freelancing after college
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- liquid0
stay in the corporate /agency world for a couple more years... build out your network through your agency connections... its always good to have something on your resume that is 2-3 years... 1 year or less and it looks like you are unstable... also... the market is going to get tougher in the next year or so... stay stable for now... take a few projects here and there and make extra cash...
then when you feel confident to leave... leave with a big project in the hopper... remember you have to pay for your own insurance now.. .plus all the office supplies... etc... right now... you can print on your company's dime and get protos done if you are smart about it...
I hate corp/agency world... but doing it to get a name for myself... and build out my connections...
- OSFA0
wait, maybe you already said this but, how are you getting this grant money? Where is it coming from? At what cost?
- grant money usually comes from the gov'tdoesnotexist
- or well off individualsdoesnotexist
- mantra0
the intentions of starting a company were apparent while myself and my girlfriend were still in college. this has nothing to do with our current jobs, other than the ad agency environment is not one in which i would want to do long term.
she feels the same way, as she is a designer in a corporate environment.
- mrseaves0
life's too short to hate your job. go for it.
- univers0
mantra — I have one book that will be a great guide on how you can handle your own startup! I took a lot from this book and it really made me comfortable doing things on my own.
"How to be a great graphic designer without losing your soul" by Adrian Shaughnessy
Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obido…
I think it is well worth it because it discusses a lot of ways you can approach working on your own. It also has some great insights on how to handle things like growth etc.
- great bookmrseaves
- Did he buy it yet? ;)univers
- that's just great! couldn't someone have told me BEFORE i lost my soul?cramdesign
- that is excellent news... YESTERDAY.cramdesign
- I am intrigued by this book, does it cover how to band aid your soul after it has been crushed to the point where you tell you client "FINE!! if you want flying monkeys, I'll add those to the design too, will you want me to emboss them and add an outer glow too?"d_acra
- you yell at your client "FINE! if you want flying monkeys I'll add those too, what? and emboss with an outer glow?, sure, I can do that" ( lost my souls several filters ago)d_acra
- I lost my soul several photoshop filters ago.d_acra
- great book.jaylarson
- ********0
you should change it to .45 caliber designs. that way your the big guns
- univers0
He is the little pea–shooter!
.22 Caliber!
- cramdesign0
well, if you aren't earning your keep at your job, they will just fire you. there is no such thing as security. do you want to work for yourself? do you also enjoy talking with clients, doing billing, maintaining your website, scheduling work...? you gotta like more than just the design part. I doubled my income the very first year out of the gate... of course i was working practically for peanuts so that wasn't too hard.
make a plan and give it your best for two years and see what happens. don't lose sight of balancing your life in the process though.
you can always get a job you hate.
- Llyod0
I'd start up the shop
- d_acra0
Well...hmm... I actually work with a couple as their web designer, and let me tell you, they HATE each other, they are each others hell.
I think working with your wife/girlfriend is a BIG relationship killer, what can you talk about? you see each other all the time! plus you screw up and she hates you, she screws up and she is a bitch.I say, keep doing freelance, you are young you don't need to sleep 8 hours! and keep learning from work.
If you are starting a business, one of you should stay at a job with a steady check, OR you can save for a few months (for emergency all hell broke loose money) and THEN do what you want.you need a backup plan, even if is just a little one.
- d_acra0
Well...hmm... I actually work with a couple as their web designer, and let me tell you, they HATE each other, they are each others hell.
I think working with your wife/girlfriend is a BIG relationship killer, what can you talk about? you see each other all the time! plus you screw up and she hates you, she screws up and she is a bitch.I say, keep doing freelance, you are young you don't need to sleep 8 hours! and keep learning from work.
If you are starting a business, one of you should stay at a job with a steady check, OR you can save for a few months (for emergency all hell broke loose money) and THEN do what you want.you need a backup plan, even if is just a little one.
- Llyod0
I got my girlfriend a job at my first job. it was fucking hell. she turned into a life sucking hell bitch.
- d_acra0
OKay so, you have:
•Talent
•Free money
•A co-worker who depends of the success of the business as you do.
•steady sex you don't have to spend time looking for.
• and someone to blame if al goes to hell
Charley, I think you should do it.
- mantra0
thanks guys, we appreciate all your the input.
we're going to move forward with the federal tax id and all that good stuff soon. it's going to be an adventure for sure.
we'll see what happens.
- mantra0
cram:
working for myself would be ideal, i've worked in a corporate setting while still in school and now im working for an ad agency at the moment, both of which were very unsatisfying. we both have had experience working/talking and most importantly networking with clients, setting up meetings, sending concepts and ideas back and forth, etc...
working with people to achieve a desired goal has always been an interest of mine, it just so happens i have the skills to do this through design. this is something that we have been seriously talking about for awhile now, i think its time to actually make it happen.
i do understand about the steady income part, i may see about a part time position as a designer instead of a full time position which i have now.
thanks again for all of the feedback!
- univers0
Yeah Rule one in "How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul":
Dont work with wives, girlfriends, or family =)
Only kidding.
- jamble0
Do it, you sound like you've got very little to lose in the event it doesn't work out. You won't be saddled with repaying the loan and you've got a chance to work for yourselves rather than for someone else.
I don't think I could work in an office environment any more. There's lots to learn about running your own business but you'll pick it up, especially with family/friends who already run their own businesses.
Good luck with it!
- tparsons0
First two people you hire onto your team is a good corp attorney (will save your ass) and a really sharp bookkeeper (will save you coin). Both as consultants...