Going freelance in the minds of many people is often associated with a loud dismissal or leaving with slamming doors and cutting off all contacts with colleagues and superiors. In fact, all this can be avoided, moreover, it is possible, while remaining at the main job, to prepare the ground for active freelancing. "Lifehacker" offers some tips that can help those who are preparing to leave for freelance bread.
— economical freelancing: the one who owns the information gets orders
In times of recession, many companies prefer to save money and hire employees to perform a certain type of work. This is more profitable than keeping a person on a salary. Working in the office full-time and communicating with employees, including from other companies, you can find out which firms are planning to switch to this kind of interaction with employees.
— self-seller: remember about reputation and advertising
For a freelancer, reputation is very important, his good name in the market of services offered. For sure, potential customers are more likely to agree to hire a person they know as a good employee of another company. However, becoming a freelancer, a person must also become a seller of their services. It is easier to do this if the employee is known among colleagues as a competent specialist in his field.
One of the stages of preparation for active freelancing is providing self–promotion. This is, at least, the creation of a business card site, and not on free hosting. On such a site, it is worth specifying as many projects as possible in which the freelancer worked. A photographer can post examples of his work, a programmer or a journalist — a list of projects and companies in which he worked. The actual results of the activity can be supplemented with reviews and recommendations from customers, or, if there are no such, from colleagues from previous work.
— word of mouth in job search
Another important aspect of a freelancer's work is the help of colleagues and acquaintances in finding orders. Preparing to go freelance, it is worth notifying your colleagues, friends, neighbors about this step. This will simplify the search for the first orders. People are still more likely to hire those who are recommended to them than those they found, for example, on recruiting sites.
— free work: pros and cons
Going freelance, you should be ready to fulfill some free orders. The reality is that sometimes you can get an order by demonstrating your skills to a potential employer in a particular case, for example, by doing part of the work for free. However, do not get carried away with this business: some employers can fool their heads for a long time and enjoy the fruits of free labor of those who are looking for work. It is better to part with such people as soon as possible.
— the most difficult price is the price of yourself
One of the most difficult moments of a freelancer's work is the evaluation of his own work. Is the payment hourly or for the result? And how to assess the overall situation on the market? And if it's a startup, but promising? How not to dump, but also not to request too much? Most often, novice freelancers underestimate themselves and are willing to work a lot for little money. Do not get carried away with such work, because it can lead to disappointment in freelancing and burnout. In addition, it is worth remembering that the growth of experience should lead to an increase in remuneration: after all, the employer hires you not only to perform a certain task, he also buys your experience.
Tell us about your secrets of preparing for freelancing?
