Pros And Cons Of Freelancing: A Passion Or A Profession?
September 24, 2011 by Kevin Michael Gray
Is it worth it to be a freelancer or work full time through/with an agency? Todays featured article comes from 1stwebdesigner.com and discusses the pros and cons of freelancing. Read more below:
Pros:
- Work at Home
- Organizing your own schedule
- A lot of opportunities on the web
- You can’t be fired or laid off anymore
Cons:
- You will become “tired and bored” of your home
- Your schedule is never the same with the clients deadline
- Clients can always choose another freelancer
- No tasks is equivalent to no money
Want to Become a Freelancer? Necessary Steps:
1. Portfolio
From where I stand, freelancing implies 99% ambition + work (or maybe work + ambition) and 1% talent (I’ve learned it from Thomas Edison). Working as a freelancer involves being a professional in a particular domain (no matter which one) and the ability to work hard. To my shame, I do not have a whole lot of experience, but in my short career I’ve worked really long hours daily. One way to learn is using tutorials, but nothing is possible without conscientious work and a lot of time spent in front of your computer as to become competitive.
All your work (which will be called “portfolio” from now on) should be good and eye-catching to entice possible customers. Taking all these things into consideration, what’s required: a personal site, blog or any promo & ads and an impressive portfolio. This is such an important aspect because it represents you, it shows all your real abilities. Many freelancers can say that they make a new YouTube like project faster and better, but their portfolio can let potential customers know if this it is true or not (if he/she has worked on similar or more difficult projects than the one the clients wants, that should mean that the freelancer is able to do the job). In my personal opinion a portfolio is like a TV commercial: it can either be a launching ramp or just your ordinary unappealing add.
