Why do people all have to have a goal? What are we doing in life that brings meaning to us and how or why do we do it? What paths have you taken in order to get closer to your goal or further from your goal? Have you had set backs? Or have you gained a following? how hard was it to network with others?
Graduating from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA Cartoon degree in 2019 was rough. I was entering the job market during a time of mass unemployment – with research showing that only 18% of graduates had secured jobs, compared to the usual 60% – and the creative industries I was hoping to become a part of were seriously suffering. Mass strikes from writers, to behind the scene crew, comic artists leaving the fields and Broadway (stage performers) and Voice actors/actresses, animators alike all striking and including the A.I aspects of the jobs being taken by bots and such.
I knew it was going to take a long time to find a job, but I couldn’t bear the thought of spending all of my time editing CVs and writing cover letters. So with little understanding of what freelancing actually was.
I started building myself up, working on various side projects and meeting other creative artists, ranging from Cosplay at NYCC to photographers and videographers and realizing that the job market has put a lot of strain on the whole industry of various artists- like myself the courses in college never really talked about how to network or get out and network with others to get the "dream job" all you were told is "once you graduate and earn this degree you will get a job" boy was that wrong.
However, slowly but surely, I started to get into travelling every two years since working part time and earning a bit on the side that it helped fund some small trips and adventures to expand my horizons. I started to get into Photography and video making again though I have no following or experience I figured that many artists like my self have had to start somewhere I mean look at Youtube at the very beginning one year in - people used flip phones and ipods (or old CD players and radios of the 90s and early 2000's) to make videos with technology that (new generations - X, Z, Alpha - from my experience and perspective - but could be wrong through) don't understand the old youtube was built on creative people experimenting and having fun and just being themselves.
So now I'm building or rebuilding and rebranding myself as an artist and going out more to get experience through networking and going to events. I’m so grateful I have a part time job (though I don't enjoy it its something to help with getting funds to do the projects and such on the side) but freelancing allowed me to build up skills and experiences I don’t think I would have gained in a typical graduate role. Though right now the job market seems far out of reach that doesn't mean that social media or networking cant help get that "foot in the door" job you want, its about building ones self and taking any chance that comes your way, and college taught me a lot but there were some things that collage left out in my mind since 2019-
Networking
One reason freelancing is so beneficial as a recent graduate is that it allows you to network with a wide range of people. Particularly when in-person events are limited and most companies are still encouraging work from home, it’s a difficult time to network when you first enter an industry, especially if you don’t live in a big city like New York or Los Angeles.
Even though communication is mostly virtual as a freelancer, sending out pitches to employers or getting involved with the freelance community on Twitter or Instagram or even Comic Con events or art related events and such - is a great way to make connections. In fact, reaching out to a film crew or agency in acting as Background character or helping a new collage grad with a thesis film project or photographer with a photo shoot and regularly freelancing for them helped or applying to any positions that are offered.
Though be careful and research who the business is or where they are located and make sure its the actual business - I have had a few bad experiences with applying online and so networking in person is beneficial - but making it a habit of going in person and networking in person is even better it shows insinuative and drive to want to work.
Creativity
A varied freelance portfolio is an amazing way to demonstrate your adaptability to employers. Building up a portfolio also proves your creativity, potentially more so than most entry-level roles, which often involve administrative tasks and restrict the extent to which you can explore the things that interest you.
Being freelance keeps my creative juices flowing and helps me stay in touch with what I really care about. And although as a new freelancer you might have to take on some work you’re not particularly excited about, sourcing your own work means that there will almost definitely be opportunities to work on projects that you are interested in.
creating and pitching new perspectives is a big part of being freelance and although more time spent pitching often means less time spent designing the new ideas, pitching is a fantastic exercise for creativity. It taught me how to express my ideas interestingly, clearly and succinctly, which is an invaluable skill. Building the portfolio that evolves with you and can become the backbone of future ideas is essential with being creative, sure there are many copycats and old becomes new again idea. But remember that where the new ideas came from have to have some form of inspiration from the past so- without creativity and diversity, and new styles of art and freelancing have evolved with the changing times, as such - instead of copying a video or art - use it to develop your own style - which is what I am doing currently.
