Charles served as a mechanic in the U.S. Army both stateside and in Iraq. In 1999, he retired from the military and began his civilian career working in the trucking industry. He initially served as a quality assurance inspector and was rapidly promoted to a warranty manager position that serviced multiple dealerships.<\/p>\n
During this time, Charles dabbled in technology, having self-taught himself how to build and fix PCs a decade earlier. He launched a tech company in 2001 in his spare time, but this venture was largely ignored as his warranty work was too lucrative to leave. Charles lost his job in the recession of 2008.<\/p>\n
Charles decided to pursue his love of networking and\u00a0IT, earning an associate\u2019s degree in networking from the\u00a0University of Phoenix. He re-launched his tech company\u00a0and started to seek out contractor jobs where he could use his skills.<\/p>\n
One of his first projects was a 15-month job upgrading\u00a0network systems at McDonald\u2019s restaurants across the\u00a0US. He served as the lead technician at 450 sites and was later promoted to a regional leadership role overseeing multiple sites. During this time, Charles developed an intimate understanding of point-of-sale (POS) terminals. As the POS machines operated much like a PC, he adopted this new skill easily.<\/p>\n
Upon completion of his first long-term IT project, Charles used these new skills and his degree to take on small jobs that often led to larger jobs. Soon, he was afforded the luxury of being choosy about the clients and jobs as he was a sought-after contractor.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy motto has always been to do it right, not do it over,\u201d said Charles. \u201cAs my reputation and skills grew, I could select jobs that kept me closer to home, paid well, and often taught me new skills that could advance me even further.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, Charles continues to take on new challenges. He is pursuing a bachelor\u2019s degree in cybersecurity from the University of Phoenix, as well as earning Cisco and Microsoft networking certifications to make him stand out.<\/p>\n
Charles enjoys the flexibility to work when and where he\u2019d like, and the option to take a day off to go fishing if he wants to. He uses two field service marketplaces to identify and apply for jobs that interest him and pay well. A professional racquetball player, Charles is a fierce competitor in tournaments across the US. Wherever tournaments take place, he uses Field Nation to see if there are jobs nearby.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the additional skills that I\u2019ve mastered over time, I can relocate or find jobs in the same vicinity as my tournaments to make these trips more affordable,\u201d said Charles.<\/p>\n
In 2018, Charles had a hip replacement and rotator cuff surgery. During his recovery, he was able to secure on-demand jobs that fit his capabilities. He searched platforms and applied for smaller jobs that wouldn\u2019t tire him or require overhead work. This flexibility\u00a0allowed him to get back to work earlier and exercise the muscles he needed to on the job.<\/p>\n
Charles added, \u201cAs my wife and I look ahead to retiring, I see myself continuing to apply and go on jobs that interest me. I can easily scale back on my work with the platforms and retire as much as wish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Online marketplaces have worked well for Charles and his family, giving him flexibility and variety in his work. When looking back at his early days as a contractor, he recalled the importance of creating a budget to track and monitor out-of-pockets fees, such as fuel and equipment rentals. This knowledge helped him to make better job choices before applying.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy best investment was a big tool bag,\u201d claims Charles. \u201cIt holds my cabling tools, light sticks, and much more. Along with my four-foot folding ladder, it\u2019s a necessity at every job. I keep my truck loaded with my equipment, because you never know everything you\u2019ll need until you reach the site. It\u2019s best to be over-prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charles will readily admit that understanding the nuances of each marketplace is critical. He has been a long-time member of Field Nation, having completed more than 591 jobs completed and securing a 100% assignments fulfilled rating.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe platforms vary on fees, how rapidly you are paid, and the type of work posted to the site,\u201d explains Charles. \u201cIt\u2019s important to understand how quickly you\u2019ll be paid\u00a0for a job and understand what is negotiable.\u201d<\/p>\n
All of these variables impact your earnings, and Charles has developed a set of criteria to evaluate a job\u2019s profitability. He then looks at the type of job to find ones he\u2019ll enjoy or learn something new. If it\u2019s a match, employers are fortunate when he applies, as his stellar reviews speak to his skills and professionalism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Read how service provider Charles Knight has achieved a 5-star performance rating after completing 590 jobs on the Field Nation platform.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":18799,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"xn-wppe-expiration":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-action":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-prefix":[],"footnotes":""},"content-group":[],"class_list":["post-15777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","fldn_content_category-independent-contracting","fldn_content_category-stories-from-the-field","fldn_content_type-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n