Since graduating college almost a year ago, I've learned quite a few things about my freelance income that I didn't know during the five years I spent freelancing while in school. It seems as though when you graduate and start needing to depend on your job for a living, your income seems to be scrutinized even more.
As a student freelancer, I’m sure you have come across the feeling of not being good enough. You don’t feel like you are as good as other freelancers who are competing for the same business you are. It is a natural feeling most student freelancers get, as they feel like they are inexperienced and not sure how to find and obtain clients.
In today's troubled economy and struggling job market, many individuals are realizing that one job just isn't enough to cover the cost of rising expenses. Those with student loans have it especially tough, as they face the stress of ensuring they have enough to pay for daily expenses as well as monthly loan payments. Leisurely activities and other recreational expenses often have to be eliminated. To remedy this, many have turned to freelancing. Freelancing isn't for everyone—the additional hours can add up, and less leisure time with your family and friends can also be a strain. But if you can handle a second job, there are many benefits.
Lots of things have been going on behind the scenes here at Students That Freelance. As you may have noticed, not a lot has gone on on the site in recent months. I want to apologize for that, and in return, I have some very exciting announcements to hopefully make up for it!
For the starting student freelancer, estimating how much to charge a client for a project can cause anxiety if you aren't sure what you should be estimating. It's easy to say "it will take me 20 hours to do this project" then just multiply it by your hourly rate, but you could be forgetting some very important factors. For instance, is your client easy to work with? What about how much admin time (i.e. invoicing, emailing, phone calls, contract setup, etc.) will be involved? Will your client need a lot of education along the way or are they fairly knowledgeable about the services you are offering?
I think society as a whole hasn't yet embraced the idea that students can do amazing things before they even get their diploma. Students who often have an entrepreneurial mindset or innovative and exciting ideas can find themselves discouraged due to the lack of respect by those around them. It's not that their friends and family don't think they can do great things, or that their professors don't support their ambitions, but because of the fact that they are a "student" or that they are "young."
One of the things that have been keeping me so busy during summer break (well, since I finished school) is playing "catch-up." I feel so behind in the constantly changing things involving freelancing, design, and the web world that when I got done with school, I felt as if I didn't know anything anymore. Why is that, especially when student freelancers often just spend all school year learning new things?
While few and far between, there are student freelancers that are not only going to school and freelancing, but also have an additional job on top of that. Be it working on campus, volunteering, or employed at a retail establishment nearby, some student freelancers have extremely busy schedules with trying to balance three major activities in their life. For those freelancers, it is extremely tough to pull off the balancing act with all of these things. How can it be done?
The "It's Our Time" Student Freelancing Giveaway ended last night, so it's time to announce the winners! There are six winners because there were six eligible entries! But who won the grand prize?
At any stage in your freelancing career and beyond, you have the opportunity to use your skills for non-profit organizations, charities and social causes. Even as a new freelancer or student, your skills are always in-demand in the non-profit world. This provides an excellent opportunity for you to get exposure – sometimes very significant exposure that leads to several other jobs.
