What’s on the iPod: Us and Them by Pink Floyd
“I’m doing it.”
That was the answer I gave last week to someone who’d asked me what my dream job would be. He was young – my daughter’s age – and he’s a freshly minted graduate. So the question was natural given that filter. He’s still searching for that one thing that captures his imagination and his passion.
And I was able to say I’d found my one thing. How lucky is that?
Well, luck did play into it, but so did a ton of hard work and training.
Those of us who have been busting our humps at it for more than a few years often get the question: How can I have a career in freelancing? A career in freelancing is yours right now. Just start.
What isn’t yours right now is success. That, my friend, takes effort. Here are just a few of what I think are essentials for you to be successful at that dream job:
Business savvy. If you think you have to come to the job with it, you’d be wrong. I had relatively no business sense beyond knowing to contact clients. But it develops over time and by reading, researching, and even by adopting other successful writers’ habits. You’ll need to know how to market your services, pay your taxes, build business plans, make business decisions, and mind the financial details.
Skill. Yes, you can start with just rudimentary skills, but you’ll soon be overwhelmed if you’re thinking those basics will hold you forever. Always be improving what you know and learning new things. Even 12 years later, I’m still learning. That said, you don’t have to be pitch perfect every time. You simply have to be good enough to get the job done. Strive for perfection, but let the project go at good enough or you’ll drive yourself nuts.
A broader focus. Don’t go into your career thinking the one thing you write about today must be your focus the rest of your life. And don’t think you even need a focus. Specialization is great if you know what you want to specialize in, but it’s not required. And the focus you have today may not fit in a year or even a few months. Allow your career to morph and follow those passions and interests.
Flexibility. Client stuff comes up. People have upsets. Projects go awry. You need to be flexible enough (and professional enough) to handle the missteps, the changed plans (and know how to work that into contracts so you’re not doubling your efforts), and the delays with grace and tact.
A strong resolve. Look, if you’re going to crumble and wail at the first sign of a project revision or an angry client, give it up now. You have to be committed to this job and to your own efforts. If the first tough assignment has you thinking you’d rather be a barista, then by all means save yourself and your clients the trouble of unfinished projects. This is your job, your career choice.You have to want this, hunger for this enough to fight for it and wade through the crud that none of us like wading through, but that those of us who wouldn’t trade this job for anything else wade through anyway.
So are you ready to start?
Writers, what essentials did you need when you started?
How did that list change as you gained experience?
15 responses to “Five Freelance Career Essentials”
Belief. In the beginning it was at your core. Often quiet. Sometimes scared. But always there. With time, your belief grows until it stands up and says, I can do this.
Drive. The ultimate question is "how badly do you want it?" whether it's writing or anything else.
Self-respect. If you don't respect yourself and your work, that means no one else has any reason to, either.
Curiosity. Give a damn about the world around you and care enough to ask questions.
Oh, I love that curiosity, Devon.
I love that Devon added self-respect. That's more important than a lot of us realize.
The only one I would add to Lori's words and the great list above: Confidence. You have to know you're great at what you do.
Good one, Cathy. You do have to believe that you can do this. You can.
Drive. Amen, Devon. It's a tough job and you have to make things happen, not sit by passively.
Confidence – good one, Paula!
Good Stuff.
Thanks, Chuck. And thanks for all the recommendations while we were in Santa Cruz. Big help!
Lori, glad you enjoyed Santa Cruz. We lived just over the hill from there for most of our adult lives, so it was always a convenient retreat from the realities of silicon gulch. The seventies really changed the culture there and with the addition of the wealth created by technology many of the movers and shakers would move to that area. I threw in the Alfred Hitchcock thing just for kicks and I believe his estate is now a vineyard and maybe even a winery. Several of his movies were based on ideas he gleaned from that area. Anyway, I'm glad you were able to experience some of the unique culture in that area in your short stay.
Patience- Writing is not a get rich quick scheme. It takes time to build up a client list and assignments. So many people quit before they ever get started.
Somehow I've always known I was 'supposed' to write… seems like it's been part of me forever, so I've found ways to do just that.
Love curiosity too.
Piggy backing off "A Strong Resolve," I'd have to say a thick skin, because rejection is a part of freelancing. You can't take it personal.
Chuck, the most exciting part for me was visiting Cannery Row. I'm a huge Steinbeck fan, so being there, seeing that, put the books and his entire being into perspective.
Wade, that's the thing most missing at the beginning, isn't it? Careers rarely happen overnight.
Anne, likewise. You have to feel that passion and drive inside you. Otherwise, why bother?
Oh Kim, I agree. A thick skin is essential!
You're forgetting the most crucial essential (is that redundant?) of all: a sense of humor. This business demands it.
Lori, John Steinbeck left a gigantic legacy in the Monterey Bay Area. If you ever get back, think about running over to the town of Salinas to view the museum the locals have created. It does the memory of the man proud. Chuck
Trace, amen! Great attribute! And it's a must in this job.
Chuck, I think we're up for another trip. Both of us can't stop talking about the place.