职业者自由全职

如何在全职工作同时成为一个自由职业者

如果你有一份很无聊但待遇还不错的工作希望紧紧把握住，但是别以此来作为你不去追逐自己成为自由职业者梦想的理由。...

Got a job that's totally boring but pays the bills? Hold onto it. But don't use it as an excuse NOT to go after your dream of being self-employed doing something you love.

A common misconception about successful independent workers is that one day, in dramatic fashion, they quit their dayjob, hung a shingle, and lived happily ever after. The truth is, most freelancers start off moonlighting, volunteering, interning, and doing client work at night and on weekends in addition to a nine-to-five gig. If you fantasize about living the freelancer life, you can do the same—even in a recession, starting now. Let's turn some of your free time into a new career without giving up the steady paycheck.

Freelancing in a Recession: Inroads and Safety Nets

Armies of employees have gotten laid off in the past year, and when you're one of the survivors still on payroll, the natural instinct is to feel grateful you were spared, hunker down, and not make a peep. The idea of looking for contract work when the unemployment rate is so high may seem ludicrous. However, there are contracts to be had. Freelancers cost companies less than full-time employees, and major waves of layoffs often create opportunities for contractors to fill in the gaps.

Doing freelance work in a time of job insecurity benefits you in two ways. First, it diversifies your income stream. When you freelance on the side, you don't depend on a single check to pay your bills. If you do get let go or have to take a salary cut or furlough, the side income softens the blow to your bank account. Secondly, freelancing for clients is the best way to show off what you can do to potential employers. When you freelance you're in constant "interview" mode, hoping to get re-hired or recommended to other clients. If you lose your job or decide to leave, you've essentially already interviewed for your next gig.

The point here is that even in a recession, freelancing is far from impossible—in fact, it's downright smart.

Put Yourself on the Market

The tough part about becoming a freelancer—especially for introverts—is putting your name out there and having to hustle to sell your services. In addition to whatever work you do, being a freelancer means you also have to be a salesperson.

How you should put yourself on the market and showcase your offerings depends on your field. If you have no idea where to start, find some great freelancers that do what you do, and follow their example. It's probably safe to say you'll need some kind of web site, business card, and a portfolio or CV. Don't skimp on this stuff: Instead of settling for a free hosting account somewhere, spend the $20 to register a domain name and put together at least a one-page web site describing who you are, what you offer, and contact information. (It's more important than ever to have a say in what Google says about you.) If you're a photographer, include a gallery of your best photos; a programmer, a list of projects you've contributed to; a project manager, a list of companies you've worked for. If showing off actual work you've completed isn't possible, gather together some testimonials from folks you've worked for that get across your best skills.

Geek to Live: Have a say in what Google says about youby Gina TrapaniRead more

Don't do anything crazy like advertise your services in the newspaper or on Craigslist right away. The best way to find work is through people you know and referrals from happy clients.

How to Find Contracts—and When to Work Pro Bono

Once you're officially on the market, it's time to get some clients. Remember that old saying about who you know versus what you know? It's so true. In my experience, referrals from people you know—the most vague acquaintances, even—yield the best business opportunities. Let your friends, business associates, former co-workers, fellow book club members, and the guy sitting next to you at the barber shop know you're available to do freelance work. Don't be annoying, but don't be shy, either. People are much more likely to hire someone recommended by someone they trust, so it's up to you to work your network. When you do, remember that other freelancers are not your competition—they're your friends. Knowing other contractors who do the same or similar work just widens your pool of contacts and potential clients. Be generous and send referrals their way, and they'll return the favor.

When you've exhausted referrals from folks you know in person, you can try advertising your services more broadly, but use the right outlets. The key is to find your audience. A freelance web designer, for example, will find a different potential clientele on Haystack than on Craigslist. Figure out where your ideal clients look for contractors and get yourself listed there.

If you're just starting out and need to fill in your portfolio AND kickstart potential referrals, consider doing pro bono work for a non-profit or deeply-discounted work for a desirable client. I hate advising fellow freelancers to charge anything less than what they're worth, but the reality is that sometimes you have to give something away to prove yourself and earn opportunities down the road. (In fact, I was in the right place at the right time to start Lifehacker precisely because of a barely-paying internship.) You don't have to work for free on an ongoing basis to use this strategy: try speaking at a local event for free (and mention that you're for hire), or offer a free trial of your services for potential clients. But remember: Only give these freebies to good prospects.

