In Pursuit of Profession- A day in the life of…

This year, we’ll be taking an in-depth look from time to time at some professions in the DFW area. First up…freelancers.

You eat what you kill.

That’s what a fellow freelancer told me before I got started in the business. While that phrase may conjure primal images of bloodthirsty hunters stalking their prey and fighting endlessly with competitors just to survive, being a freelancer in the modern work world isn’t that far off. Not only do you have to do your job and do it well, but you’ve also got to be your own salesperson, marketing department, human resource manager, bookkeeper and CEO. While that seems like a lot of plates to keep spinning, there are benefits. You are your own boss, you can have a 30-second commute – in my case from my bedroom to my home office – you set your own hours, and you get to meet a variety of people, which can and does lead to a bigger network and future job opportunities. Pretty soon, you’ll have people contacting you to do jobs because you are “known” as a freelancer that produces quality work while meeting your deadlines. Translation: the kills become easier and the feasts get bigger.

A day in the life of a freelance writer

If you’re self-employed, time management is essential. On a typical day, I’ll limit myself to one hour looking at freelance websites for job postings or short work assignments. Once I find an assignment I like, I’ll bid on it. Depending on how many assignments I bid, it may take up to another hour to complete this process. When you place your bid, you typically give contact information and also include a brief summary of your skills. You are also typically competing with other people, so not only will your potential client compare your knowledge, skills and abilities to other bidders, they will also compare your price quote to complete the assignment. If you’re just getting started as a freelancer, you may think that it’s best to underbid everyone else and promise a shorter turnaround time. Take caution with that strategy. Making yourself seem too cheap will probably lead the client to believe that he or she might, “get what they pay for” and you’ll do a substandard job. Also, if you’re not sure sbout how long it will take you to complete assignments, don’t promise a 24-hour turnaround when everyone else states they can do it in a week. Like anything else in life, the more experience you gain with this process, the better you’ll get at it. One last caveat – some sites charge you to bid on assignments, so take that into consideration as well.

Once the “sales” part of my day is over, then I spend the other chunk of it doing the actual writing. I’ve been a freelancer for almost 10 years now and I have a list of clients that I’ll work for time and again. If you do quality work and you don’t miss deadlines, you’ll have repeat customers as well. So make sure to do a great job, network whenever you can and never burn a bridge. You never know who might be calling on you again and again over the years for work.

Freelance nation?

Creative jobs such as writers, web designers and photographers are typically those associated with freelancing. However, as the nature of work continues to evolve, more and more jobs are opening up to the freelance model. Forbes magazine recently stated that an estimated 53 million workers, or 34 percent of the total US workforce, are freelancing. That estimate is predicted to swell to 50 percent by 2020. Maria J. Arellano is one of these folks adding to the freelance ranks. She is a professional transcript proofreader for court reporters. “Any type of deposition or trial that takes place is taken down by a court reporter/stenographer. They produce a verbatim transcript of the proceedings which is then edited/scoped. Once that process is completed, they send me their final, turn-in ready copy for me to proofread for any stray errors (spelling, missing words, punctuation, etc),” said Arellano. Building on a knack for catching errors and a desire to become an editor, Arellano began freelance proofreading eight months ago after taking an online course and now does it part time, about 15 hours a week, while holding down a day job. “I thought it would take me a long time to get my first client because I’m not good at marketing,” said Arellano about selling her services. “But finding clients was easier than I thought it would be. One way that worked for me was networking, whether it’s through social media, LinkedIn, phone calls, referrals, etc. Another way was setting up a website with information regarding the services I offer, which is www.spot-on-proofing.simplesite.com.

While Arellano does hope to turn her proofreading gig into a full-time profession one day, she knows that it will take time and that she needs to pay close attention to things like taxes and health insurance that are huge concerns when you’re self-employed. “Having a background in accounting will help me stick to a budget and set aside what I need for taxes regularly. As for health insurance, the cost is what worries me. But who knows what will be in place in a year or two, so I’ll try not to worry too much about that right now,” said Arellano. “I’m excited about not having to depend on an employer. Having the skills to earn my own income is a satisfying feeling. I think people overestimate the security of a “real job” — when someone else is in charge of you getting paid, that’s not exactly reassuring for everyone. On the other hand, as a freelancer I have complete control.”

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 1:28 PM with the headline "In Pursuit of Profession- A day in the life of…."