By : Amber Leigh Turner
Debating on whether or not you should venture into the world of freelancing while going to school? Wondering if you have what it takes to make it as a student freelancer? Well, below are five reasons why you may not be ready to start that venture after all. But, since I don’t like when people tell me I’m not cut out for something and then give me no pointers on how to become better, I will also explain how you can rectify the issue.
1. Your portfolio could use some work.
This one is a big one. Clients like to hire freelancers who have some work to show. Unfortunately with most student freelancers, we don’t have a vast, fancy portfolio like other veteran freelancers. If you don’t have the proper portfolio–or a portfolio at all– then chances are you won’t get hired.
A few ways to resolve this range from taking on pro-bono (free) work for charities, churches or other such organizations to taking an internship/class/job that will allow you hands-on experience with working with actual projects.
Taking pro-bono work is a good way to help develop work in your portfolio, but make sure you work with organizations in which you already have close relationships with, like your church, high school or your younger brother’s football team just to name a few. Friends and family can also help provide you with some work if they own their own business or are about to set up shop themselves.
On the other end of that, you could seek out internships or part-time jobs in your field that will give you experience and work to show in your portfolio. Make sure you have permission from the employer to show the work in your portfolio, and state exactly what your role was in the project–especially if you worked with others on the project.
2. You haven’t dealt with real clients.
This can be an issue for some student freelancers who have yet to deal with clients one-on-one before–and I don’t mean in a retail situation. In a professional environment, you have clients that you have to help solve their problems. No matter what profession you are in–accounting, web design, finance, consulting, legal, insurance, etc.– clients hire professionals to help solve their issues, be it a tax return, a legal issue, bankruptcy, or a new website design. If you don’t know how to work with clients and provide them with a solution, chances are you should rectify this before pursuing your freelancing career.
Luckily I was able to work at two different jobs in a professional environment before and during my freelancing where I received interaction with clients on the regular basis, and was able to learn from others as well. That experience helped me take the freelance jump more gracefully as I knew how to communicate with clients and treat them as a professional would.
As you may have guessed, the best way to prepare yourself for dealing with real clients is taking a job where you will work with them on the regular basis. Taking a job in your field of freelancing (or one closely related) is ideal, however, this isn’t always possible. Look for any type of job that will allow for you to solve client’s issues and work with clients one-on-one.
3. You don’t own your own equipment, software, etc.
Students aren’t made of money that is for sure. When I talk to fellow classmates about their desires to pursue freelancing, many of them aren’t even equipped to do what they need to do. The lack of a trustworthy computer, professional software, and other such materials will hold you back from completing jobs successfully and to a client’s satisfaction.
It may be worth taking a job that will allow you to build up some money to make such purchases. Some purchases you will need to make as a freelancer can wait until after you get started, but those, such as computers and software, are quite expensive, and you really can’t open up shop until you have the essentials.
4. You hate doing paperwork, finances and administrative work.
If you didn’t already know what you are in for when you start freelancing, let me clue you in a bit. You wear all the hats in your business, including being the secretary, accounts receivable and payable and project manager, just to name a few. Can’t stand balancing your checkbook or keeping a record of things? Well, maybe it isn’t the right time for you to start freelancing.
When approaching administrative work, it helps to be organized in your everyday life–keeping up with your checkbook, a record of bills you pay, and knowing exactly where last year’s tax return is. So if you aren’t already doing these things, you will have even more difficult time doing all of that plus all of your business’s paperwork and housekeeping. Invoicing, contracts, time sheets, separate checking accounts, and taxes are other fun things to look forward to when you start freelancing.
I personally love these types of activities, so it wasn’t very hard for me to carry over those skills into my freelancing. But the best way to rectify this before you start freelancing is to learn from someone who does it, be it your parents, professors, or other students. Hook up with someone that can show you a thing or two.
5. You simply just realistically don’t have the time to devote to it.
Last, but not least, if you don’t have much time to eat or sleep, chances are you are too busy to start your freelancing endeavor. Freelancing, no matter if you are a student or a veteran, is a big black hole when it comes to your time, at least when you first start. I know when I started, I spent two hours of non-billable time doing stuff for my business for every one-hour of billable work–if I was lucky. Some weeks I even worked a full 40 hours doing stuff for my business, and could barely bill five of those.
It goes worth stating that everyone’s time requirements are different. If you are a student, you have to go to class and put in the time to do homework and studying. But beyond that, it is a trade game. What are you willing to give up to start freelancing? This is different for everyone, and it might not even have a clear-cut answer. Chances are if you can’t spend at least 15-20 hours a week freelancing–like you would any other part-time job–then you shouldn’t start your freelance career just yet.
