5 Reasons You Need To Freelance To Land Your Dream Job

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For most job seekers the longer you search for a job the more financial stress you’re under. Not only that, but long employment gaps also raise red flags for hiring managers. So how do you take time to find the right job and stay afloat?

If you’ve been on a long job search and need a way to make money that doesn’t include the phrase “Do you want fries with that,” consider becoming a freelancer while you look.

Freelancing will do more than help you pay the bills during your job search. Here are five ways freelance work, during your job search, can actually help you land your dream job:

1. Freelance work keeps your skills sharp

One of the reasons hiring managers get nervous about employment gaps on a resume is that they’re worried you haven’t kept your skills sharp.

Taking on freelance work gives you a chance to hone your skills. Whether you’re a writer, designer or chef, freelance work helps keep you engaged and up to date in your industry, and prepares you for anything an interviewer may throw at you. For the best results, look for short-term projects that will help you grow professionally and showcase your talents for potential employers.

2. Freelance work helps you develop new skills

Keeping your skills sharp is one thing, but what if you could develop new skills to add to your resume while you’re job searching? Freelance work gives you that opportunity.

Freelancing can be a great way to get yourself out of your comfort zone. Take on projects that you know you can handle, but that will also challenge your skills. Learn everything you can from every person you interact with and every project you complete…especially the projects that mirror what you’d be doing at your dream job. This way, as you’re working with new people, clients and industries, you’ll be able to develop new skills that may help you land your dream job.

3. Freelance work helps you build your portfolio

Freelance work doesn’t just help you with your skills, it also helps you build your portfolio — especially if you’re recently graduated or switching careers.

Often times, job seekers spend months networking, searching job boards and submitting resumes to find a job, but they forget that they still need to show a hiring manager why they are the right person for the job. Doing freelance work while you’re job searching allows you to build an up-to-date portfolio that highlights your skills for potential employers and shows them why you’re the right choice.

4. Freelance work helps you make connections

At CareerShift, we truly believe that networking is the most important job search strategy any job seeker can employ. Not only is it the number one way recruiters find candidates, but it exposes you to people who can help shape your career. Freelancing connects you to different companies and professionals in your industry that may be able to help you find your dream job.

Searching for freelance work is all about making connections with different hiring managers and industry professionals, just like networking during your job search. For a job seeker that’s actively freelancing, keeping in touch with the people you work with and the hiring managers you talk to could mean the difference between just freelancing for the company you love and being the first to hear about a permanent opportunity that could be yours.

5. You may love it

We promised five ways doing freelance work while you’re job searching could help you land your dream job, and here’s number five: freelance work could be your dream job!

There’s a reason 53 million Americans are freelance workers. Freelance work provides many people with the freedom and flexibility they are looking for in a career without all the corporate structure and red tape. You never know, once you start taking on freelance work during your job search, you may end up loving it like 53 million other Americans.

If you’re worried about having an employment gap on your resume or you simply need a little money to keep you going during your job search, consider taking on some freelance work. Not only can it help you find your dream job, but you may just find that freelancing is the dream job you’re looking for.

Be sure to check back next week as we take a closer look at how to identify and secure freelance work.

Have you done freelance work during your job search? How did it help you? What advice do you have for job seekers who want to start freelancing?