As I complete 6 months as a freelance marketing consultant and writer, let me just say it’s been a JOURNEY! Before taking up freelancing, I contemplated as many pros and cons as I possibly could (for months on end!). I had detailed conversations with family, friends, ex-colleagues and trusted acquaintances to see if this was the right path for me.
The one thing I can say confidently is that the reality has been very different from my carefully laid-out plans (in good and not-so-good ways)!
Of course, I decided to write an article to share some lessons from these past 6 months. I hope these learnings resonate with you too! ☺️
🎯 Setting realistic goals and expectations
On Day 0, as you determine what your 1-month, 1-quarter, 6-month or 1-year goals are, it’s easy to get carried away. For eg. You might think you’ll be earning your earlier monthly salary within 3 months of freelancing (I personally did, silly me! 🤷♀️).
Instead of creating goals and expectations for yourself out of thin air, try to assess your current leads or clients realistically. Do you have X clients or scope of work to earn Y amount of money in Z amount of time? This simple question can help you evaluate your current situation and what must be done to grow at a sustained rate.
Your aim should not involve pushing yourself towards reaching an unrealistic goal. Instead, you should plan your goals in such a way that they promote sustainable growth for you in the long-term.
📊 Being a planner, not a thinker
In other words, document everything. Create detailed plans well ahead of time. When I first started out, I realised almost immediately that I didn’t even have the basics like a work portfolio, an invoice template, a scope of work document, or a contract template.
While I had help from friends, I also knew I had to put in the effort myself. I Googled everything constantly. Can’t figure out a contract template? Google had plenty! Wondering how to file taxes as a first-time freelancer? Google and a good CA to the rescue!
The more time you spend documenting and researching the basics, the better you’ll get at planning your early days.
⏰ Cultivating time management skills
While time management is definitely part of the above point, its importance is so significant, it’s a separate lesson on its own!
There will come a time, after follow-ups and good interviews, when you’ll be working for multiple clients simultaneously. Each client will have their own priorities, deadlines, ad hoc requests and last-minute challenges. With great time-management, you can be prepared for any circumstance (within reason).
Just like a day in the corporate life is filled with meetings and focus times, I started blocking my day on my calendar. I dedicated peak-focus hours to core consulting and writing work. I blocked slots in the day to send out all client emails and even dedicated time for breaks to avoid burnout. Having structure to my day and ensuring I have weekends off, has tremendously helped my mental peace and health.
💳 Working towards financial security
This lesson is a hard one. Freelancing isn’t a steady income job. Even with steady clients, you don’t get guaranteed pay at the end of every month, which is why planning your finances is crucial.
For me personally, I decided to pursue freelancing full-time after working and saving steadily for more than 7 years. I also had familial support to rely on, in case things got difficult. That support gave me confidence in the initial 3–4 months as I slowly worked towards financial stability.
While I still have a long way to go, carefully planning through monthly expenses and foregoing expensive purchases have considerably helped along the way.
🤝 Building long term partnerships
This lesson might definitely be a personal preference! I initially applied for every kind of consulting and writing project I could. I reached out to publishing houses, agencies, content generation platforms etc. However, building long-term partnerships with B2B businesses has worked best for me.
Long-term partnerships also allow you to truly prove your value without worrying about fast impact. I’ve understood client requirements better and have been able to provide better insights because I spent time getting to know a business deeply.
While I’m not sure if this business model is the only way, long-term relationships are the right option for now!
👍 Saying “yes” often
This might seem like a very minor point, but the temptation to say “no” is very strong sometimes. You may feel comfortable with the workload and pay you are at. But just like there are career progressions in the corporate world, I often think about the big picture in my new career too.
To clarify, I don’t mean saying “yes” all the time. There are definitely situations in which you might hear warning bells, and you absolutely shouldn’t ignore them. However, if a project excites you and working with a new client seems promising, please think through how exactly your career would change with a “yes”.
Aaaannd…that’s a wrap! I’ve definitely learned other lessons along the way, and some lessons are still underway. Maybe I’ll have more clarity on them at the 1-year mark. 😉
There’s no right way or right time to make a career change. My only recommendation is to plan things through, document meticulously, and have difficult conversations. And when you take a leap of faith, have courage in your beliefs and lots of fun along the way!
Let me know in the comments about a recent career change, or any career lessons you’ve learned in the past 6 months. I’d love to chat! :)
