By : Amber Leigh Turner
I’m sure any freelancer that started his or her career while they were still in school has dealt with this at one point or another—the “student” factor. Call it what you may, but once a client or potential client knows you are a student doing freelance work, something changes. What is it about being a student entrepreneur that seems to be a turn-off for potential clients?
Well have no fear. Below I will outline some points about student freelance from both sides of the fence. Should student freelancers tell their potential clients that they are indeed students? How can clients be sure that a student freelancer is the real deal? How can communication from both sides of the fence help facilitate a professional working relationship?
From the Student Freelancer’s Side
Freelance students are unlike any other breed of freelancers. We have this big, heavy backpack we wear while carrying our briefcases. When school is in session, we have a hungry monster that eats away at all of our time, leaving little to do freelancing or anything else for that matter. For these reasons and probably a few others, clients are very hesitant about hiring freelancers that are also pursuing a career in academia. What are a few things student freelancers can do to gain more clients and ease the minds of these clients when it comes to the “student” factor?
One very important issue that is of great concern in the eyes of a client is professionalism, which encompasses a wide variety of issues and situations in the freelance world. Everything from email discussions and portfolio presentations to phone call etiquette and face-to-face actions must be handled with the utmost professionalism in mind. Does this mean being a stern, straight face business person who is only ever seen in suits and a tie? No, but you should conduct yourself in a manner that shows you are serious about your work and your business.
Being professional means keeping up with deadlines, listening to your clients needs and delivering on those needs. Responding to emails in a timely manner and scheduling work so that the projects get done on time and with a high quality output are also important factors to keep in mind.
One of the best ways I have found to ensure that I am always conducting myself professionally around my clients is by getting in the mindset that I run a business. When discussing my freelancing I refer to it as my “business.” When I do things with a business mindset, it helps me become more serious about my freelancing and it shows when I work with my clients, as they are more at ease working with me knowing that I am also a student.
Another issue that student freelancers deal with is battling between “is it best to tell my client I am also a student” or “should I keep the fact that I am a student secret?” In my experience, I have always had better clients and projects when I explained to my clients that I am also a student. The key is to tell them right away, before work starts on the project. You don’t need to give all of the details of your academic career. Yes, believe it or not, the less you say about your career as a student after you state you are in school, the better. Why? Because the less you talk about it, the less your client will think about it. I highly recommend being upfront and honest about your situation with school to a client.
Above all, communication and honesty will get a student freelancer much further after the “student” label has been placed. Communication and honestly leads to more professional actions on the student freelancer’s end, more successful projects, and clients to be more comfortable working with a student entrepreneur.
From the Client’s Side
In the eyes of a client, they want to work with someone who is professional, knowledgeable and experienced. Most of these things are typically not characteristics found in students. For this reason, most clients are turned off by the idea of working with a student. Clients want to know they are being taken care of and know that their project will be handled with care and delivered as promised and on time.
When clients hear of the word “student,” they automatically think of just that, a student, with all of their paradigms and past experiences attached. However, student entrepreneurs are very different than the typical student. Student entrepreneurs are a very powerful bunch of young adults. Just look at some of the great businesses developed by student entrepreneurs—Facebook, Google, Napster, Yahoo, Apple, FedEx, and Dell just to name a few.
What is very unique about college freelance entrepreneurs that most clients struggle with is that we are very capable of running a business and are highly motivated and driven to do so. My clients work with me time and time again because they see that I am driven to achieve and succeed. They know that I am double-majoring and doing this freelance thing full time. They know that I always deliver as promised, and when I can’t, I let them know right away why and when they can expect to receive something. They work with me because of the reasons I mentioned above—being professional, having clear communication, and being honest with my work load. All of these things weigh in favor of working with me in the eyes of my clients.
Clients can do a little homework to make sure the student freelancer they are about to hire is the real deal. They can ask for a client list or references from previous freelance clients. If a student freelancer doesn’t have this information available, then chances are they are just starting their freelancing endeavors or they haven’t produced satisfactory work in the past. Does the student entrepreneur have a portfolio? How well is the portfolio presented? A thorough analysis of their portfolio can also be a deciding factor on whether or not to hire them.
It isn’t always up to the student freelancer to make sure the working relationship between a client and a student freelancer is successful. There are things that clients should understand and do to help as well, as with any other freelancer they will work with. As with mentioned above, clients should take care in making sure their communications are clear and concise. This is true of any working relationship, but it never hurts to be completely open when it comes to any concerns or issues about working with a student freelancer.
Clients should express their concerns with a student freelancer so that they are aware of their concerns and can work to ease them. If a client is concerned about the freelancer not delivering on time, then the best thing to do is to mention it. Also, clients should never be afraid to ask a student freelancer about their student careers. I’ve had clients ask me before if I would be able to take on their project with my current workload as a student. Asking such a thing is not only smart on a client’s end, but it also allows the freelancer to turn down a project easily and openly if he/she cannot take on the extra work.
In conclusion, working with student freelancers can be just as rewarding as working with full-time freelancers who have been running their businesses for years. All of the same things full-time veteran freelancers do on the daily basis (such as professional actions and communications) are just as important to the student freelancer as they are to the veterans. Student freelancers everywhere can rejoice knowing that there is hope in obtaining clients and projects – even though they are a student.
