If you are planning to embark on an ambitious career on investment banking or accounting good for you. However, some of you are probably not so ready to be stuck at the rat race yet. So what are the other options? Perhaps freelancing? If you work for yourself, getting more clients is a ‘captain obvious’ answer. Clients give you work, and the work pays the bill. DO good work and you get a testimonial. Do this enough to accumulate a great client list… And this circle runs on its own.
Is that what you want?
If you follow this pattern, it’s likely that you can’t see the end of the tunnel. You will always have to get more clients. If you don’t work, you don’t have billable hours, so you can’t get paid. Time off will always feel a money down the drain. If you aren’t careful, you will be stuck in the same rat race as more white collar.
Another issue is that you will expand all your energy and creative talent on other people’s projects. So what can YOU show off? Possibly put it on your resume and portfolio? But if you keep eating, you will need to keep working. So there we go, the awesome freelaning myth is shattered. The dreams of independence has been flushed down the sink, find themselves trapped in their own business. They work in it instead of on it.
The solution is to stop thinking like a ‘freelancer’ and start thinking and acting as a creative entrepreneur. This doesn’t mean you need to get intense amount of VC funding and take on a grand action plan. The opportunity created by the internet mean you can act as one hero of your very own micro-business.
What does that mean? Create your business assets that will increase value over time.
I agree it sounds daunting, but consider these four very possible types of assets:
(1) A Brand – create and project a profession and consistent image
For example, We are a Good Company is started with a couple. They do brand imaging and website design. Their design theme and copywriting are consistent, memorable and unmistakable. It is also good to have a side business that is beyond the restrictions of your identity – so you can sell it eventually to transfer the goodwill to the next owner.
(2) Online properties – build digital real estate that grows in value over time
For example, Ramit, from I will teach you to be rich, has built a great empire from his wisdom of personal finance. He published a book because of his popularity. His constant appearance on the TV shows reveals his success on building a great digital real estate.
(3) Permission assets – build on a list of people who are interested in what you can offer them
This would be Seth Godin’s permission marketing where “the privilege (not the right) of sending anticipated personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them” a permission asset could be an email list, a blog subscription or a facebook group. Everyday The RICH Pig is growing its subscription level, it is get in touch with the general readers of The RICH Pig.
(4) Products – turn your knowledge and skills into physical or digital items for sale
If you can offer professional advice to your clients, you are more than capable of building you own product line. Doing this successfully means you develop streams of income that increase over time – this will free you from the rat race and stop being so worried about your monthly pay. Set up an e-course, build a consulting agency or start a private club.
It’s hard I admit to find time to create these assets, especially when you have university and work to deal with. But for the sake of your long term happiness and wealth, you owe it to yourself to make the investment. It doesn’t need to be intense. Just make an effort to do some increments to build something great.
No that isn’t a question – it should be a yes yes YES! Intern always give you great experiences. I received a business development internship from vibewire which paved the way from me to receive my junior paralegal position as a first year commerce/law student. Most of the time, paralegal positions are only available for 3rd to 4th year law students.
Although internships will only last for a few weeks, it is a great way to build connection and become essential to shoot for the moon. So, if until this point you are still questioning “is an internship really necessary?” perhaps you should move on.
If you are looking for an internship, give it your best shot and aim at any companies that interest you. Be sure to research and think out the box, and avoid the obvious large companies unless you are up for some serious competition.
Here are 10 steps toward landing your dream internship:
1. Don’t wait for the opportunities to find you
If you are relying on the normal job posting in your university or job finding websites, you will be stuck with a long line of resume submissions. Instead be proactive and contact companies and specific people who interest you.
2. Smart research
Create a list of companies that you are passionate to intern for. Find contacts, most of the time the person reading your cover letter will simply chuck it away if you address them as “to whom it may concern”. Your laziness will be exposed and you can count on not getting a reply with such an impersonal approach.
3. Go Vintage
Have you posted a letter before? It seems to be such a distant memory to post anything. Email is fine, but if you want to differentiate yourself and add a more personal note to your resume why not print a physical resume. Letting your emailed PDF resume and samples fall swift victim to the dreaded delete button is not a pleasant feeling. I’ve heard from a good number of senior managers that they are are actually happy to receive a physical mailing in this day and age. It reminds them of the age when they were scouting for jobs.
4. Go flawless
If you are going for the snail mail approach, make sure you tackle all the fine details. Grammar? Checked. Typos? Checked. To seduce a company to hire you, the way you present yourself is a good indication of the way you will seduce (in a non-sexual way hopefully) the clients.
5.Follow up
Take care of your application and make sure you follow up with an email and direct them to your online portfolio if you have one.
6. Speak up
When you land on an interview, speak up and express you enthusiasm and intelligent. People are generally more impressed by candidates who are deeply interested in one thing.
7. Don’t settle for less
Everyone wants to feel fulfiled, so when you are a finance superstar, don’t ever feel oblige to keep anything that comes in your way. If an offer falls on your lap swiftly, but sometime with a sincere thank you and let them know you’ll be back in touch in a few days. You have even want to use the “I have other offers to consider” approach to further increase your value. It’s your career, so don’t settle so quickly.
8. Toot their horn
If you are contacting one of your top choice company, make sure you have a thorough understanding of their recent projects. A personal touch demonstrates you know your stuff and are passionate.
9.Out the blue it
When you have done enough research, it’s absolutely fine to contact companies unexpectedly. Every company could use great interns (if not now, sometime soon), so make sure you are at the top of their list
10. Connections
Don’t be shy and stop yourself from contacting the people you know from that company. Maybe they can’t directly help, but any form of network will still work wonder!
To nail your coming mid-sem exam, you will need creativity – learn how to bullcrap right. To start up a great business idea, you will need creativity. To execute a grand marketing campaign, you will need creativity. Of course analytical and logical thinking is also important, but being creative seems to have a cooler vibe. Why not pick up this skill and capture it into something great?
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