Freelance Graphic Designer

Alexandra S. "As a freelance graphic designer I feel like I wear many hats on top of just designing things such as websites, print material, ads, etcs. Because I work for myself, I also spend my days interacting with clients (sales and project management) as well as invoicing (the financial side). But the most fun is when I have that all out of the way and I can put on some good music, open a design program like Photoshop, and start moving images, text and color blocks around to start building out a design."

Education

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Required License(s) None are needed, but anything extra you can show clients or a potential boss is always helpful. There are endless awards and certificates you can get to help boost your credibility.

Required Degree(s) None for freelance, but a BA or BFA for an entry-level position is required.

Importance of GPA not very important

Alexandra's Highest Degree: Bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Science)
Alexandra's College Major: BFA in Graphic Design/Photography and a BS in Communications
Alexandra's College GPA Range: 3.6-3.9

Salary

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For freelancing, the sky is the limit (and same goes for the low end). It really varies.

A word of advice for freelancers though: don't sell yourself short. If you have the talent, take what you want to make per hour and multiply that by at least 1.5—then charge that.

For a company, an entry level designer should be making around $35,000 - $40,000.

Getting the Job

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How did you get your job?

I worked for two different agencies for a total of four years while freelancing on the side. One day, I decided enough was enough with the desk job and rigid hours, and took the leap to full time freelancing. I had a couple small clients but nothing even close to enough to be able to pay my bills. But with a few months savings, the risk was more than worth it. I'm still not at the same income as I was at my last full-time job, but becoming my own boss was one of the best decisions I've ever made and the salary cut is more than worth it.

How important was networking to landing your position?

Networking was extremely important to land my agency positions—I was offered both jobs based on people I knew recommending me. Once someone a company trusts says you're the best for the job, the interview process is so simple. For freelancing, I network all the time when I'm looking for new clients. To be a freelance designer, you really need to feel comfortable talking to people.

Life on the Job

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What is a typical day (or week) for you like?

Being my own boss, no two days are ever the same—which I love. Some days I focus on my blog (myurbanfamily.com), some days I focus on design work. Others are split between the two. There are days when I spend most of my time on Skype with clients and there are other days when I lose 6 hours in a design and realize I skipped lunch. Because every hour I put into my job directly translates to income, I also adjust my hours based on need or how busy I am that week. Some weeks are slow and I'll take a day off. Others I end up working 8-5 and then again 10-1 am.

Does being a woman affect any aspect of your career?

Yes. This may sound generic, but when you have clients, some tend to not feel your opinion weighs as much because you are a woman. Which always makes me laugh because design is such a visual concept and those types of clients are usually the ones who will also admit that their wife decorates their home because that is a feminine thing to do. Sometimes the correlation is lost.

What is the best thing about your job?

Making my own hours and being (mostly) in control of how much or little I make at a given time.

What is the worst thing about your job?

Ha, same as above. Not having a 401k, health insurance, and set vacation days can be a downside as well.

How demanding is your job?

Dealing with clients is the most demanding part mentally. And if you're working in an office environment, you generally don't have as much of a hands on experience there.

Do you have any advancement opportunities?

In the agency world, you generally move from entry-level designer, to senior-level, and then to creative director if you're looking for another step up. Many designers are happy to stop at the senior-level though. For freelancing, you really have full control of how and when you want to grow.

Advice for You

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What are the skills, characteristics, or talents that are most important to be effective in your position?

Having an open mind, creative instinct, and knowing how to communicate with others is very important. Also, clients can't always tell you very clearly what they want until they see something visual. Being open to criticism and having dialog back and forth is important.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a career like yours?

If you're going the freelance route, make sure you have some savings to fall back on in the start. It's an uphill climb, but so worth it.

If you could do it over again, would you still pursue the same career?

Yes!

Follow Up

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Digital Marketing Consultant

Tami B. "I help small businesses and startups market themselves online. Their goal is to reach customers and sell something, like a new product, a service, an app, etc., but they don't really know where to begin. I help them set up and manage their online presence, which might include their website, an e-commerce store, social media platforms, email campaigns, and more."

