Prospects as a freelancer?

What have you done to market yourself?  

On a side note - How far along are you on your website?  If you need help let me know.

Karen,

I know it is probably not much practical help - but have you read the "Freelance Thread" end-to-end?

Once you have read it - you need to do it. All of it if necessary.

I believe that thread contains the best advice on the Planet for budding eLearning freelancers.

That said - nothing is certain.

You need to take steps to get some money coming in, regroup, re-double your efforts, and go for it (again).

One thing is for sure - no matter what you have done - you need a different approach.

Good luck.

Bruce

Karen:

     In real estate, they say it's all about "location, location, location." In freelancing, it's all about "network, network, network." People are more comfortable hiring people they know. Thus, in addition to participating in online groups (such as this one), it's wise to attend in-person meetings hosted by professional organizations (ASTD, user-groups for SL and Captivate, etc.). You could even volunteer to present at a meeting to show off your skills -- and get noticed.

     It's also useful to have real-world experience in your portfolio, not just samples that re-create what someone else did. So you might want to consider some volunteer development work for a local non-profit. (FYI: I recommend against giving away your time and talent to any for-profit company. In other words, don't work "on spec.")

    Good luck!

Karen:

I know full well the early struggles of freelancing. There's a reason most IDs work for someone else. But if you've got some ID and graphic design chops, you can probably make it happen (eventually).

Bruce makes a very good point above. Try something different:

• Get your web presence established ( set up a simple website--e.g., get a responsive WordPress template and find a web person you trust to install it on a domain of your choosing. Start blogging on your site. 
• Share more of your work on the forum, even the stuff you need help with. We're glad to help, and it helps us, too.
• Read and contribute to the "Freelance Heroes" thread. That's where the big discussions regarding freelancing occur.

Please reach out if when you have questions. Best of luck. --Daniel

All good advice above.     You definitely need either a really good network or a really good web presence.  A lot of people on this forum have both, which of course is ideal, but you definitely need one or the other.  And of course at some point they start to overlap.

Are you finding opportunities but not being selected for them, or are you having trouble even getting that initial interest?  I think those are two differnt problems with potentially different causes, and different possible solutions.

- If i answer this question I will be implicating myself

- I don't have a website, but have work samples that  I have compiled. It doesn't give a true reflection of my ability since I ma workign with old content and anything fresh would be a blessing in disguise at this point. I have seen some websites and people's samples,but am not convinced that everyone requires a website when the standard of their work isn't on par with pieces like the 'Guru' award folks. Do you know what I mean?

Bruce mate,

I have read that thread hence me being so inspire din the beginning. I also know that it  is rough out there and folks are looking after their own interest as well. I am saying this because I have been approached and my ideas have been used (I don't mind this) but no real ,'let's make it work. Who knows maybe I am not what they are looking for, but I worked for a #1 hospital and they only hire top talent.

I agree I need a different approach and your graphic isn't making me feel any better :( ... I guess I was just too idealistic coming in, but never followed through and made proper in roads. I have learned form everyone on this forum and follow the threads. I just want to get exposure to work with different content instead of fabricating out of the air. I guess i should have posted this a long time ago, right?

Thanks!

Daniel,

You gave me my first welcome to the group  I always shared and asked questions.this is why I became pretty good using SL. I will steer forward. 

Thx!

A website gives prospective clients a feeling that 1) they know you a bit better and 2) they know where they can contact you at all times.

Folks mentioned networking. But sales is just as much about you as it is about your work. Putting yourself out there is important. If you don't, folks will never know that you are smart, curious, passionate, and talented. Give them a chance to get to know you on their terms. That means a Website All the kids are doing it. If you're providing media services and design services, you're handicapping yourself without a Web presence. A home on the Web is, in my opinion, the single greatest way you can build a persistent artifact of your reputation.

Sheila,

To your last points:

1. Are you finding opportunities but not being selected for them - Not even. I guess it is about networking and who you know. Also having a web presence as you said. n the other hand; I was shocked to find the quality of work out there, but folks get these greta opportunities. Not saying that my work is great, but I have seen my fair share of poor ISD and very bad eLearning modules.
2. Are you having trouble even getting that initial interest?- I get the interest, but then it boils down to fluff e.g years of SL experience, location, hr/rate etc. I mostly apply through recruiters because I don't have a business mind, but I can sell my work and myself. Does it make sense? 

Yes, I also concur that there are different causes and definitely possible solutions.

Karen

I have heard that all day Steve. What is your website?

I don't do a lot of freelance (have a full time gig) but I do talk about this stuff a bit and maintain a few hosts. My most public is http://www.androidgogy.com and it has helped me establish and maintain contacts. I think it helped me land a fulltime gig and another job as well.

My other hosts are for prototype deployment. Not really public for portfolio type stuff at the moment. I do have this one: http://www.gostoryline.com

Yes, I checked out your blog site. I don't see work samples,so how would you market yourself with regard to that? 

The blog contains thoughts, not visual representations of work. It's a piece of the reputation building and "tracks you leave on the internet." It's not really intended for most of the clients you might be looking to land. But some might be interested in that depth. This type of presence is definitely helpful if you're looking for full-time employment, in my opinion.

Most of the folks I've freelanced for in the past are folks that run companies that provide these services. People that I've built relationships with or worked with over the past 16 years or so. They know my work already.

