You can’t get clients without a portfolio, agree? But you haven’t got a portfolio because you don’t have clients. Familiar situation?
All new freelancer starting the same. The truth is that almost no paying clients will hire you without a portfolio or resume of some kind. The good news is that you can build your portfolio from nothing – thousands of people have done it before you.
First – you need to shift your mindset away from “job seeker” to “professional.” Your relationship to clients is not like your relationship to an employer. You are an independent professional providing a specific set of valuable services. You are giving clients solutions to their problems. You are not going to be trained, you are not going to be guided. The more you act like a job seeker – seeking validation for who you are rather than acting as a trustworthy expert – the harder it will be to find the kinds of clients you want.
This is something that’s hard to understand for new freelancers. But it’s imperative that you treat yourself the way you want to be treated by clients.
And second – Your portfolio is more important than your resume. While your client list is important, new freelancers can go very far with a solid, well-rounded portfolio. The quality of your work will get you gigs – so don’t despair that your resume looks sparse.
So, you read our advice, made these steps, and now the next stage – get your first clients.