10 things your college degree won’t do for your freelance business

As a child growing up, I think we’ve all heard the same story – graduate high school, go to college, build a family, retire. But lets face it, we’re not in that same time anymore where that is the perfect life we all build. The younger generation now is growing up wanting to have the freedom to do what they want, when they want. The freelance lifestyle supports that fully – if it’s done right.

College is pushed on almost every high school student – but does it really benefit those of us who want to freelance? In this article I am going to point out ten things that your college degree won’t do for your freelance business. If you can think of any more, feel free to leave a comment and let us know.

It will not get you clients

So you’ve got a piece of paper that says you passed some classes – now what? That piece of paper is NOT going to just instantly grant you access to clients, you’re going to have to get out there, pound the pavement and get in their faces and let them know who you are, why you are great at what you do and why they should hire you; the degree will not do that for you.

It will not be your portfolio

Your college degree might look good (and even be required) if you’re applying for a full time job, but this is a freelance site, so I am assuming you won’t be. That piece of paper means ZERO when it comes to applying for a freelance job – they want to see what you can do, not that you’ve taken some classes.

It will not pay your bills

You need paper to pay for your bills – but not the type of paper that your college degree comes on. No matter how many classes you’ve taken or what type of degree you have, without actually doing client work, you will never be able to pay your bills.

It will not build a solid network

You will meet people in college, so technically, the college experience will build a bit of a network, but you are not guaranteed to build a network of people who will be able to help you grow your business – they might just all be in the same position as you, working hard to get ahead (do you see the pattern of ‘work’ in this article yet?)

It will not market your business

Thinking outside the box and creating edgy marketing campaigns will not happen just because you’ve got a college degree. You are born with that creativity and out of the box thinking.

It will not give you stability

Over time, building a solid client base and referral (word of mouth) base is what will build the stability in your business. Your college degree does not promise stability, jobs and a steady paycheck as a freelancer – the hard work you put in does.

It will not give you instant credibility

You want to build a name for yourself in the community you are working in. How do you do that? You guessed it – hard work, great customer service and transparency. The college degree will NOT give people a sense of security when working with you, so make sure you are not banking on that to happen.

It will not make you rich overnight

A college degree would work well if you were looking for a full time job, but again, we’re discussing what it can do for your freelance career – and it will definitely NOT make you rich overnight. There are a lot of people who believe that a college degree means instant success and riches – here, in the real world, it does not.

It will not set you apart from others in your field

Nowadays, everyone has amazing design skills, creative logo designs & highly intellectual writing abilities. What will that college degree do for you to help you stand out from them? If you cannot compete with them, the college degree is NOT going to help you out at all.

It will not do the work for you

Yes, you went to college for four years (or two, or six or however many years it was). Yes, you have a college degree. That will NOT open up photoshop and design websites for you. It will NOT open up open office and write articles for you. It will NOT open up illustrator and design logos for you. YOU are the person who has to put in the hard work. You can put in the hard work with or without the degree – but without the hard work, the degree means nothing.