A freelancer denotatively means someone who is “self-employed and hired to work for different companies on particular assignments”. Although freelancing seems to be a new trade, it’s now been quite prevalent in the market. It has widened the job sphere and provided jobs and opportunities for people around the world.
There is no one solution, there is no one path and hence one has to strive to survive! This is the primary concept that I have learned and grasped through my freelancing career and, consequently, here are the 6 lessons I picked up along the way:
1. Freelancing is mythically easy but it practically equals to a full time job.
Whenever one takes up freelancing, they assume things would be easy and that money would follow like a stalker. But, in truth, freelancing is not an easy a cup of tea. The company that hires you is also in ardent need of work and hence they make sure that the work is heavy and done on time. The projects we handle require the same amount of time as they do for a full time job. What is even harder is finding the “right time” to pursue the project throughout the day, as time literally flies doing other tasks.
So, first lesson learned, never take freelancing for granted!
2. Freelancing helps you build a great network.
Yes, they say freelancing eats away your time on your phones but it is equally fruitful if you can manage well. Freelancing basically requires you to be present whenever the other person is trying to contact you. If you can, and if you possess a good communicative aura, you can definitely build a network of your own. There are so many people you come across each day and there is so much that one can learn communicating.
3. The world is learning just like you.
Freelancing has helped me develop my communication skills better. I have learned to talk better and put my views in a better way. As and when we talk to various companies and clients, we realize, we are just like them and that they are like us. Language barriers become fun learning and the ideas shared help us grow. There is a whole flux of various ideas coming in, the only way out you learn is cooperating with your virtual peers.
4. Internet suddenly becomes the godfather for everything.
I didn’t know all the knowledge Google could provide me with until I started freelancing. I have learned what SEO is, and I have also learned what it means to be writing content on internet. It’s really not such an easy deal. One has to be thoughtful and different. Not everyone thinks like you: you learn. One has to modulate in a manner that the expressed does not seem slight. This is where communication skills get your rolling. You suddenly realize how important language and its correct usage is! You also learn how important it is to possess a high speed internet connection, other than for watching some videos online.
5. No slangs or short hand accepted.
Suddenly, one realizes that short hand writing is not accepted anymore. Grammar, yes grammar plays a key role. One just gets better and better…
6. You make mistakes; get your salary cut and learn!
If you think freelancing does not cause you to make mistakes, then you are wrong. No matter what the job is, we humans never forego our tendency to make mistakes! And why not? Mistakes are easy lessons!
Yes, sometimes it’s hard when your salary gets slashed but maybe some lessons are better learned the hard way. In any case, you learn and you evolve. Each day you get to know your art better; you see people working hard and trying to explain things to you even if you have never met them. You see your work influencing people and you realize how important it is to keep learning. When you get a salary hike, then you definitely set an example!
Freelancing thus, according to me, is a boon for those who cannot work full time in an office and still wish to deliver and take in some experiences out of life. You evolve and you make things better. You realize there are no short cuts and that one has to make it big to make it better!
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Lissa Coffey is a freelance writer by profession (currently writes for Qwikfix) with a passion for writing on latest innovations and other interesting ideas. She is an active member and contributor at some of the reputed tech magazines & communities.
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