Students That Freelance

First things first

First of all, before a student freelancer can start seeking out work, they must first be able to complete the work in which they are seeking. For example, if you plan to start seeking out web design and development work, you should at least know your way around Photoshop, and know how to code effectively in HTML/CSS. If you don’t have the skills that it takes to complete projects that you acquire, then it is probably best to hold off your attempts at winning projects.

There are several resources around the web that will help you boost your skills in whatever field you are in, be it print design, web design, web development, copywriting, photography, etc. Looking for various tutorials and articles online that are in your field will prove to be very beneficial when you go to complete your first project. Below are a few websites that are my personal favorites that help me develop my skills every day.

• Lynda.com offers various types of software training tutorials online. This service costs a minimum of $25.00 a month, however, if you are really dedicated and wouldn’t mind taking about a month during the summer to spend a lot of time learning and going through the tutorials, then $25 for one month of non-stop learning is a steal.
• Nettuts is a great website that offers many different tutorials and articles for the web developers out there. This site has helped me greatly when I needed to learn how to do certain jQuery and Ajax elements on my sites.
• A sister site of Nettuts, Psdtuts has loads of tutorials that is everything Photoshop. Anything and everything you want to learn about Photoshop is here in wonderful tutorials. Great for web designers and photographers.

There are countless other sites out there that offer up free tutorials and articles that will help you build your skill set to start tackling your first projects.

Now to the nitty-gritty

As promised, below are the four ways in which the starting student freelancer can start getting work to help build their portfolios and experience. More than likely only a few of these options will lead to positive results and paying projects, but it is worth trying them all out at various times and in various different ways.

Non-profits, special interests, and school organizations

Even though many of these venues do not provide payment for work, non-profits, special interest groups, and school organizations provide great vehicles in helping the starting student freelancer develop a portfolio and experience.

Find out who you want to do work for and make a list of organizations that meet that criterion. Churches, sororities and fraternities, clubs, non-profits and other organizations both on and off campus are always in need of promotional work, be it photography, web design, or copywriting, just to name a few. Find out who is in charge and set up a meeting with them. Discuss how you might be able to help them with the skills that you have. Many such organizations are very open to the help, and some might even be willing to pay you some for your time and effort if you do end up working for them.

Seek an internship

Internships are a great way for most student freelancers to get the much needed boost to start their freelancing. Most university programs offer the chance for you to apply for an internship that will help you get a boost in your field. Ask your advisor, mentor, department office, etc, about these internship programs. Some internships even offer pay along with semester credit. Take advantage of these programs while you are in school.

Internships are best for students because those that are offering the internships know that you are a student and are willing to work with you and help you learn. Many of the skills and knowledge you learn in internships will give you a leg up when you go to start your freelance career. Also these internships, once they are over, will provide you with invaluable contacts with people in these firms and organizations in which you can contact later to help fill the need of freelancers or help with overflow work.

Local design firms, web development studios, photography studios, etc

Contacting local firms in your area that work in the same field in which you want to freelance is a great way to start getting paid work. Many of these firms and agencies have overflow work that they typically seek freelancers to complete for them.

Before you start contacting these firms, it is important that you get all of your ducks in a row. Take some time and figure out exactly what you can do for them and develop your pitch. Also get your professional portfolio together. It also wouldn’t hurt to get your resume into working order as well. If you find that you are having a hard time developing your pitch or putting a portfolio together, then it is probably best to develop both before you contact the firms. If you are not confident in your portfolio and pitch, the firm will know it, and this could severely hurt your chances of getting work from them now and in the future.

Once all of your ducks are in a row and you are prepared and confident, call and set up a meeting to talk to the person that hires freelancers. Remember that you are basically interviewing for a job. You want to be very confident and sell your skills. Explain how you can help them with their overflow work, how you will manage projects they send your way, and show them that you are capable of doing exactly what you say you can do. Also, if possible, have a portfolio ready for them to review that is relevant to the work you are hoping to get from them.

Craigslist

Even though some established freelancers see Craigslist as a horrible place to get work, I must admit that this is where I got most of my first projects from. Craigslist typically aims for close to cheap people to do a lot of work, however, for the student freelancer just starting out, looking through the ads to see what you can do, what is being offered, and how much is being offered can get you closer to getting your first projects.

How I won my first projects is by posting an ad in the services section of Craigslist. I explained exactly what services I offered, provided a link to my website and gave my email address. I posted one ad about twice a week, changing it up a bit each time. I received several emails of random projects that I didn’t really want to work on, a lot that wanted the world for nothing, and a lot of sketchy-type emails, but I also received a handful of really good prospects that I would then reply to by email to start the discussion.

On a cautionary note, do not give out your phone number or place of residence. If a prospect wants to talk to you about their project, they will be willing to send you an email with their phone number first. Also, be sure to take caution if you plan to meet prospects in person. If you do win a project through someone on Craigslist, be sure to make sure you get a deposit and have some sort of agreement signed before you begin work. This will protect you against those that don’t intend to pay. For more info on taking a deposit and setting up an agreement, check out this article.

Did you get your first project?

If you got your first project, then congrats! Remember to uphold your end of the agreement. Make sure you are professional and deliver on time and complete. Once you finish a project with your first client, ask them if you can use the work in your portfolio (or work this out before you begin the project) and ask for a testimonial that you can use. Also ask them if you can remain on their list for future work if the situation allows for it.

What are some other ways in which you have gotten some of your first projects?