Healthy work-life balance and time management
Being a freelancer also allows you to figure out when and where you are most creative. though finding that area of field and what feels like your niche is difficult getting to that sweet spot of finding your area of creativity possible - freelancing straight from Collage has helped me develop my skills and establish healthy boundaries with work from the get-go. Freelancing gives you the freedom to discover how you work best without the structure of a 9-5. Though having some work experience (from having worked and still am working in retail part time) does help you understand the ins and outs of work esthetics and communication skills that are key to being professional with job interviews or communicating with clients freelance helps greatly.
Many people feel uninspired or lack motivation when they first graduate, so being able to work on your own terms can help prevent this, as well as making the transition from student to working life easier.
Plus, figuring out your own hours and setting your own deadlines can improve your time management skills. You’ll be able to figure out how long it actually takes you to complete tasks, as well as building up pace in the way you work in order to meet deadlines.
Varied business skills
As a freelancer, you’ll also have to manage many different tasks at once, building up skills that you might not even realize you’ll need in later parts of your career. When freelancing, there aren’t accounts, sales, or HR departments that will do the nitty-gritty of the business admin work for you. There’s rarely someone fighting in your corner to help with these types of tasks and issues; you must be comfortable tackling everything on your own. Having to tackle the competitive job market and finding a balance with freelance and part time work, and getting vetted and past the crazy HR or business tests that weed out anyone who is looking for work. Trying to build a diverse portfolio and network helps with standing out from others and having unique perspectives on
Jasmine MacPhee is the founder of the platform, Find Your Intern (which sadly ended 2 years ago since looking it up in 2025), she designed to help recent graduates find paid work. Jasmine champions freelancing as a potential option for graduates. “As a freelancer, you are basically a business and you learn every single phase of business from building a brand, updating a website, finding work and getting paid. These hard skills are what every employer needs,” she says.
“Freelancing also helps you develop confidence, self-promotion skills, resilience and self-motivation,” Jasmine continues. “All of these freelance skills build an incredible creative person that every brand or business would want on board.”
Freelancing was the perfect way to expose myself to a wide range of disciplines and tasks. ”I’ve been able to build a diverse skill set within my main field and related fields, and I’m confident I would not have been able to do that as easily within traditional employment - which in some cases can work for those who are unable to work the traditional 9-5, in my case I have a bit of funds to help with my freelancing that I was able to develop skills and communicate better because I work in retail part time, everyone is different and have unique situation and from that all work at their own speed.
Self-worth
If you have recently graduated, you might find the idea of setting your own rates as a freelancer daunting. But many self-employed people acknowledge that doing so has helped them to learn to value their own worth, which is an incredibly useful thing to learn at the start of your career.
I’ve learnt the importance of being able to communicate the value of my work to clients. Whether you’re an artist, writer or social media manager like me, you have to be able to explain how your work contributes to clients’ wider business goals, explaining that this has allowed her to respect herself more while also gaining a better understanding of her industry.
Whether you’re unsure of the exact path you want to go down and want to explore your options, you’re looking for a way to work flexibly or watching paint dry seems preferable to writing another cover letter, exploring freelancing as a graduate might just be the best way to kickstart your career.
Results and thoughts
Your goals keep changing and that is okay but knowing that weather being a freelancer or a 9-5 is your aspiration getting there is a hard path and developing the skills and time is draining, I've submitted resumes to about 800+ jobs and still going. Knowing that I'm not alone in the job hunt and that other artists are struggling as well its more about finding your own voice and standing out which is hard to do- I know I'm still doing that myself, but as a freelancer I have learned more and working part time helped me develop skills in work essential tasks and management as well as communication
Since 2019 I don't think anyone had a clue that a global pandemic would have come, or that the job markets shifting day by day or that even various art strikes occurring within the last 2 years would have occurred- It seems bleak and hopeless right now, but there are opportunities to work for myself I've been using Backstage and Facebook groups related to film crew and photography and other art related skills that can help me find a well paying job while working freelance I've been expanding my network meeting other artists and filming more to show I can do various things and building my portfolio again and rebranding myself, all it is learning and exploring new possibilities.
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