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Career

Freelancers share tips on how to survive Covid-19 economy

C / Career

Freelancers share tips on how to survive Covid-19 economy

We spoke to four freelancers to find out how they coped

by Hayley Tai  /   October 2, 2020
Freelancers share tips on how to survive covid-19 economy

Photo Credit: 123RF

Going freelance means that you have to be prepared to follow a different model when it comes to managing your finances. And while those who’re holding down a five-to-nine look forward to the monthly pay-day, freelancers don’t have the luxury of a scheduled income. 

via GIPHY

So how has this Covid-19 recession affected them? We asked four freelancers how they section their finances and keep a list of jobs coming in, especially during an economic downturn.

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https://www.herworld.com/gallery/women/career/freelancers-tips-covid19-recession-economy/
Freelancers share tips on how to survive Covid-19 economy
Transform your skill sets into something more relevant
image

“When Covid-19 hit, the economy fell too. No one wanted to pay extra for life-coaching sessions. The companies that hired me regularly told me to put a pause on all projects.

I was starting to get a little scared. If that kept up, I’d be officially jobless in a matter of weeks. I decided to reach out to my friend who works for a leadership training company in New Zealand. He had approached me earlier during the year to see if I could help create lesson plans for the company.

Within two weeks, I got the job. It paid a lot less than what I used to earn pre-coronavirus, but it was enough to keep me going. I also realised I enjoyed writing and coming up with lesson plans so I decided to do more research.

It wasn’t exactly life-coaching, but I was still using my expertise for the industry!” – Parvina Dupa, 33, freelance life coach

123RF
Making connections
image

“It’s no secret that freelancers rely on connections. Be it from workshops you’ve attended or through past employers.

However, I think the most important thing we have to take note of is to maintain these connections. Drop an email to your past clients whenever you know you have a free block of time. Ask them, politely, if they need any freelance help.

There’s no shame in putting yourself out there, especially when you want to widen your scope of clients. Waiting on the same client isn’t the best strategy as they may sometimes bail on you if they can find cheaper alternatives!” – Marilyn Loke, 47, freelance UX writer

123RF
Adapt to your circumstances
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“I’ve been teaching for five years now and during Covid-19, while several of my students didn’t want to stop physical classes, the government implemented the circuit breaker.

I had been so out of touch with social media and video conferencing applications that I only knew that Skype existed. However, after speaking with one of my students, I decided to download Zoom. It wasn’t easy, but I’m even using PDF worksheets during classes now.

In the past six months, I’ve picked up way more skills than I thought! You have to be open to take risks and try new things. If I decided to just give up on my students because I didn’t know how to use those applications, I’d be a bad teacher.” – Goh Yee Ting, 44, freelance tuition teacher

123RF
Prepare alternatives in advance
image

“There’s always a high chance that your work schedule will change at the last minute. And sometimes, clients may retract their project offer. For me, I’m a textile artist by trade, so I work on mainly exhibitions and interior designs.

When I first started out, I had many clients who would back out last minute due to unforeseen circumstances. I would go months without a job…it was terrifying.

However, as time passed, I managed to find an alternative means of income – teaching at art schools. During Covid-19, that was what kept my income stable. I hosted crochet workshops and textile printing classes on Zoom.” – Sarah Rahlan, 28, freelance artist  

Read Next

5 websites to help you find freelance work in this recession

How freelancers can manage their finances like a pro

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123RF
  • TAGS:
  • economy downturn
  • freelance career
  • Freelance work
  • freelance writer
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