Pricing Yourself: When Time Really Is Money

Even after seven years of freelancing part and full-time, answering the question "What's your rate?" is still a challenge for me. Your hourly rate will depend on the project, your industry, market, location, the economy, your experience, and how deep-pocketed your client is. Pricing conversations can be a scary game of chicken that takes pluck, confidence, and a strong sense of self-worth to navigate. As a general rule, when you're quoting an hourly rate,overestimate both time and money.

When you're just starting out, the tendency is to underprice yourself because you really want to score the contract and you're optimistic about the number of hours it'll take to complete. However, you'll forget to take into account things like taxes and time for administrative tasks. As you get more experience, you'll adjust your prices, learn how to read different types of clients and what their budget range will be, and have enough confidence to walk away from contracts that aren't worth taking. I'm much more likely to do interesting work for lower prices, but I'll only take on tedious stuff that's well-paid. When it's time to ask for the upper range, I use an unscientific method: I quote the highest rate I can while still keeping a straight face.

When it comes to scheduling, don't forget that you'll be doing this work at night and on weekends, and things almost always take longer than your initial gut estimate. So, overestimate the number of hours a job will take. It's always better to set expectations and deliver early than have to pull an all-nighter and barely break even.

The Financial Life of a 1099er

Sending out invoices and chasing down unpaid ones, filing quarterly estimated taxes, itemizing tax deductions, managing your own retirement fund, collecting 1099 forms—these are all necessary parts of a freelancer's financial life. Do yourself a favor and put a good system in place for making sure 1.) that you're getting paid for the work you do by invoicing promptly and following up and 2.) that you're putting aside money to pay estimated taxes on that money. Once you get that system down—and it should be easier with the cushion of a dayjob's steady paycheck—you'll be ready to face the "feast or famine" state that is a full-time freelancer's financial reality later on. I use a simple "Waiting for payment.txt" file and schedule calendar reminders to check that list once a month and pay my estimated taxes each quarter. Start slow, see how your side gigs affect your financial picture, and work from there.

With your dayjob in hand, you can start your freelance career with less pressure to make loads of money right away; you'll be able to get the word out, establish a client base, build a portfolio, and set your prices on your own time. Do you moonlight as a freelancer? What's your best piece of advice for those just starting out? Let us know in the comments.

如果你有一份很无聊但待遇还不错的工作希望紧紧把握住，但是别以此来作为你不去追逐自己成为自由职业者梦想的理由。

人们对于那些成功的自由职业者，有一个常见的错误认知：以一个引人注目的姿态，他们辞去了工作，华丽的自立门户，从此过上幸福美满的生活。然而真相是，大多数的自由者开始与夜晚的兼职、志愿者工作、实习、在朝九晚五工作的间隙，利用晚上或者周末给客户做外包项目。如果你憧憬过上自由职业的生活，那么你可以这样做——与其临渊羡鱼，不如退而结网：在不放弃稳定的固定薪水的前提下，让你的空闲的时间来成为你新职业生涯的开始。

经济衰退下的自由职业

在过去几年的裁员大潮中，当你得知自己还是幸存者名单上的一员时，会本能的感到庆幸，如释重负。在失业率居高不下的情况下，寻求一份稳定的工作看上去有点滑稽。但是，一定会有合适的。相比全职员工，自由职业者能降低公司的成本，失业大潮常常会创造出其他的就业机会来填补这个缺口。

从事一段时间不安定的自由工作对你有方面的帮助：首先，它使你的收入来源灵活。当你兼职的时候，你不依赖于单一的收入来源。如果你确实需要减薪活休假，这方面的收入会减轻你银行帐户的压力。其次，为客户自由工作是你能向潜在雇主展示你能做什么的最佳方式。当你自由职业的时候，你会进入一种持续的“访谈”模式，希望得到再次雇佣或者被推荐给其他客户。如果你失去你的工作或者决定留下来，你已经基本上被“访谈“了，为你的下次演出。

关键点就是即使在经济的衰退期，自由职业也并非遥不可及－事实上，它反而是聪明的选择。

把自己推向市场

成为自由职业者，尤其对内向的人来说，最难的部分是把自己的的名字置于市场，并且不得不兜售自己的服务。无论是你做什么工作，成为自由职业者就意味着你也必须成为一个销售。

