Freelance trek: Are you cut out to be a freelancer?Â
Are you cut out to be a freelancer?
How terrible of me! You’ve signed up for this course in freelancing and the first thing I ask you is whether you’re cut out for the job?!
Well, here’s the tough love speech you need to endure if you’re going to love the freelance trek as well as your freelance career.
Your friends and family (even your romantic partner) won’t be able to relate most of the time. Even if they freelance or work in small business, there is no guarantee.
There is still stigma associated with freelancing. Some people will assume you can’t play well with others, you secretly suck at your job, you’re some kind of weird non-grown up trapped in a grown up body and so on.
That stigma can and will colour the way clients and even those close to you will treat you. They’ll assume you only barely live above the poverty line or you have some kind of personality problem they need to navigate. Or you’re somehow inferior to them and their career.
You will suffer from Imposter Syndrome and doubt your own credibility and ability. This is especially true at moments where clients are difficult and/or you are trying to develop new offerings and try new ways of expanding your business.
It’s not all beer and skittles. Every freelancer at some point in their career is close to bankruptcy as they chase unpaid money, are terrified of the tax department, threatened with legal action or having their reputation ruined, facing off against overly competitive freelancers, worried about work-flow and generally taking on some pretty damn serious hits that’ll keep you awake at night.
Beyond testimonials and the odd kind email, freelancing is a fairly thankless job. And at times, it will feel like the only time you hear from people is if they want something or to complain. Celebrity status and parades of appreciation are rare for freelancers.
Customers are irrational. You can do the best damn job of your life only to find they want you to redesign, re-write, re-shoot and re-work every single aspect of your work based on something that makes no sense. You’ll need to pick these battles wisely and balance a tightrope pulled taut by pleasing the customer, having work you are proud of, and preserving your sanity.
You will screw up, be wrong and make a mess of things on occasion. No freelancer is perfect. You’ll need to apologise, make amends and move on.
There is a lot of isolation in freelancing. You work alone, support yourself and deal with clients that nobody else has experience with. Getting out and about (to co-working joints, shared offices, out of client offices, networking events etc) is essential.
Value is in the eye of the beholder. Get used to having to justify your approach, your quotes, your rates, the time you take to do things, and the quality of your work. Even if you are super amazing, you’ll still have to explain the value you bring to the projects you are hired to do.
You can also read more about whether you are cut out to be a freelancer via my blog.
What you do need to possess to be a decent freelancer
You have to be adaptable and learn on-the-fly to stay competitive. You also need to be confident enough in yourself to face off with those moments where everything turns to shit.
Smart freelancers abide by the 3 things rule as explained by Neil Gaiman, where you need to be:
Easy to work with
Good at what you do
Reliable
You can have 2 out of these three things and still get work. But if you are an arrogant person who doesn’t deliver on time, or not that great at the work and unable to meet deadlines, life will be incredibly difficult.
So why would you want to be a freelancer if it is this hard?
You can thrive as a freelancer and build a career that leads to some great opportunities. Freelancing is ideal for certain people and if you say “that’s me!†to 5 or more points below.
You find a day job is often a place where you think “I know a better way to approach this for the customer†with a positive outlook (as opposed to cynicism)
Hard work, long hours and putting your bum on the line is something you already do
You want to balance other life goals (such as parenting, travelling, writing a book etc) with having a career
You like having a career that you are proud of- and know the kind of commitment that requires
Making your own decisions and leading instead of following is something you already do and do well
Providing guidance to others is both a love and a talent
Office politics, group-think and ‘design-by-committee’ have always bugged you on some level
The idea of “wherever I lay my laptop, that’s my office†not only appeals, it suits the lifestyle you currently (or want to) lead
You’re a self starter who doesn’t need to rely on someone else to prod you to get on with the job
You’re passionate about what you do and willing to keep learning and practising your craft
So are you cut out to be a freelancer in the true sense of the word?
Only you know the answer to that. But now is as good a time as any to write down your reasons for being a freelancer. After all, knowing why you freelance is what helps you get through the tough times and identify your freelancing wins along the way.
Take your journal and write out the reasons you’ve chosen freelancing. Here are some guiding questions you may wish to include:
What are my main core skills?
What kind of career benefit am I aiming to achieve with freelancing?
What kind of personal freedom do I want from freelancing?
What kinds of businesses do I want to work with?
What sorts of characteristics am I looking for in my clients?
Who would be my top 3 dream clients and why?
What would a fulfilling week of freelance look like?
What sorts of case studies do I want on my website in 12 months time?
How would someone else describe your working style?
What is the one thing that sets you apart from other people in your field?
Be specific about what you will and won’t put up with. If it helps to write it into a mission statement or some kind of action plan, do so.
Keep these questions close and re-read the answers often. Incorporate them into your website copy and marketing material. Stick them on the wall to inspire you. Review them as your journey matures.
But never, ever take a job that takes you outside a reasonable approximation of the answers you have provided. It isn’t worth the stress.
Next lesson, we’ll look at some of the online tools you can make use of to make this freelance adventure shine.
Until next time, happy freelancing!