4 Tips For Freelancers

Being a freelancer is a very freeing and exciting career path to take. However, it also comes with its challenges and can be stressful at times. You’re continuously on edge, waiting around to see if your clients are going to continue to work with you and provide you with additional tasks or not.

There are a few tips you should take into consideration that will help you ease the tension a bit so you can feel more confident in your role. Be proud of how far you’ve come with your career and the fact that you even have the ability and talent to work for yourself and manage your own professional life.

• Always be Looking for More Work & Clients

You never know when a client may drop you or provide you with less and less work over time. Therefore, it’s a wise idea to always be looking for more assignments and clients to add to your work history. It’s a wise idea to continue to apply for side projects and jobs even when you’re busy in case anything falls through. You can use a resource such as LiveCareer to learn more about creating a resume and cover letter that will get you noticed by employers, so you’re always ready to submit these documents and apply for jobs.

• Maintain A Portfolio of Your Work

As a freelancer, you’re on your own and will need to be able to prove your skills and abilities to others frequently. Therefore, it’s a wise idea to maintain a large portfolio of some of your best work that you can refer to and share when need be. This is a great way to sell yourself and hopefully land certain jobs that you’re after. You can refer to some tips and tricks online for how to go about preparing and managing your portfolio of work. 

• Communicate Clearly with Your Clients

Another tip that all freelancers should abide by is to communicate clearly and openly with clients at all times. Doing so will help to ensure that there’s no confusion between the two of you when working on a project or assignment. Remember to always ask questions and get clarification around any ideas that seem a bit puzzling to you. In addition, always notify your clients as early on as possible if you’ll be late hitting any required deadlines. 

• Sign A Contract for Each Client or Project

It’s in your best interest to always protect yourself as a freelance worker. Therefore, get in the habit of creating and signing contracts for each client or project you work on. This will help to ensure that you’re both on the same page and understand the working agreement between the two of you. It’s also a good time to set and determine a price or cost for your services and to discuss any other stipulations or requirements that the client needs you to follow. You’ll be able to refer back to this document should any questions arise while you’re working for a client and are in disagreement about a certain issue.