CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL FREELANCERS
No two people are the same, every individual possesses unique characteristics that make them different from others. As competition in the labour market increases the challenge to stand out gets more and more important. How do you make sure that you stand out in a crowd of people with similar skills and experience and get the jobs and the projects that you want? What are your strengths and your differences that you can enhance and promote in order to get you ahead of the crowd?
Discipline
Being a freelancer requires a lot of discipline. Discipline in time management, in work, in productivity, in focusing on the project at hand and in budgeting money and charging your fees. Be disciplined in your organisation, your questions, your follow up and also in finding out what you need to do the job.
Hard Work
As the saying goes, nothing beats hard work. Hard work determines our value in life and our eagerness to achieve our goals, as well as earns more money and promotions in business. As freelancers, success is not made overnight. It is cultivated everyday by not giving up. Just hold on, in time, it will pay off.
Flexibility
Client’s don’t care about your personal life struggles, and that is a fact. A professional freelancer should master how to handle changes. Being adaptable to change is a positive characteristic one should possess because it shows how committed a freelancer is in giving quality services to clients. The more flexible you are, the more jobs you are able to do and apply yourself to. If variety is the spice of life, flexibility is what blends spices together.
Honesty
You don’t need to be a hero in the freelancing community. This simply means that being honest to yourself and to the customers about what you ‘can do’ and ‘cannot do.’ Building honesty is a great thing for it not only builds up your reputation but it also builds relationships among clients. After all, there is no harm in saying that you can’t do it, and saying it quickly, so the other person can move on to someone who can. They will appreciate the honest and direct approach, and the time that you will save them in finding out that you can not do it.
Passion and Skills
You cannot truly succeed in a job that you are not passionate about. Success comes in different forms (e.g money, happiness, peace, friends, life, holidays, or achieving whatever your goals are) that is why it is important for a freelancer to look for jobs that you are passionate about and interested in. In this way, you are not just earning money but you are also investing in fulfilling your happiness, and adding to your learning.
Investing in learning is an investment that ALWAYS pays off.
