Working Freelance

Working Freelance in the Creative Media Sector

Understanding freelance work

Work Related Learning

Name: Scott Harrand

             

Working Freelance
Resources:
Which freelance job would you like to have?
I would be interested in having a job working as a freelance graphic designer. This is because I enjoy design and would be very interested in pursuing it as a career. The job would involve a vast range of different work, such as web design, magazine design, advertising, and much more.
What equipment or materials would you need to do the job freelance?
There is not a great deal of equipment necessary in freelance graphic design work, at least compared to other jobs. However, I would certainly need a few things. For example; A computer/laptop, photo-editing and design software (such as Adobe Photoshop or other similar software), Internet, Some sort of e-mail provider (in order to keep in contact with clients), some kind of social media presence (in order to advertise your services and display your existing work), and perhaps a tablet (for drawn designs).
What sort of workspace would be required?
The workplace necessary for graphic design work could take many forms, and it would be very possible for a freelance graphic designer to work from home. However, for cases in which a freelance graphic designer will meet potential clients in person, they may need some kind of more professional area to meet in order to make a good impression. Even if working from home, it could be useful and even practical to have a room set aside for work, such as an office. This could add an air of professionalism to attract clients, and also serve to remove the graphic designer from potential distractions in their general home and living space.
What are some of the financial difficulties a freelancer could face?
Working freelance means that a freelancer will not have a reliable source of income. They will only get paid when they have work, and they cannot be certain that they will always have work, as they do not work on a regulated basis. This means that, while sometimes they may have a great deal of work and make a great deal of money, other times they may not have any work and will therefore struggle financially. It is also a potential issue that a lot of a freelance workers income will go towards paying for various things that are necessary to continue their work, such as new equipment or software.
Professionalism:
Why is it important to be reliable as a freelancer?
It is important to be reliable as a freelancer because the reputation that you create will be crucial in effecting the amount of work that you receive. Many freelancers receive work on a “word-of-mouth” basis, which means that many potential clients will learn about your business from former clients, who will tell them how they felt about your work. If they have positive things to say about you and your business, such as your reliability, then people will be more likely to seek you out to give you work. This means that being reliable is extremely important as a freelancer, as it could help you to find new work.
What are the implications of missing a deadline as a freelancer?
If you miss a deadline as a freelancer, it could have potentially heavily damaging ramifications for you and your business. Even if you completed your work only a short time after the deadline, your client may have needed the work they commissioned you before that point, and therefore would not have it at the time they needed it. Even if the client did not need their commissioned work at the exact point of the deadline, they may still consider you missing the deadline as unprofessional, and may speak unfavourably about you to others. This could give you and your business a bad reputation, and put off potential clients. This could lead to having much less work available, and therefore you will lose money.
What strategies could you use to ensure you meet your deadlines?
There are many potential strategies that you could implement in order to better manage your time effectively. One popular method is to establish a schedule of work. While you do not necessarily need to follow your schedule to an exact precision, it can still be very helpful to have a schedule on hand that you can refer to, because it will show you all the things you need to be doing, and gives you a well organized idea of what you should be doing and when.
Why are presentation skills so important? How would you feel presenting or pitching to a client?
I feel quite confident about pitching and presenting, as I believe that confidence is a key part of a presentation, and that people will be more interested and engaged in a presentation if it is presented with confidence. Even a very good concept or product, if presented without confidence, may not catch someone’s attention or interest. In a presentation, it can be very effective to point out features of your concept and/or product that make it stand out from anything else similar to it, or how it surpasses everything else in it’s field. In the case of presenting your own portfolio of freelance work in the pursuit of getting work, it would be important to bring to attention things such as positive comments that you had received from former clients, so it is not just your word that your potential future clients would have to rely on. It would also be important to show a wide range of your portfolio work, and ensure that what you show is diverse and shows your range of abilities, as potential clients will not know what you are able to do unless they have seen it for themselves. Ensure that your portfolio presentation includes examples of all the techniques you are most proficient in.
What sort of dress code might you need to follow in your role?
Working as a freelance designer mostly tends to involve working from home, which means that casual attire is suitable for most work. However, there may be some occasions in which formal attire will be called for, such as when you are meeting with certain clients or presenting your portfolio. Potentially, it may not be necessary to have totally formal attire, and suits may not be entirely necessarily. However, it is still advisable to dress in a smart and presentable fashion when meeting with clients, so that you give them a good impression and make them more likely to want to commission work from you.
Health and Safety:
Why is it important to ensure you work safely?
Working safely is extremely important in any jobs, and all jobs have their own potential risks, although some may have more risks than others. In the case of freelance graphic design work, the risks (while still present) are fairly limited. Some of the main and most likely risks are related to long-term computer usage. The effects of these can include eyestrain and back pains, which can vary from minute damage to more serious and long-term effects.
What are some requirements of a safe working area?
As a freelance graphic designer, your working area will most likely be within your own home. It will be beneficial to have a fairly clean and organized working area, without random objects around the floor that could cause tripping hazards. Wires, which are likely to be present in a room with a computer and/or other technological tools, can present a very serious tripping hazard. Wires should be kept to the perimeter of the room rather than the centre where you will be walking, and it could be especially beneficial to contain them in some kind of trunking.
What are some of the health risks of stress and how can you manage stress?
Stress can lead to a wide variety of health risks, especially in pronounced cases of severe stress. Some people are more inclined towards stress than others, so it is important not to dismiss your potentially damaging stress issues. Although work can take up a lot of your time, it is still vitally important to ensure you have a considerable amount of time to yourself in order to relax. Time spent relaxing is not time-wasted, as it is necessary to your health that you have time to wind-down and achieve calm. It is important to remember that you will not be able to work to your best potentially if you are stressed out, so taking breaks and relaxing, and not spending all your available time working, is important and beneficial.