Hello all. Anyone got any ideas on how to go down this route? Ive got info for the professional indemnity part of it, but I am after specific info on what to charge / tax / invoicing etc and how you drum up the work. I seem destined to go this route after applying for every job under the sun and getting nowhere fast. I am NEBOSH certificate and Diploma qualified and a Grad member of IOSH and can't get any sort of Safety work. It seems the bar has been raised in terms that every time I go to interview, I now have to be a specialist in, or have managed Quality And Environmental management systems. I am loath to go down the route of studying these as I have already personally funded the NEBOSH qualifications. Anybody out there that has any advice or guidance, or a job, I would be most grateful and am available immediately.

Thanks very much for the reassurance. I will keep plugging away.

I can empathise with you, as I'm in exactly the same boat as you. I do have an Environmental qualification which did form part of my professional diploma, so I guess that should count. Like you I'm now loathe to do any more qualifications because quite frankly I don't have any more money for self-funded courses. Also, after doing what we've been doing for awhile, you begin to wonder if it's worth it. I've done voluntary work too, and picked up the odd bit of work with the help of one of my tutors but that's very ad hoc. I've got PI cover too. What's incrdedibly frustrating is going for interviews where you're asked about your *independance* being self-employed, explaining what it is that you want, and still being rejected as firms generally don't want the aggro of employing the *unknown*. You then end up getting another interview with another firm, who then go on to tell you to keep plugging away doing what you're doing (ad hoc, low paid odd jobs) to gain more experience. They don't seem to understand, despite explaining to them, why you're applying to work for them. Since becoming HS&E qualified, I've spent more money on courses, memberships, travel and insurance than I have earning anything reasonable to offset those costs.