Education

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Required License(s) None

Required Degree(s) Bachelor's degree

Importance of GPA not very important

Tami's Highest Degree: Bachelor's degree (Bachelor of the Arts)
Tami's College Major: Telecommunication
Tami's College GPA Range: 3.6-3.9

Salary

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Depends on Experience

$25,000 - $30,000 for entry-level

$100,000+ for senior-level

Getting the Job

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How did you get your job?

I began my career right out of college as a TV news reporter (that's what I went to school for). I spent five years in TV before making the transition into public relations, which allowed for a much less stressful work schedule. Public relations is a common transition for people coming from journalism jobs. I got a job at a PR/advertising agency, and while working there realized I wanted to hone in on digital services (aka online). I started taking freelance clients on the side, and when I felt comfortable with my freelance income I left my full-time job to work for myself as a consultant.

How important was networking to landing your position?

It wasn't necessarily very useful for landing my position, but it's very useful in getting new clients. Nearly all of my clients have been referred to me by a mutual friend or colleague, so it helps to know people in a wide variety of fields.

Life on the Job

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What is a typical day (or week) for you like?

Since I work for myself, my schedule is very flexible. I prefer to keep normal(ish) working hours, but work naturally creeps in on nights and weekends. A typical day might consist of creating and scheduling social media posts for clients, writing and posting blog posts, coordinating promotions or sales, writing and scheduling marketing emails, meeting with clients to plan our strategy, and doing my own admin "stuff" like accounting and billing. Sometimes I spend the day outside the office doing fun stuff like a photo shoot or media interview. Occasionally I travel for work to attend events or meet in person with an out-of-state client.

How closely does your typical day (or week) match up to the general "job description" for your position?

I'd say it's a pretty standard digital marketing job, though people in this field tend to specialize on one thing or another. For example, I have a heavy workload of social media clients, while another digital marketing professional might do more search engine optimization or website development

Does being a woman affect any aspect of your career?

On a day-to-day basis, it doesn't, but there have been times when I've needed to assert myself or "prove" myself simply because I was the only woman in a group of men. Thankfully these times have been few and far between.

What is the best thing about your job?

Being my own boss and knowing that my successes are the direct result of my own hard work.

What is the worst thing about your job?

Dealing with the ever-changing demands of clients.

How demanding is your job?

Working for yourself is incredibly demanding in terms of time. For the first year I worked many, many nights and weekends. That gets better with time, though. There are periods where it's very mentally challenging. When things aren't going so well, you don't have anyone but yourself to blame or turn to for support. But, I'd say there are far more high points than there are lows.

Do you have any advancement opportunities?

Working for yourself is interesting because it's up to you to create the "next step" in your career. For me, that might mean hiring full-time employees and growing into a full-fledged agency. Or, someone in my position might opt to go back into the corporate world as a marketing director for a major company. I've spent so much time helping other startups launch THEIR product lines that that's a very interesting option for me. I could see potentially creating and launching my own product or service OUTSIDE of marketing, and building an entirely different company.

Advice for You

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What are the skills, characteristics, or talents that are most important to be effective in your position?

Working well with many different personalities, being able to manage various projects that each have their own deadline, being motivated enough to work even when you don't have a "boss" to answer to.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a career like yours?

Regarding working for yourself, absolutely go for it. If you have an inkling that you want to be self-employed, you most likely won't be fully satisfied in any job until you are. Regarding marketing, be a sponge and learn everything you can, even if it means you won't make that much money right away. My time in TV and at a PR agency were both critical in putting me in the position to be able to eventually take on my own clients.

If you could do it over again, would you still pursue the same career?

Probably, yes.

Follow Up

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Patent Agent

Nicole C. "I help inventors patent their inventions. Specifically, I help technical people describe their inventions in a patent application, which is submitted to the US Patent Office. I then assist the inventors throughout prosecution of the application (i.e., the process of  turning the patent application into a patent)."

Education

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Required License(s) Must pass the Patent Bar Exam

Required Degree(s) A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in science or technology, and usually some sort of advanced degree

Importance of GPA very important

Nicole's Highest Degree: Bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Science)
Nicole's College Major: Biochemistry
Nicole's College GPA Range: 3.6-3.9

Salary

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Depends on Experience

$50,000 - $200,000

Getting the Job

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How did you get your job?