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I’m sure any freelancer that started his or her career while they were still in school has dealt with this at one point or another—the “student” factor. Call it what you may, but once a client or potential client knows you are a student doing freelance work, something changes. What is it about being a student entrepreneur that seems to be a turn-off for potential clients?
Well have no fear. Below I will outline some points about student freelance from both sides of the fence. Should student freelancers tell their potential clients that they are indeed students? How can clients be sure that a student freelancer is the real deal? How can communication from both sides of the fence help facilitate a professional working relationship?
From the Student Freelancer’s Side
Freelance students are unlike any other breed of freelancers. We have this big, heavy backpack we wear while carrying our briefcases. When school is in session, we have a hungry monster that eats away at all of our time, leaving little to do freelancing or anything else for that matter. For these reasons and probably a few others, clients are very hesitant about hiring freelancers that are also pursuing a career in academia. What are a few things student freelancers can do to gain more clients and ease the minds of these clients when it comes to the “student” factor?
One very important issue that is of great concern in the eyes of a client is professionalism, which encompasses a wide variety of issues and situations in the freelance world. Everything from email discussions and portfolio presentations to phone call etiquette and face-to-face actions must be handled with the utmost professionalism in mind. Does this mean being a stern, straight face business person who is only ever seen in suits and a tie? No, but you should conduct yourself in a manner that shows you are serious about your work and your business.
Being professional means keeping up with deadlines, listening to your clients needs and delivering on those needs. Responding to emails in a timely manner and scheduling work so that the projects get done on time and with a high quality output are also important factors to keep in mind.
One of the best ways I have found to ensure that I am always conducting myself professionally around my clients is by getting in the mindset that I run a business. When discussing my freelancing I refer to it as my “business.” When I do things with a business mindset, it helps me become more serious about my freelancing and it shows when I work with my clients, as they are more at ease working with me knowing that I am also a student.
Another issue that student freelancers deal with is battling between “is it best to tell my client I am also a student” or “should I keep the fact that I am a student secret?” In my experience, I have always had better clients and projects when I explained to my clients that I am also a student. The key is to tell them right away, before work starts on the project. You don’t need to give all of the details of your academic career. Yes, believe it or not, the less you say about your career as a student after you state you are in school, the better. Why? Because the less you talk about it, the less your client will think about it. I highly recommend being upfront and honest about your situation with school to a client.
Above all, communication and honesty will get a student freelancer much further after the “student” label has been placed. Communication and honestly leads to more professional actions on the student freelancer’s end, more successful projects, and clients to be more comfortable working with a student entrepreneur.
From the Client’s Side
In the eyes of a client, they want to work with someone who is professional, knowledgeable and experienced. Most of these things are typically not characteristics found in students. For this reason, most clients are turned off by the idea of working with a student. Clients want to know they are being taken care of and know that their project will be handled with care and delivered as promised and on time.
When clients hear of the word “student,” they automatically think of just that, a student, with all of their paradigms and past experiences attached. However, student entrepreneurs are very different than the typical student. Student entrepreneurs are a very powerful bunch of young adults. Just look at some of the great businesses developed by student entrepreneurs—Facebook, Google, Napster, Yahoo, Apple, FedEx, and Dell just to name a few.
What is very unique about college freelance entrepreneurs that most clients struggle with is that we are very capable of running a business and are highly motivated and driven to do so. My clients work with me time and time again because they see that I am driven to achieve and succeed. They know that I am double-majoring and doing this freelance thing full time. They know that I always deliver as promised, and when I can’t, I let them know right away why and when they can expect to receive something. They work with me because of the reasons I mentioned above—being professional, having clear communication, and being honest with my work load. All of these things weigh in favor of working with me in the eyes of my clients.
Clients can do a little homework to make sure the student freelancer they are about to hire is the real deal. They can ask for a client list or references from previous freelance clients. If a student freelancer doesn’t have this information available, then chances are they are just starting their freelancing endeavors or they haven’t produced satisfactory work in the past. Does the student entrepreneur have a portfolio? How well is the portfolio presented? A thorough analysis of their portfolio can also be a deciding factor on whether or not to hire them.
It isn’t always up to the student freelancer to make sure the working relationship between a client and a student freelancer is successful. There are things that clients should understand and do to help as well, as with any other freelancer they will work with. As with mentioned above, clients should take care in making sure their communications are clear and concise. This is true of any working relationship, but it never hurts to be completely open when it comes to any concerns or issues about working with a student freelancer.
Clients should express their concerns with a student freelancer so that they are aware of their concerns and can work to ease them. If a client is concerned about the freelancer not delivering on time, then the best thing to do is to mention it. Also, clients should never be afraid to ask a student freelancer about their student careers. I’ve had clients ask me before if I would be able to take on their project with my current workload as a student. Asking such a thing is not only smart on a client’s end, but it also allows the freelancer to turn down a project easily and openly if he/she cannot take on the extra work.
In conclusion, working with student freelancers can be just as rewarding as working with full-time freelancers who have been running their businesses for years. All of the same things full-time veteran freelancers do on the daily basis (such as professional actions and communications) are just as important to the student freelancer as they are to the veterans. Student freelancers everywhere can rejoice knowing that there is hope in obtaining clients and projects – even though they are a student.
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