你得靠自己来把自己推向市场，展示你的作品。如果你不知道如何开始，去认识一些在你这个领域牛逼的自由职业者，看看他们是怎么做的。不出意外，可以很负责任的告诉你，你会需要一个网站，名片，简介或者cv。别为了贪图便宜，随便去哪搞一个免费的个人主页；你应该花上20美元去注册一个域名，搞一个哪怕只有单页面的网站，上面有你是谁，提供什么样的服务以及联系信息等。如果你是个摄影师，弄个轮播展示你最棒的作品；是个程序员，把你做过的项目列出来；是个项目经理，把你工作过的公司列上去。要是无法如实的展示你做过的工作，那就把你通过能力得到的证书等汇聚起来进行展示。

不要做任何类似在报纸或 Craigslist 上刊登个人广告这样的傻事，找到机会最好的办法是通过你认识的朋友或对你满意的客户。

如何寻找业务

一旦你正式进入自由职业的领域，就要去找一些客户了。俗话说你知道什么不如你认识谁，这是有一些道理的。以我的经验来说，朋友介绍的人往往是最棒的合作机会来源。让你的朋友、生意伙伴、前同事、书友会会员，甚至理发店坐在你旁边的人都知道你可以做兼职工作。别过分的打扰惹人讨厌，但也别太害羞。人们往往更倾向于雇佣他们信任的人所推荐的人，所以这取决于你的职场人脉。当你这么做的时候请记住：其它自由职业者并不是你的竞争对手——他们应该是你的朋友。认识做相同或类似的工作的其他人可以拓宽你自己的人脉和潜在客户群。让自己慷慨一些，偶尔向他们推荐一些机会，他们一定会报答。

当你已经竭尽全力从你身边的人获得推荐，接下来可以尝试更广泛的宣传你的业务，但要确保使用正确的渠道。关键是要找到你的受众，比如一个自由 Web 设计师在 Haystack 上获得客户一定比在 Craigslist 上更容易。弄明白你的理想客户在哪寻找承包商，然后把自己放上去。

如果你刚刚起步，你需要上传你的作品集并激活潜在推荐，考虑下为不错的客户做一些非盈利或低折扣的无偿性工作。我讨厌劝自由工作的朋友们报低于他们本身价值的价格，但现实是有时你必须放弃一些东西来找机会证明自己，以获得更多的机会。（事实上，我在正确的地方正确的时间创造 Lifehacker，正是因为一份勉强饱腹的实习职位。）

你不用持续不断的用这种「免费」策略，尝试在线下活动中宣传自己（告诉人们你可以被雇佣），或者为你的潜在客户提供免费的试用服务。但一定要记住：只为有合作的希望的人们提供这些免费机会。

给自己定价：时间就是金钱

即使在自由工作七年之后，回答「你的报价是多少」对我依然是一个挑战。你的时薪将取决于你面临的项目、行业、市场、地区、经济、你的经验和你的客户多么……财大气粗。价格谈判的过程就像一个老鹰捉小鸡的游戏，需要勇气、自信、强烈的自我价值认同。通常的经验是，当你按照时薪报价，尽量把时间和金额估的高一些。

当你刚刚起步的时候，往往会倾向于一个比较低的价格，因为你真的很想拿下合同并且你会对项目所需的时间很乐观。然而，你会忘记考虑税收和行政事务所需的时间。当你经验更丰富的时候就会调整自己的价格，学会观察不同类型的客户及他们可能的预算额度，并有足够的信心放弃不划算的合同。我喜欢用较低的价格做有趣的工作，但面对乏味繁琐的工作我只会接受高薪。当谈判中触及到底线的时候我会用一个很奇怪的方式对待：报一个很高的价格并同时板着脸。

做日程规划的时候，不要忘记你很可能要在夜里和周末加班干活，并且几乎比你最初预计的时间要长的多。所以，高估项目所需要的时间很有必要。提前预估总比每天开夜车搞的勉强保本好得多。

把握好自己的全职工作，你就可以在没有太大经济压力的情况下立刻开启你的自由职业生涯。你将真正领略这些词语的含义：建立客户基础，建立一个作品集，给自己的时间定价。你也希望作为一个自由职业者赚些外快吗？这些建议中哪些是对你来说最有用的？给我们分享一下吧！