If you’re restless in your day job and have been casting around for a new challenge in your career, then it might have occurred to you that the freelance life has much to offer. Flexible hours, the freedom to pick and choose your projects, and the satisfaction of knowing that you’ll be the sole reaper of the rewards your efforts will bring, are all powerful and attractive benefits.
However, not everyone has what it takes to make a success of freelancing, as a particular set of personal characteristics is required. Are you cut out to be a freelancer? If you possess these five qualities then the answer could be yes.
Motivation
Freelancers have no one to lead them by the hand or push them into action. They need to be self-starters, able to motivate themselves into getting work done on time, on budget, and up to standard. Successful freelancers must rely on self-discipline to apply themselves without external influences.
Initiative
However, the motivation and discipline to deal with a heavy workload isn’t the full story. A freelancer who isn’t able to drum up business won’t have a workload to motivate themselves for, and initiative needs to be used to fill the calendar with paying projects. The best freelancers see possibilities everywhere they look, and have the drive to follow up on these ideas and seize their opportunities.
Creativity
Most fields that freelancers are able to make a living in, tend to be competitive; to make an impression and stand out from the crowd, a freelance contractor needs to offer something different. Whether this involves coming up with a new angle that has a novel benefit to a client or having the ability to develop innovative and efficient working methods to increase productivity, creativity is an essential aspect of most freelance careers.
Dependability
Word spreads fast in the business world. Let down a client, and the work will soon start to dry up. Freelancers need to deliver on their promises, meet their deadlines, and provide outstanding service for their clients. Freelancers have no one to hide behind and no one to make excuses for them.
Self-Confidence
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, freelancers need to believe in the quality of their work and in their value as a contractor. After all, if a freelancer doesn’t have self-confidence, how will they convince a client to hire them? Furthermore, because rejections and setbacks are an inevitable part of independent working, a freelancer needs to have the self-confidence to bounce back from adversity, putting difficult clients or disappointing projects behind them.
The freelance lifestyle isn’t an easy fit for every character. You should not only be creative, you must also be motivated and willing to show initiative, as well as dependable and self-assured. If you have all or most of these qualities, you have a great chance of forging a successful and profitable career working for yourself.