With the economy like it is and the fact that jobs are becoming harder and harder to find, more students are wanting to turn away from the future rat race of finding a job and become self employed as a freelancer. That is great and all, but are you cut out for it?
In this economic climate thousands of freelance students are finding it tougher than ever to land their perfect job. After studying for many years and racking up a huge debt it can be utterly demoralizing to find that once you’ve graduated from University, you’ll be fighting it out with hundreds of thousands of other qualified and eager graduates in the search for work. Law and medical graduates have it far easier than most as it is common for Law firms and Hospital boards to actively target the University campus in search for talent. For the rest of us however, if we want to survive after University in a market saturated with qualified graduates, then freelancing represents an exciting opportunity to get some experience in a specific field and yet maintain control over your own life and finances.
The student freelancer population is growing every year as students are nearing graduation and wanting to make a career for themselves. Recent grads also find themselves in a position where their best career move is to become a freelance designer. No matter what situation you are in, your portfolio will literally make or break you. Here is a handfull of great student portfolio websites for inspiration and motivation to get your portfolio in tip-top shape!
I love reading freelance books, when I have the time to. There have been many freelance books that I have had the pleasure to consume myself in, but below is a list of those books that I have had the time to read and review that I feel are probably the best for student freelancers. Granted, there are tons of books in my collection, including the recently released “Freelance Confidential” by Amanda Hackwith that yours truly is featured in, and I haven’t nearly had enough time to read them all, so this is just a small sampling of books that I would recommend to any student freelancer. I see a series coming on…
I recently made the big switch from my Blackberry Curve 8330 to the HTC Droid Incredible in early December 2010, and I must say, this is one hell of a phone. The primary reason I got my Blackberry was for email. At the time my freelance career was just starting, and I wanted to be available to read and answer emails when I was away from my computer, in particular while I was at school. For the two and a half years I had the Blackberry, I always wanted more out of it: a better browser, more apps, etc. Thank goodness the HTC Droid Incredible running Google’s Android platform came into my life. My freelancing will never be the same again!
Taxes when you were employed at your local retailer or restaurant was easy to deal with, as you only had a W-2 to deal with. However, taxes as a self-employed freelancer and a student can get tricky. With tax season only three months away, here are some things to keep in mind to help get ready to submit your taxes.
Come one, come all, it is the first EVER International Freelancers Day! Jam packed with all kinds of great speakers, wonderful presentations, and the best information to take your "business of one to the next level," this two day event is sure to be a one of a kind, powerful event for freelancers.
Student freelancers often don’t have the budget to buy a lot of the applications that they need to help them with their freelancing. Thankfully, there are companies out there that offer their apps free, and there are some mighty good free apps out there. Below is a list of seven really great apps that student freelancers can find useful, and the best part is that they all are free or have a good free version!
What are contracts? Why are they needed? What should they say? All of these things we are going to cover in our miniseries on contracts.
When I started freelancing, one of the first things I did was start a huge search for some of the best and most recommended books with one subject in mind—freelancing. Yes, they do exist, and yes, they do help. I have read (and currently reading) several books on freelancing, and they have offered great advice and tips on how to really transform my freelancing into a business. So how can you get the most out of your summer reading? Below are some tips on how to properly read through a freelancing book.