I'm pretty booked up with the full time job but If I were hunting for freelance work, I'd add work samples on a different site than the blog. I don't want to mix my thoughts with my work (I think it's simpler that way). I have a folder of work things at the ready that include screenshots as well as prototypes and fully functioning products.

Clients aren't the only ones you want to help see what you can do. You also want to be visible to peers in your network. So the next time someone in my network asks "you know anyone that produces X in Storyline really well?", I can say "Yep, give Y a buzz. She's great."

I think one of the challenges with work samples is client confidentiality.  There's no way I can publicly post a single thing I've done for a client.  When I'm meeting with someone about an e-learning project I'll show them selected portions or screens of work I've done that I've carefully vetted (and sometimes sanitized a bit) to protect clients' proprietary info, but that's about all I can do.  Of course, I don't even have a website, so it hasn't been a big deal (Steve, your post was a good reminder that i really should think about a website - all the kids are doing it! ).  If I did have a site, I'd probably create some samples using public info.  Karen, maybe that's something you can think about doing, to have "fresher" content in samples that really show what you can do. 

And I think you really need to think about what you bring to the table - what are you really good at?  What specifically can you offer that not a lot of other people can?  What do you want to focus on?  Are you all about course development?  If so, what sets you apart?   More broadly, maybe you don't want to limit yourself just to e-learning development - there's a lot more to the world of ID, and there's a lot more than training to the world of performance improvement.  LOTS of options!!  It just depends on your skills, experience and interests.

Bottom line:  Don't give up!  And figure out how to develop the "business mind" you think you don't have - to some extent, all freelancers have to be businesspeople.

Ok, I'll stop my rant now.  :)  This is the kind of advice you get when I'm browsing the forum with a glass of wine in my hand!

"...Who knows maybe I am not what they are looking for, but I worked for a #1 hospital and they only hire top talent..."

That is why you need to sell yourself as top talent. Create yourself.

BTW - you have also, by that statement, admitted on an open/searchable Global forum that you do not consider yourself as "top-talent". Be careful of what you say about yourself - because people DO watch, read and interpret. Every word you publish on the internet is there for anyone to see - choose them wisely. Many of the people who ring me up read that thread. I have not openly "advertised" for almost 5 years - people mostly hire me because of what they see in a wide variety of online sites/boards/blogs/forums.

What does this mean?

• That means a website.
• That means contributing to groups/lectures.
• That means Forum posts.
• That means blogging.
• That means assisting and helping.
• That means upselling and cross-selling.
• That means creating a Portfolio - of anything.
• That means being on every single darned jobsite going, (are you applying for every ID job on eLance? I just turned 2 invitations down due to workload; did YOU apply for them?)

You can be the best in the World and nobody knows your name.

Alternatively, you can create a web presence (as well as a "brick and mortar" presence), and by creating a "persona", a living avatar you say "I AM THE ONE YOU WANT!"

Last week I was approached to create a course that will be mandatory for just over quarter of a million people. Worldwide. I asked them how I had come to their attention, and they said "Everywhere we look you are there". You are up against me. I am your competition. Steve is your competition. Phil is your competition, and Daniel too. What are you going to do to "join the club" and beat us to contracts (which is fine by the way as there IS plenty of work out there)?

That is what being a businessperson is about. Forget "Freelance ID" at the moment - that is just an expression of yourself and your preferred occupation. Do you have the drive to be a successful businessperson/Freelancer? That is what you need to consider at the moment.

So that's the challenge. In the "Freelancer Thread" these things are said, over and over. How much have you actually done? Anything less than 100% reduces your chances, so you need to go at it 100%. I have been where you are - I was down to my last £500 in the World before I "...got the call...". I know that feeling of gnawing depression, that questioning.. "What am I doing wrong?" Saying that - there's only one answer - keep going, keep believing, find a way, but that does mean 100% commitment to success. What else can you do?

The fact you thought (I believe...) that Steve is a freelancer speaks volumes for this mindset - he has the best of both worlds! He has a staggeringly capacious brain, and when he writes it's awe-inspiring - people listen.

If you are an ID - then do classroom-based design too, it's the same skills, (what I would have done today if they had not postponed at 0615hrs due to flight problems...)

Ask yourself if it is the right dream. If so - dust off and start again, with a new focus and excitement. If not, decide what is, and follow that with as much passion and determination. Either way will end in personal fulfilment.

Best of luck, and may the road rise up to greet you, (just make 100% sure that you are on the correct road).

Bruce

Thanks Bruce! I guess I needed the scolding

Great feedback. I appreciate your time and insight.

Karen

In the long run, hopefully "...motivational encouragement for long-term success" rather than scolding

Best of luck.

Bruce

I almost expected Bruce to start yelling "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat!" (with British accent.)

Very apposite on the day that Storm Thorgerson died :(

Bruce

Hi Karen - I am  looking for a Storyline expert to help with putting a professional "gloss" on the content we have already developed to a basic/intermediate level in Storyline. I am particularly looking for someone with coding skills that can help push the envelope and see what Storyline can really do. We have a limited budget but most of the work is done - we just need someone with the skills to make our by Supreme Savings" id="_GPLITA_1">e-learning modules stand out from the crowd. Please contact me at knash@aspenod.com with some examples of what you can do and let's talk!

Thanks,

Kevin