are not a criminal it is easy: they start with a background check. A drug test is optional, but some jobs require it, and if you do it you renew it every year. If you do many jobs it is worth it.
Pros
No advertising: no website, no chasing customers, no estimates. You see the job and take it if it is close and pays well. There are plenty of jobs; you could work 24/7.
You get experience: sometimes I take jobs that don't pay much just because I have never done that kind of work. Instructions come with the job or by phone. Pay can be 30, 40, 50, 80 or 100 dollars an hour depending on the job, which is hard to find working for a company, and you don't depend on one boss.
Tax advantages
As an independent tech, tools, driving your car and gasoline can be business expenses you may deduct. I am not an accountant, so ask yours.
Dealing with the end customer
Customers are often big companies like Walmart or McDonald's, and the remote support people follow a script. Sometimes you will know the fix right away; if they see you know what you are talking about, they usually take your word.
Three things a job should give you
When you work for any company, or on a platform like this, you want three things: experience, money and new knowledge. When you plateau and stop getting them, it is time to move on to new types of jobs or a new company, so you can learn something new and earn more.
Working for one company vs many customers
In a regular job you stay in one place doing the same thing over and over, and you depend on one boss: if your boss gets mad you can lose the job. On Field Nation you have plenty of customers and plenty of work, and if your work is well done you should not have issues with anybody.
How the fee works
The customer agrees to pay a rate, for example $80 or $100 an hour, and Field Nation takes a percentage as its commission. You see the fee in each job, so you know what you will receive before you request it.
Tips before you start
Register at fieldnation.com and complete the background check. Consider doing the drug test so you can access the jobs that require it. Read the instructions for each job carefully, and if you have experience with computers it should not be a challenge. Keep records of tools, mileage and gas for your taxes, and ask your accountant what you can deduct.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to start on Field Nation?
Register at fieldnation.com and pass a background check; some jobs also require a yearly drug test.
How much do Field Nation jobs pay?
It depends on the job; the video mentions about $30 to $100 an hour.
Does Field Nation assign jobs automatically?
No, you browse the jobs in your area and request the ones you want.