Design Thought Leader

Freelancers know how to hustle. As a freelancer, you can’t afford to become irrelevant, because that could mean that the next gig will never come. Freelancers are constantly networking, marketing, and staying on top of the latest and greatest tools and news in their field to make themselves the go-to person for a certain kind of service or expertise. Good freelancers live on their toes. They’re adaptable to changing opportunities, and can quickly shift gears, evaluate different jobs, refer potential clients to their freelancer friends, and chat at the virtual watercooler about who needs what. Freelancers know when it’s time to pull an all-nighter and when they can take an afternoon off to catch a matinee. Freelancers don’t put their careers on cruise control for long periods of time because they’re setting the course—not their boss or company.

Gina Trapani
Founding Editor, Lifehacker.com