When people ask me what I do, I don't have a simple answer. Besides trying to take over the world, I manage several projects including digital media content creation, public speaking, audiovisual services, writing and instructing. I can't really say I am a '_____' or a '_____' because definitive titles are too constricting and don't match my personality or work beliefs.
As a result of this style of working, I am always going back and forth between work locations, taking mid-day meetings here and there, preparing my speeches and presentations, renting cars and there was a time period when I was flying away six times a year. I don't like to be in one location for too long.
My career as a part time career college instructor has been going for several years, my freelance business activities have been steady for several more and my public speaking activities have been developing for some time now. I chose the lifestyle of a hybrid career and I like it, but it doesn't come without it's issues.
Pros of my hybrid career
- Free time! I have lots of free time to work on promotional materials and write for my webpages and upcoming books.
- I get paid and I charge for services.
- There is not a lot of formal 'bossing' (seen as an expert /professional).
- I can say no to work and get (or refer) someone else.
- Promotional materials and computer gear mean tax advantages.
- I get to work with all sorts of equipment, old and new - and learn new technologies.
- I can meet a lot of people.
- I am exposed to many industries.
- I get to learn for free.
- I can hire freelancers.
Cons of my hybrid career
- No work, no pay!
- No sick days.
- No employee benefits.
- Sink or swim - I have to be a step ahead to plan paydays.
- I sometimes have to chase people down for money.
- Bill-paying can become a nightmarish game, if you let it.
- Some days are really, really, really long.
- I HAVE to do a great job, or someone else will.
- It's much easier for a company to stop calling you than to fire you!
- If I DO get a contract, I must fulfill your obligations.
- I can have four deadlines at once.
- I can't be in two places at once, so I have to pay freelancers sometimes.
- I have to get up VERY early, sometimes.
- I might not see the sun and occassionally have irregular sleep patterns.
It may look a little heavy on the 'con' list, but I'm not comparing exact numbers of pros and cons. If you ask: "Would you change anything if you could?" I'd say: "Of course...and I often do." It's a matter of career evolution in order to produce my life's work.
Showing posts with label freelancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freelancer. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Hybrid Careers Have No Titles
Friday, March 20, 2009
Five Networking Tips for Freelancers in the Entertainment Industry
Freelancing in a busy city can seem like a very competitive venture and it is. But, I don't see competition, I see opportunity. If I can connect with individuals who are in the same boat as me and somehow work with them, everybody wins. When I meet people, I discover their strong points compared to mine and I believe that everybody can thrive if we pass work onto those who do it best as opposed to just doing it to make money.
Don't get me wrong, money needs to be made, but I'm not going to do something I'm not proficient at just because I need the money - that's how things get messed up. I prefer to network with people and pass work opportunities back and forth. I often get other, similar people and services involved when I have a gig to do so we can share the opportunity and what goes around will usually come around.
Although I have titled this blog posting for those in the entertainment industry, these tips work equally well in other industries, too. In fact, I've often been inspired by other industries and have applied the knowledge to my own. Enough, already, let's get on to the tips!
1) Always have a business card or other small promo item on you to give away. You never know who you’ll meet. Put your website information on it as well as your phone numbers and email. I’ve handed out cards at weddings, nightclubs, hotels and everywhere else. One card can create a return of many times the cost of the cards. So, don't be afraid to make them even if you think you might change them in a few months. You can't wait until your tagline, text and titles are perfect, they will evolve to be, then you just scrap the old ones when a new set arrives.
I have had over twenty designs since 1996 and I don't regret one of them. I have evolved and kept with the times, that's why I only get 250 at a time. I never use computer-printed cards either! They look cheap. Until that technology catches up with full color, glossy cards, I will stick with a print house. I will be blogging about business cards soon.
2) Always have a story to tell about yourself. If you have nothing new to tell, begin a project
you can talk about and sound excited about. Excitement and positive emotions are infectious and people will likely remember you more for a good story. But, don't get too centered on yourself, allow others to share stories and offer their opinions, too. Good dialogue is about sharing ideas rather than going on and on about yourself. You want to initiate a conversation in a social situation, then ease off and listen until you have something good to say.
3) Be a good listener. Listening is a skill that requires practice and while you may be excited about your new project, never downplay the importance of somebody else's project. If you accidentally talk over somebody (we all do it every now and then), make a mental note and don't do it again in the same conversation. We can't all have perfect conversational timing, but we can at least recognize our flaws and improve our skills.
