I remember when I finished undergrad I tried to go straight into freelance writing —bought my little domain and everything. It went nowhere.
I didn’t find a way to make freelancing work until almost 15 years later — after I’d gotten some employment experience.
Here’s why I think that happened. Freelancing and employment are cousins. Not the distant kind you only see at every third reunion…the really close ones. They might be different in some fundamental ways, but they come from the same grandparent — solving problems for organizations.
That’s why it’s (generally) easiest to start a freelance career after you have a few years of employment experience, know some things, have some connections. It’s also why it’s usually a good idea to leverage your employment experience when you’re first starting out.
Love it or hate it, employment is one of the strongest indicators that a skill or niche is viable for a freelancer.
Megan