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Things To Know Before You Try Freelancing Full time

Some tips to help you not fail out the gate

Kyrie Gray
Sep 4, 2018 · 3 min read

In 2015 I looked at my bank account and thought, “Time to leap into freelancing!” After all, I was a writer, how hard could it be?

A year later, with almost all those savings gone, I can confidently say it’s pretty hard.

Here are some of the things to know before you go that freelancer route, so you don’t find yourself in dire straights.

Have a safety net or a safety network

I didn’t have people I could rely on for work right out the gate. I couldn’t ask friends of friends for work, nor did I have established connections with clients. Luckily I’d saved up a small nest egg that allowed me to dive without worrying how I would pay for food or a roof over my head.

Maintain a calendar

Life isn’t college. Employers aren’t going to be kindly professors who will gladly (or grudgingly) give you an extension because you have “stuff” going on. Often, though you mean well, but assignments have a way of slipping through the cracks if you don’t write them down. Digitally, pen and paper, blood and stone, I don’t care. Write down that deadline somewhere where you can see it.

Figure Out Your worth

Believe it or not you don’t have to work for pennies. Depending where you want to work you may have to be willing to take lower pay if you want to get ahead in that company, but you can always show your skills off and earn a higher rate while freelancing. If clients try to argue a price and you think they are going too low, just say, “I’m sorry I’m not quite the right fit, I’d love to help but that is my rate.”

Know your limit

I get we live in this age of hustle but one could argue this is also the age of the break down. By not taking proper breaks you will be less productive. I can write 2 hours without a break but must get up and run around the block after. This not only saves my back, but my sanity. Early on in the freelancing process I would be at my table for hours, only to find sloppy work in front of me, mistakes made because my eyes were just DONE. This meant I had to work even more to fix those stupid mistakes. If you figure out what you are capable of before your brain needs to tap out, you will thank yourself when that big project comes along.


This story is published in The Post-Grad Survival Guide, a publication for recent grads followed by 8,000+ people.

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The Post-Grad Survival Guide

We're confused twenty-somethings. We dish on our post-grad blues, successes, failures, and everyday life right here. Featuring topics related to work, relationships, travel, finances, and so much more.

Kyrie Gray

Written by

Freelancer, comedian, and coffee drinker. Writing nerdy humor, practical advice, satire, and stories. Also draws comics sometimes.

The Post-Grad Survival Guide

We're confused twenty-somethings. We dish on our post-grad blues, successes, failures, and everyday life right here. Featuring topics related to work, relationships, travel, finances, and so much more.

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