4 Ways You Can Earn as a Freelancer While Still a Design Student

If there’s one thing you can’t have enough of, especially when you’re a student, is money. And when you’re in college, your pockets always seem to be empty. If you’re looking to make some money as a graphic design degree student, the best way is to freelance the way a professional would. Besides getting a sizeable amount deposited in your bank account every month, you’re also going to be building up your portfolio and adding to your work experience before even stepping out of college. Here’s how you can start to put some money in your pocket using your innate talent and the skills you’ve acquired in your years at college:

• Learn what you need to make the cut: If you don’t have the basic and advanced skills you need to make it in the design world, it’s time you started developing them. With the plethora of options that are available at no cost on the Internet, it shouldn’t be that hard to find tutorials and lessons on forums, websites and e-books that can help you grasp and master the techniques that you need to survive in the professional world of design. You’ll also need to work on your computer skills and be able to work with various design software packages. Most of these are pretty easy to learn but are mastered only when you spend enough time on them and use them on a regular basis.
• Work on some designs of your own: Before you can start applying for jobs, you need to build up a portfolio that allows you to showcase your talent and abilities. There’s no way people are going to sign you on if you don’t show them a taste of what you can accomplish. Working on designs, even though they are not for any particular client, can help you gain more experience and polish your skills.
• Post your resume and profile on online job sites: Most freelancers find jobs online, either through forums or sites that list jobs and allow professionals and employers to meet their needs. Besides this, you must also search and apply to posted jobs so that potential employers start to consider you for the task. It’s a slow process, and one that is accomplished only when you are persistent in your efforts.
• Know how to manage your time: Once you start getting jobs on a regular or even intermittent basis, you need to manage your time really well. Otherwise, you’re going to end up neglecting your college work and not giving your best at work too. Remember that you need to graduate with good grades if you expect to find a good job once you leave college, and also that you need to be committed to the work you’ve undertaken in order to make a little money on the side. You need to approach the issue as professionally as you can so that you’re able to multi-task efficiently, with no room for lapses.

This post was contributed by Tiffany Davis, who writes about bachelor degree online. She welcomes your feedback at TiffanyMDavis82 at gmail.com