“Create Your Own Job"

 

The Truth about the Job Market

It’s no secret that the job market is more volatile and unpredictable

than ever these days. Depending on where you live, the



unemployment rates can fluctuate from a reasonable 7% to as high as

25% and who knows exactly how high they could go in the near

future.

Finding a job is almost impossible. Companies everywhere are

cutting costs and downsizing like there’s no tomorrow. For many

companies there really is no tomorrow; even the “Fail-proof”

companies are seeing bankruptcies and buyouts more often than ever

in the past 100 years! If you don’t already have a steady, stable job

with a well-established company then you definitely picked the wrong

decade to be unemployed in. Even if you have a stable job there’s

really no telling if it will be there next month, or even next week.

So what’s the solution? What can do you? You can’t just

magically change the economy and make the job market better; you

probably won’t get a lot done by writing a letter to your senator either.

Believe it or not there is a solution and it requires a lot of work and

dedication but it’s a lot better than being unemployed.

Create your own job! I know, that sounds a little funny when you

just look at it like that but it’s the truth. There are no jobs out there

and the few that are open are only going to highly qualified people

with years of experience so unless you fit that category you have to

create your own job. Specifically I’m talking about freelancing.

People have been doing freelancing for thousands of years; even

in ancient Rome the army hired mercenaries to go into battle when

there weren’t enough soldiers. Mercenaries were freelance warriors;

they weren’t employed full-time by a particular nation’s army—they

just worked for whoever was willing to pay the most.

Hopefully you don’t have to do any paid fighting any time soon

but the spirit of the mercenary and the idea of contract work carries on

thousands of years later in the form of freelancing. By becoming your

own boss and establishing contract relationships you open up a world

of money-making possibilities while completely abandoning all of the

negative aspects that come with a typical, “9 to 5” job.

In this book we’re going to explore the many options you have

should you choose to become a freelancer. We’re going to talk about

freelance work in a way that allows you to learn the essential

techniques regardless of what field you choose to freelance in, be it

business, graphic design or even housekeeping!

Why Do Freelance?

So what’s so great about freelance work exactly? Well, let me start out

by giving you an example of the type of person freelancing is NOT good

for. If the following paragraph describes your life then you can stop

reading this and just go back to what you were doing.

Do you enjoy getting up early, every single morning and wading

through miles of traffic to get to work? Do you find it exciting seeing the

exact same people every single day, five to six days a week with

absolutely no variety or change? Are you your boss’ best friend? Do you

look forward to answering to your boss and having to meet his or her

deadlines constantly? Do you enjoy never seeing your family members

during the day or always having to miss out on events like school recitals

and soccer games? Is it fun to make poverty-level wages and live

paycheck to paycheck so that you pretty much have no variety in your

life because any big expense could make your bills come crashing down

on you?

If you answered yes to all of those questions then, as I said, stop

reading and go back to your “wonderful” life—freelance work probably

isn’t for you. If you did freelance work you’d be your own boss; you’d be

taking your career into your own hands and having complete control over

your life. You can just throw this book away or delete it from your hard

drive.

Now, if you didn’t’ answer yes to all of those questions you might

be the type of person who could have a lucrative career freelancing. Get

comfortable, grab a pen and a pad of paper so you can take some notes

and get ready to explore one of the most rewarding and lucrative ways

of making a living in the 21st century.

Does freelancing mean you will get rich overnight? No, it takes

work and dedication. There are a number of obstacles that you will have

to overcome but the rewards will be substantial if you are willing to put

in the time and effort. The possibilities are endless. There are

opportunities for any person to break into the lucrative career of

freelancing. All you need is diligence, patience, and tenacity to pursue it

and make it happen. This book will show you how.

On the other hand, if you are the person that was described at the

beginning of the chapter, get that beverage and curl up with the latest

novel by your favorite author. It might be enjoyable reading and that is

fine. Just remember, unless you are doing that for a living, you won’t be

making a dime.

