It goes without saying that the current job market is a little… unusual. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but during my now once-a-day news breaks, I was listening to a podcast from the Wall Street Journal that stated how grim the prospects for new grads out of university are. In fact, the generation that graduated during the 2009 market crash are still feeling the impacts of that by way of lower wages, less job security, and the ever impossible task of owning a home.
It’s hard not to be discouraged by figures like that. And like many of you, news of new grads having their offers for full time jobs and internships rescinded leaves you feeling like you’re walking on eggshells. Or, perhaps this down time has you fantasizing about travelling the world, and wondering how you’d pay for it. Either way, many are pivoting to freelancing right now, and while advice for breaking into it can vary per industry, there are a few tips I have for anyone looking to start freelancing.
Freelancing on the road often means my bed is my desk. Photo taken in Santa Ana, El Salvador.
1. Put together a killer portfolio.
This is the first thing any client or freelance gig website will ask you for. It’s often much more indicative of your skills and capabilities than a resume, especially since most people often want to hire freelancers on a per-project basis, your job history is less important than your writing or coding chops. If you already have experience in the industry you’re trying to freelance in, compile everything you’ve ever worked on, and share the highlights of it. I recommend keeping everything you’ve worked on, regardless of how bad or good it is, since you can use it as a sample if you’re applying to a related freelance gig. Besides, nothing is stopping you from upgrading it before you send it off to a potential client!
When I first started freelancing, I had a small portfolio composed of the work I did in my internships, part-time work, and volunteer marketing work I did. I also volunteered at my college newspaper, and since reporters weren’t high in demand, I had a very quick opportunity to work on my writing that way. There are plenty of ways to build your portfolio, but unfortunately, most of them begin with very low-paying or even “free” work. The good news is, that’s not as bad as it sounds! See Tip #3 ;)
2. Leverage your network.
One of the most notable pieces of career advice I ever received was to never be a name in a stack of resumes. Of course, I don’t believe in nepotism. I do, however, believe in the social credibility of being recommended by someone or sharing a loose connection-- and this has helped me in countless ways.
I can trace the few opportunities that “sparked it all” for me: my marketing career began with Hack the North, which was social media work that built my foundations for brand and community marketing. And while this was on a volunteer basis, my experience combined with the brand of Hack the North lead to several paid internship opportunities. Through these internships I built my portfolio and experience enough to begin freelancing. Applying for gigs on UpWork combined with connections from an old friend already established in the marketing world, I was able to really turn my freelancing into something lucrative.
The point is: don’t burn bridges, and ask around your network for tips. What if I told you that old friend was someone I met at a nightclub in my college town? You’d be thinking twice about ghosting someone! Also, if you’re an inexperienced freelancer, working with someone who is familiar with you gives you the chance to start in “safe” waters.
3. Take on “passion projects”.
I’ve been alluding to this, but by “passion project”, I mean something that genuinely gets you excited, but pays little to nothing. This can either mean applying to that freelance gig for a company with a super dope product, even though they pay half of what you’d like to make. Maybe you have a side project you’ve always wanted to work on (for us marketers, it’s almost always a blog!). I understand that not everyone is in the position to work for free, so this is by no means necessary, but it is helpful. This is particularly important if you’re inexperienced or are trying to build your portfolio. Chances are, you’re considering freelancing because you think it will increase the quality of your life, so you might as well work on something that interests you.
When I started on UpWork, I was offering content writing services for $5 an hour. Sometimes, job posters want freelancers on the platform to have a certain client success rating, so I needed to start building that at the very least. My first gig was writing 3,000 words about different guinea pig hay brands. After UpWork took 20% of my earnings, I received something like $3 CAD for the project. Two months later, I moved off of the platform and was charging $20 an hour, with no one taking any percentage of my earnings! We all have to start somewhere.
4. Just do it!
Even if you don’t feel qualified, or if you’re scared. It’s intimidating to get started- you’ll find rejection, picky clients, and long hours of perfecting your portfolio and cover letter. The worst thing that can happen if you don’t try it out, is that you’ll always be wondering if you’d like freelancing better than what you’re doing now, or if you’re cut out for it. On the other hand, if you do try it out, you’ll either be rejected, ignored, or, someone might be interested in your work and actually hire you.