Job Vacancy , Indonesia Job , Job Indonesia
Debating on whether or not you should venture into the world of freelancing while going to school? Wondering if you have what it takes to make it as a student freelancer? Well, below are five reasons why you may not be ready to start that venture after all. But, since I don’t like when people tell me I’m not cut out for something and then give me no pointers on how to become better, I will also explain how you can rectify the issue.
1. Your portfolio could use some work.
This one is a big one. Clients like to hire freelancers who have some work to show. Unfortunately with most student freelancers, we don’t have a vast, fancy portfolio like other veteran freelancers. If you don’t have the proper portfolio–or a portfolio at all– then chances are you won’t get hired.
A few ways to resolve this range from taking on pro-bono (free) work for charities, churches or other such organizations to taking an internship/class/job that will allow you hands-on experience with working with actual projects.
Taking pro-bono work is a good way to help develop work in your portfolio, but make sure you work with organizations in which you already have close relationships with, like your church, high school or your younger brother’s football team just to name a few. Friends and family can also help provide you with some work if they own their own business or are about to set up shop themselves.
On the other end of that, you could seek out internships or part-time jobs in your field that will give you experience and work to show in your portfolio. Make sure you have permission from the employer to show the work in your portfolio, and state exactly what your role was in the project–especially if you worked with others on the project.
2. You haven’t dealt with real clients.
This can be an issue for some student freelancers who have yet to deal with clients one-on-one before–and I don’t mean in a retail situation. In a professional environment, you have clients that you have to help solve their problems. No matter what profession you are in–accounting, web design, finance, consulting, legal, insurance, etc.– clients hire professionals to help solve their issues, be it a tax return, a legal issue, bankruptcy, or a new website design. If you don’t know how to work with clients and provide them with a solution, chances are you should rectify this before pursuing your freelancing career.
Luckily I was able to work at two different jobs in a professional environment before and during my freelancing where I received interaction with clients on the regular basis, and was able to learn from others as well. That experience helped me take the freelance jump more gracefully as I knew how to communicate with clients and treat them as a professional would.
As you may have guessed, the best way to prepare yourself for dealing with real clients is taking a job where you will work with them on the regular basis. Taking a job in your field of freelancing (or one closely related) is ideal, however, this isn’t always possible. Look for any type of job that will allow for you to solve client’s issues and work with clients one-on-one.
3. You don’t own your own equipment, software, etc.
Students aren’t made of money that is for sure. When I talk to fellow classmates about their desires to pursue freelancing, many of them aren’t even equipped to do what they need to do. The lack of a trustworthy computer, professional software, and other such materials will hold you back from completing jobs successfully and to a client’s satisfaction.
It may be worth taking a job that will allow you to build up some money to make such purchases. Some purchases you will need to make as a freelancer can wait until after you get started, but those, such as computers and software, are quite expensive, and you really can’t open up shop until you have the essentials.
4. You hate doing paperwork, finances and administrative work.
If you didn’t already know what you are in for when you start freelancing, let me clue you in a bit. You wear all the hats in your business, including being the secretary, accounts receivable and payable and project manager, just to name a few. Can’t stand balancing your checkbook or keeping a record of things? Well, maybe it isn’t the right time for you to start freelancing.
When approaching administrative work, it helps to be organized in your everyday life–keeping up with your checkbook, a record of bills you pay, and knowing exactly where last year’s tax return is. So if you aren’t already doing these things, you will have even more difficult time doing all of that plus all of your business’s paperwork and housekeeping. Invoicing, contracts, time sheets, separate checking accounts, and taxes are other fun things to look forward to when you start freelancing.
I personally love these types of activities, so it wasn’t very hard for me to carry over those skills into my freelancing. But the best way to rectify this before you start freelancing is to learn from someone who does it, be it your parents, professors, or other students. Hook up with someone that can show you a thing or two.
5. You simply just realistically don’t have the time to devote to it.
Last, but not least, if you don’t have much time to eat or sleep, chances are you are too busy to start your freelancing endeavor. Freelancing, no matter if you are a student or a veteran, is a big black hole when it comes to your time, at least when you first start. I know when I started, I spent two hours of non-billable time doing stuff for my business for every one-hour of billable work–if I was lucky. Some weeks I even worked a full 40 hours doing stuff for my business, and could barely bill five of those.
It goes worth stating that everyone’s time requirements are different. If you are a student, you have to go to class and put in the time to do homework and studying. But beyond that, it is a trade game. What are you willing to give up to start freelancing? This is different for everyone, and it might not even have a clear-cut answer. Chances are if you can’t spend at least 15-20 hours a week freelancing–like you would any other part-time job–then you shouldn’t start your freelance career just yet.
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