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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBAD JOB: LEARN WHAT YOU LIKE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Listing the various tasks I\u2019ve been assigned throughout the many jobs I\u2019ve had is nearly impossible. I have no doubt it\u2019s the same for you. No matter the role we\u2019re put in and how \u201cspecialized\u201d it is, we end up taking on tasks we couldn\u2019t have even imagined before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same will happen in your freelance life. When you\u2019re running your own show, you are the negotiator, the accountant, the CEO, and the coffee runner. Now\u2019s the time to learn what you like \u2014 and what you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s what I mean: in my time as a \u201cMarketing Specialist\u201d for one company in particular, I was tasked with blogging, video editing, social media, graphic design, note-taking at board meetings, planning the annual conference, interfacing with partners, and more. Not a day went by where something new (and questionable, when it came to my original job description) didn\u2019t drop onto my plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I tried it all out, and took notes. I like<\/em> interfacing with designers; I don\u2019t like futzing around with Photoshop. I like<\/em> writing the video scripts; I don\u2019t like piecing together b-roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the mundane and<\/em> the challenging, keep track of the things you like, and the things you excel at \u2014 as well as what you don\u2019t. Going into your freelance business with that knowledge can save you a lot of time and headaches when designing your services, building client relationships, and choosing where to outsource.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even as solopreneurs, we\u2019re still leaders. You\u2019re leading your business. You\u2019re leading your clients. You\u2019re leading yourself.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So when you\u2019re stuck in a situation where your boss is anything but great, observe. What are they doing right? What are they doing that irks you? What are they doing that irks others in the office?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what I mean: I learned how to give feedback from a CEO who decided that he would \u201cgrade\u201d my team\u2019s writing. When I got a case study back with a \u2018C\u2019 on it and zero explanation and others on my team got the same, I took my own notes on how to give constructive feedback that helps, not hinders. Next, I learned how to write effective emails from a boss that \u201cskimmed\u201d her emails and rarely ever responded appropriately, instigating a chain of five emails from what could\u2019ve been two. Now, I know how to write a succinct email that makes it incredibly easy for people to answer my questions and respond effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take note of leadership styles and the situations they work in \u2014 you\u2019ll soon see how you can apply those lessons as you deal with clients, contractors, and colleagues while freelancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bad coworkers: learn to create atmosphere<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ever have that coworker who spends more time around the water cooler than at their desk? Or the one who manages to shirk all responsibility but then shows up to the team meeting to claim all the credit? I could go on, but I\u2019ll stop there. My point is this: we\u2019ve all been forced into environments with people we didn\u2019t choose<\/em> to be around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s up to you to learn how to a) deal with those crappy coworkers and b) cultivate your own atmosphere that doesn\u2019t invite them in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what I mean: I once had a coworker that was incredibly knowledgeable when it came to his role, but whose work ethic was nonexistent, right along with his personality (you did not<\/em> want him picking up the phone, which worked in his favor). While it was frustrating and draining to work alongside him every day, it gave me a starting point to base my future community off of: most notably, ambition + passion over extreme skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re freelancing, you have control, for the most part, over who\u2019s in your crowd. And while the online world might present new challenges in cultivating authentic relationships, it does give you the ability to seek out relationships that suit you and your business. Take notes on the types of personalities and people you work best with (or don\u2019t) now to build the criteria upon which you invite other people into your circles later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Sophia Amoruso\u2019s book, #GIRLBOSS, she refers to her job hopping as \u201cjob promiscuity\u201d and mentions that she approached her various jobs with \u201ca sense of tourism and experimentation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I want you to do the same for every day you spend in any sort of would-be soul-crushing environment. When you approach it as a learning experience, you\u2019ll be amazed at how it can actually serve as a launch pad to an even better freelance business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you\u2019ve had a bad job, a bad boss, or bad coworkers, now or in the past, raise your hand. (Hint: you\u2019re not alone. I, Sara, am raising my hand high and proud.) I\u2019ve been there. I\u2019ve had mundane jobs that made me wish I could go back to my 12-year old paper route. I\u2019ve … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/freelancetofreedomproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/freelancetofreedomproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/freelancetofreedomproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freelancetofreedomproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freelancetofreedomproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/freelancetofreedomproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/freelancetofreedomproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freelancetofreedomproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freelancetofreedomproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}BAD BOSS: LEARN TO BE A LEADER<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
EXPERIMENT + APPRECIATE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n