In a world ripe with technology, it makes sense for you to grab a college degree that has something to do with tech. For those with a creative side, this may involve graphic design. After all, being able to lay things out and create visually appealing content with your computer is a talent sought after by so many people, especially in marketing and advertising. If you are in school pursuing your degree in design, you can put those skills to work right now and make some extra cash while also building your resume, and you can do so by freelancing.
What is freelancing?
Freelancing means providing your services for a fee without having to work for an actual company. Instead, you sell your talent to individuals or companies who need your skills, but don’t need it on a full-time basis. Perks to freelancing include being able to work remotely (in most cases) as well as being able to set your own hours. Plus, you can typically charge what you want, which allows you to make more money than you may be offered at a corporate position.
How can I use this to make money?
By freelancing your design skills, you can easily make some extra cash in multiple ways. First, the best thing you should do is to reach the audience around you. For instance, are there groups around school who could use your help? Maybe you can design posters for school clubs or organizations, or maybe you can help design t-shirts for your sorority or fraternity instead of having them pay for fraternity and sorority shirt designs out of pocket.
In addition, you can also reach out to people in the local community. Maybe a local business could amp up their marketing efforts, or maybe there’s a family in the area looking for someone to make birthday invitations. Be sure to put your skills out on local websites near you to spread the word about what you can do.
Finally, you can try to freelance with an actual organization or company. Bigger named places are always searching for good talent, and your creativity may be what it takes. Reach out to local companies in the area or scour job boards to see if there’s somewhere you’ll fit in. You should also check popular freelance websites, such as Freelancer.com or the like.
How can this build my resume?
If you have a happy clientele, be sure to include these people on your resume under “Freelance”, and be sure to include them as references. This not only proves you have some experience behind you before you graduate, but it also shows you have motivation and an entrepreneurial mindset to make you stand out among other recent graduates who will be looking for a job just like you.
As you continue freelancing, you can start to find out what projects interest you most, and this can help you find a solid career path. For instance, maybe you truly enjoy working on different items every day, which means you’d be better off working for an agency or marketing company with a variety of clients. If you prefer to stick to the same type of design, working in-house for a specific company would be a better choice, as most of these places have tight brand standards that need to be followed. Or, you may just realize that being your own boss is exactly what you had in mind, and if you have built a nice client base, you could end up working for yourself right out of college.
If you truly want to stand out as you come close to graduation, try your hand at freelance design and see how it can influence your future career choices.
Author’s Bio
Yunas Chaudhry is a super-connector with Darkroom Clicks Photographers in Lahore and Islamabad who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, Photography, branding and networking. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing, digital photography,.
