The Washington Post
September 26, 2000
Career Track
By Amy Joyce
Go It Alone: Choosing the Freelance Option
Traditionally, when we all think of work, we picture an office. With a boss. And co-workers. We have to dress a certain way, and worry that if someone sees us leaving early, they'll label us Slacker-Extraordinaire.But what about those free agents out there? The ones who break away from the traditional office scene to freelance or consult?
There are many things to consider if you're pondering a life of working (at least part-time) in your pajamas. First of all, do you have the experience necessary to know what you're doing? Have you spent enough years in the industry to have a couple of contacts you can hit up for some work? Do you have a little bit of money saved up to cover the rent until that first payment comes in?
Flying solo can be an awesome experience, but it can also be a ponderous task if you haven't prepared yourself or don't know how to navigate.
Managing Yourself
If you don't know if you're ready for a full-time gig as your own boss, try it out for a little while. That's what Liza Cichowski did. At 27, she found herself in a stressful life: She was working a full 40-hour week at a local public relations firm, while trying to attain her master's degree in public administration at George Washington University.
She now works about 20 hours a week in various jobs, using her public relations skills. Cichowski found her first project after going to PRofessional Solutions, a local public relations temporary agency.
Working as a freelance public relations professional, Cichowski is getting exposure, contacts, experience and flexibility. Not to mention a paycheck. "I can focus on the things that I want to focus on," she said. "I have more time to devote to my schoolwork."
The situation is just about perfect for her, as she doesn't have to commit to anything. She plans to graduate in May and move to New York.
"For me, it's a temporary arrangement. It's really just to support myself," she said. But she admits it has been a very interesting change from working at a corporation. "I've always had this boss who...you live and die by what that person says. Now, I'm not exactly my own boss because I have people managing me at the different offices, but it has given me a different perspective on my own management skills."
Amy Joyce's e-mail address is joycea@washpost.com. Joyce is a Washington Post Staff Writer whose column, Career Track, appears every other Monday in Washington Business in The Washington Post.
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