Making the Most in Between Jobs
Unlike an employed job, freelance is more like having a batch of jobs to juggle and then nothingness. It is like a roller coaster ride to the top – where you earn a great deal and to the bottom – where you get all the time to sleep and eat and earn nothing.
photo credit: hopee (SXC)
If you are stuck with nothing to do for a longer time, then this is probably the time that you can be able to do other things that may be related to your job interest. Consider the following:
- Get additional relevant trainings. You can learn by yourself or get some training to further upgrade your skills. If you like to learn Java then you might want to get interested in their free online courses.
- Take new tests and certifications and retake old ones. Online tests offered by sites like Brainbench is an easier way for you to prove your skills.
- Spice up your profile. Take a long hard look at your existing profile. Rewrite parts that need to be reworded. Update your profile so that it reflects your accomplishments. I have written some tips on this. Do not forget to update your portfolio.
- Apply to jobs. There are several freelance sites to look around. This strategy can keep you busy with work rather than keeping a single site around.
- Learn new skills, or monetize your hobby. With the internet around, this is at all possible. There are too many hobbyists who have turned themselves entrepreneurs because of their hobbies. Remember that freelancing makes you an entrepreneur in many ways and one of the main formula for a successful business is a deep liking for the product or service that you offer.
- Keep up with friends. Networking skills is a must for successful freelancing because this opens up more potential opportunities and fruitful contacts. In my case, I always find opportunities from friends of my friends.
- Rest. This is very important. If you know you will be having nothing to do for quite a while and have enough money to go around, then traveling may help you gain fresh insights and even put more important contacts on your list. If you are a homebody, then lots of sleep will do.
There are truly more possibilities to this. Freelancing need not to be confined to simply finding the next job, or catching some sleep. This kind of lifestyle needs a lot more creativity to be successful in this endeavor.
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btw neat blog you got there TLP...
Hi,
I just started freelancing, and the gigs are lining up, but I’m kind of scared- retail is all I know. I did it for 12 years. I don’t have any idea how to make the transition into earning money based on creativity. It kind of feels like this six month window since I quit my last job is slowly closing and when it’s almost all the way closed, I will have to take a regular job or go back to the one I left with good graces.
One benefit of having all of this time though, is that I spend all of it networking and working on my film, as well as learning skills associated with my profession. A lot of crazy exciting things have happened since I quit- I almost got to work on a big movie and at the end of the month I’m working with a famous animator in Seattle. Hopefully, this is FEAST, and it will well prepare me for what FAMINE will be like. I just have rent to make, and food to buy- thankfully, I’m single and in my early 30′s. There is time, just a lot more options than I’m used to, and I can’t try them all.