Be Your Own Boss

Freelancing allows you to be your own boss. This means you make

your own hours. Making your own hours does not mean loafing around

all day. It means having the self-discipline to set aside a certain amount

of hours that you work each day. But, as the boss, you get to decide

what those hours are. That way you can pick up the kids from school,

have lunch with the spouse, go to the gym during the day when it’s not

so crowded, and never have to make that horrible rush-hour commute.

Wear what you want. Does your current job have a dress code?

How does sitting in your pajamas all day sound; what about just

spending the day wearing your favorite pair of worn out jeans and that

T-shirt from that unforgettable 1980’s rock concert. If you are an

independent agent, like a freelancer, then you decide the dress code.

Set Your Own Price

Being a freelancer means that you get to set your own prices for

what your time is worth. You get to determine your own prices based on

your costs and your time. You don’t have to pay yourself a minimum

amount or charge a certain amount; you have total control over what

kind of money you can make. Instead of waiting years to get a raise you

can adjust your own prices. As you become more proficient and widen

your client base you can double and triple your earnings as you see fit.

Live Wherever You Want

Have you ever considered living somewhere else but your job

and family obligations keep you stuck in the same place. Freelancing

gives you the freedom to take your family, if that applies to you or just

yourself and live wherever you want. As long as you have a phone, a

computer and a way to receive mail, you can live at the South Pole or

Hawaii and still have a lucrative freelancing career. Your home is your

office. You can be sitting in a coffee shop and enjoying a scone with a

mocha latte at the same time you are making millions of dollars.

Realistic Expectations

A lot of people live by two very

popular, old saying: “Nothing in life is

free,” and “If it sounds too good to be

true then it probably is.” In the case of

freelancing, the price is minimal. As you

will see in future chapters you will need

some general items such as a

computer, a printer and maybe a fax

and scanner. After you have the

materials needed to be a freelancer

your greatest cost will be your time and

effort. How much are you worth? The

best part is that you get to decide what

your time and effort are worth.

As far as the rule “if it sounds too good to be true it probably is,”

here is something to consider. You should not quit your day job

immediately and hope to make $10,000 next month. Instead, start

slow and work your way to making the money you want. If you are

making the equivalent of your full time job and you have too much

freelance work to do, then decide to freelance full time and quit your

day job. If you work hard this process can happen rather quickly, so

don’t be discouraged. The jobs are real. The money is real. The only

investment is the amount of time you are willing to invest.

The market for freelancers is growing in leaps and bounds. The

future markets are projected to continue to grow at the same rapid

rate. This means more fantastic freelance opportunities and greater

potential income. Companies love working with freelancers because

they’re a lot more convenient and often a lot less expensive than

hiring traditional employees. When a company hires a freelancer the

freelancer worries about the materials and methods in completing the

project. The company (or individual) only has to be concerned with

communicating their needs to the contractor (another word for

freelancer) and approving the final results. Freelancers don’t have to

be hired out from temp agencies, given benefits for meeting work hour

requirements or any other formalities that employees require. Because

of this and thanks to the trend of downsizing and cutting employees,

freelancing is becoming more active and profitable than ever!

Let’s do a brief overview of the pros and cons to give you a clear

image of what you can expect when getting into freelancing.

The Pros

• Be your own boss, set your own hours

• Never get fired—you only have to look for new clients

• Work when you want and how you want, no limits

• Work thousands of miles away, no distance barriers.

• Spend more time with your family and friends

• Potentially make a lot more money than a “9 to 5” job.

• Economy affects job availability differently; usually a poor

economy increases freelance work rather than decrease it.

The Cons

• No work is guaranteed—you’re always looking for clients.

• Profits will be slow until you build up your business.

• In the U.S. you will have to pay more taxes.

• You must be skilled or a professional; there’s no freelance

hamburger flipping.

While there are definitely some caveats to be had about freelancing

you can see that there are more pros than cons and honestly the pros

outweigh the cons, for most people anyway. The versatility of

freelance jobs makes them a powerful choice for anyone who’s had

trouble holding down a steady job with their local economy.