4) Get a website (what, you haven't already?). Choose a domain name and get some information published online. It's pretty easy these days (and cheap!). You do not have to invest thousands of dollars to post information on the web. A domain name is a must and it will cost about ten bucks a year on average (you can also get deals on multiple names). You can redirect your domain name to wherever you want. One of my domain names is directed to my YouTube site so people can find my videos easily. You don't have to have a fancy flash intro, either - that can come later.
Also, I design my sites with online services for quick and easy publishing with little need for HTML (I used to use HTML programs years ago, but went WYSIWYG a few years back).
5) Need credentials? Make some. If you need projects to gain experience, but nobody is giving you the opportunity to prove yourself, create your own project to get the experience. Way back in 1993, I had limited experience with multi-track recording (4 audio tracks was what I was used to). Nobody wanted to record my band for free or for deferred payment/credit so I bought some used gear and engineered the recording myself. The recording was sold in 22 countries, got a lot of attention for the band and I got my first official audio engineering credit. Since then, I've worked on a lot of projects for other people but continue to create my own and everything gets added to my bio. The way I look at it, every bit of experience is real world experience.
I have been using these steps for years and they work. There are more tips as well and they will be available as part of my upcoming 'think WORK not JOB' DVD series coming soon. I am available to speak to groups about this as well. If you know anybody who would like to hear this topic or similar topics live, let's talk. Or, let's network!
Don't get me wrong, money needs to be made, but I'm not going to do something I'm not proficient at just because I need the money - that's how things get messed up. I prefer to network with people and pass work opportunities back and forth. I often get other, similar people and services involved when I have a gig to do so we can share the opportunity and what goes around will usually come around.
Although I have titled this blog posting for those in the entertainment industry, these tips work equally well in other industries, too. In fact, I've often been inspired by other industries and have applied the knowledge to my own. Enough, already, let's get on to the tips!
1) Always have a business card or other small promo item on you to give away. You never know who you’ll meet. Put your website information on it as well as your phone numbers and email. I’ve handed out cards at weddings, nightclubs, hotels and everywhere else. One card can create a return of many times the cost of the cards. So, don't be afraid to make them even if you think you might change them in a few months. You can't wait until your tagline, text and titles are perfect, they will evolve to be, then you just scrap the old ones when a new set arrives.
I have had over twenty designs since 1996 and I don't regret one of them. I have evolved and kept with the times, that's why I only get 250 at a time. I never use computer-printed cards either! They look cheap. Until that technology catches up with full color, glossy cards, I will stick with a print house. I will be blogging about business cards soon.
2) Always have a story to tell about yourself. If you have nothing new to tell, begin a project
you can talk about and sound excited about. Excitement and positive emotions are infectious and people will likely remember you more for a good story. But, don't get too centered on yourself, allow others to share stories and offer their opinions, too. Good dialogue is about sharing ideas rather than going on and on about yourself. You want to initiate a conversation in a social situation, then ease off and listen until you have something good to say.
3) Be a good listener. Listening is a skill that requires practice and while you may be excited about your new project, never downplay the importance of somebody else's project. If you accidentally talk over somebody (we all do it every now and then), make a mental note and don't do it again in the same conversation. We can't all have perfect conversational timing, but we can at least recognize our flaws and improve our skills.
4) Get a website (what, you haven't already?). Choose a domain name and get some information published online. It's pretty easy these days (and cheap!). You do not have to invest thousands of dollars to post information on the web. A domain name is a must and it will cost about ten bucks a year on average (you can also get deals on multiple names). You can redirect your domain name to wherever you want. One of my domain names is directed to my YouTube site so people can find my videos easily. You don't have to have a fancy flash intro, either - that can come later.
Also, I design my sites with online services for quick and easy publishing with little need for HTML (I used to use HTML programs years ago, but went WYSIWYG a few years back).
5) Need credentials? Make some. If you need projects to gain experience, but nobody is giving you the opportunity to prove yourself, create your own project to get the experience. Way back in 1993, I had limited experience with multi-track recording (4 audio tracks was what I was used to). Nobody wanted to record my band for free or for deferred payment/credit so I bought some used gear and engineered the recording myself. The recording was sold in 22 countries, got a lot of attention for the band and I got my first official audio engineering credit. Since then, I've worked on a lot of projects for other people but continue to create my own and everything gets added to my bio. The way I look at it, every bit of experience is real world experience.
I have been using these steps for years and they work. There are more tips as well and they will be available as part of my upcoming 'think WORK not JOB' DVD series coming soon. I am available to speak to groups about this as well. If you know anybody who would like to hear this topic or similar topics live, let's talk. Or, let's network!
Cheers!
- Buck Moore (thinkWORKnotJOB.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)