I first got a job as a paralegal for an intellectual property boutique law firm in Chicago, where I soaked up as much as I could about patent law while I studied for the Patent Bar Exam. After I passed the Patent Bar Exam, I moved to Washington, DC, to take a job as a patent agent for a general practice law firm. A year and a half later, I  moved to Florida with my fiance and became a self-employed consulting patent agent, although I still work closely with the same DC-based firm.

How important was networking to landing your position?

Incredibly important. Although I had passed the Patent Bar Exam, I had essentially no experience when I was hired by the DC-based law firm. However, I had reached out to one of the partners at that law firm (via a mutual friend) prior to passing the Patent Bar Exam, and she recommended me for the job. Without that connection, my resume likely would not have even been considered.

Life on the Job

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What is a typical day (or week) for you like?

Most of my day is spent in front of the computer writing papers. Most of these papers are essentially "arguments" that I'll submit to patent examiners at the Patent Office (i.e., the people who review patent applications and decide if they are patentable). That is, using a combination of legal and technical arguments, I try to convince the examiners that our patent application describes a new invention. My favorite part of my job, however, is talking to inventors about their invention, and then describing that invention in a new patent application. Of course, I do spend some time each week on administrative-type tasks (e.g., managing my docket, creating invoices, filling out formal paperwork from the Patent Office), but luckily those tasks do not take an enormous amount of time.

How closely does your typical day (or week) match up to the general "job description" for your position?

Pretty standard for a patent agent who works in a law firm. Although I am technically self-employed, I work closely with the patent attorneys at the DC-based law firm where I had previously worked, and essentially work with the same clients I had been working with prior to becoming a consultant. So although I work from home, my day-to-day is not a lot different than if I was a law firm employee. (Except now, I don't wear pants.)

Does being a woman affect any aspect of your career?

No, not really. Although I work primarily with men, I haven't felt that I've been treated differently because I am a woman.

What is the best thing about your job?

I get to write and argue all day, which are two of my favorite things to do. (A quality my fiance finds endearing, I'm sure.)

What is the worst thing about your job?

Urgent, "surprise" deadlines are not uncommon. Although I enjoy my job, it can be enormously stressful at times.

How demanding is your job?

It fluctuates between pull-out-my-hair stressful and surprisingly laid back, depending on how many applications I'm working on. The only constant demand is time management; there's a sweet spot between working all night and  full-out procrastination that can be difficult to find when you work from home.

Do you have any advancement opportunities?

Not as a patent agent. I can move laterally (e.g., I can work for a company instead of with a law firm), become entirely self-sufficient (e.g., get my own clients instead of working with the DC-based firm's clients), and/or become a more "senior" patent agent (meaning I could get a raise), but my title will always be "patent agent." I can, however, get a law degree, which would make me a "patent attorney" instead of a "patent agent." Although this would not change my job in terms of prosecuting patent applications, it would allow me to do some things that I cannot legally do now (e.g., represent someone in court or give legal opinions). If I were to become a patent attorney, I could definitely advance from there (e.g., become a partner at a law firm). However, the transition from agent to attorney is more of a job change than it is a real advancement.

Advice for You

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What are the skills, characteristics, or talents that are most important to be effective in your position?

Most importantly, you should be a strong writer. It also helps if you are able to see the big picture instead of getting caught up in details. (Although you can't completely ignore details either.) Having a solid understanding of whatever technology you are focusing on is also helpful.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a career like yours?

Network your butt off. Talk to as many patent-related people as you can, and learn as much as possible from them. If you're still in school, focus on your GPA. Think about becoming an examiner for the Patent Office if you're having a hard time getting hired as a patent agent. (Many people I work with started out this way.) And most importantly, remember that there's no "right way" to get started with this career. When I started, almost everyone told me that I would need some sort of advanced degree to get hired, which just wasn't true. If you want it and you're willing to work for it, you can make it happen.

If you could do it over again, would you still pursue the same career?

At this point, absolutely. I genuinely enjoy what I do, and like it more as I gain more experience.

Follow Up

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