I started freelancing in 1999 at the age of 17. What a hot time it seemed for just about any technology-related freelancer…and perfect time for a youngster with a small portfolio to get some work. I was very lucky with the business I brought in, but the overheated economy did not last long and reality eventually set in. My client base dropped significantly and I sensed clients were not as interested in taking a “gamble” with young talent. I continued my part-time freelance into college and by 2003 I pretty much attempted to take it full-time while finishing my last 2 years of college with evening classes.

This full-time freelance experience was tough. Wow. It is the ultimate factor that has terrified me to return to freelancing now five years later. Looking back, I had more money than most of my fellow college students, but there is no way I could have supported myself full-time on this income. I could go on and on about why it was hard for me, but to sum it up, I was a college student with a lot of heart, a good portfolio and I was extremely driven. I sent out 400 letters and made 400 phone calls when i began my pursuit and got one client out of it (although it was not that bad of a client.) I networked well, I called clients, I had a great web site with my portfolio, but still it just was not quite what I hoped…not even close. At the end of college (after two years of this,) I was convinced that I had a zero percent chance at the “American Dream” by trying to make a living as a full-time freelancer. However, I’ve had a question linger for the past five years, was it simply the fact that I was a college student?

Fast forward five years later. I have been fortunate to have been employed by three great companies that are some of the best in the world at what they do. I have worked on some super sexy brands, with respectful budgets, and have had some of the best mentors and coworkers I could have been given. My outlook is 100% different based on these past five years. My knowledge, experience and portfolio is far greater than it was as a college student. Still, I am terrified. Should I make the switch?

I think ultimately what I am struggling with here is the question I posed above, will not having the “college student” label change how I am perceived, and ultimately improve how much business I bring in? Sure, I have so much more experience, credibility, and a much stronger reel, but is that all? I truly wonder how much the college student label affected my success 5 years ago.

Finally, even though my experience fell far below my monetary expectations at the time, I don’t discourage any eager college student from freelancing. I still managed to make plenty of money that gave me a means to further develop my portfolio and get an amazing job out of school.

Thank you and nice work!

It’s hard to fit both Uni and freelance work into the day sometimes and now as a Masters student am finding I need to get up a lot earlier (compared to 2 in the afternoon) to do so.

It’s a great way to form relationships as you say, and also get your name out there. If there are 100 odd students in the class then being a successful freelancer is one way to make yourself stand-out from the crowd.

Looking back now I wish I had have charged more money for projects earlier on, but I guess at the time I only needed to fund my next night out it’s a learning curve.

This is not true of everyone, but surprisingly enough I’ve opted for a career in graphic design because I enjoy it. I’ve been doing self directed study for at least 8 years and its because I’m motivated to learn. This has got to be one of the most important points about student freelancers - every project involves a certain amount of experimentation and education and students are likely to push this further than anyone else in my opinion.