I was just curious who else has gone through what I did in the last few years. I started out in architectural design and after the downturn got into construction management. Now I have a full time job in CM but work as a freelance designer in the evenings and weekends mostly on residential projects. Now I am realizing that this is the way to go, putting all your eggs into the architecture basket is too risky. Thanks!
I took a new career as a teacher and invested as a partner in a private school during the downturn and now do both it and architecture too. It pays a base salary but I don't have to do any of the day to day work anymore and now I just help out with some marketing and admin stuff and then I do architecture part-time freelance for a few different firms and contractors in both residential and commercial from coast to coast. It's pretty fun. Since doing this, I've met a lot of other people with non-traditional career paths or multiple careers/multiple businesses and it's really exciting and inspiring. It's definitely the way to go if you can. Having multiple sources of income is far, far better than one - recession lesson.
From people I know or friends of friends mostly. I've gotten jobs from 2 archinectors, 4 small jobs from a firm I used to work full-time for, several jobs from a former classmate, a few schematic designs for a colleague of a former employee, a big job from a real estate developer I met through a friend, some small projects from a contractor friend, some small jobs for the husband of a friend, I did work for an archinector's cousin too.
But seriously, am also freelancing, but mostly from one full-time (32h recently) freelance gig to the next. Working also in evenings and weekends would just be too much, I enjoy having a life next to my work. That's the beauty of freelancing for me, I'm much more in control. But I can imagine if you're stuck in a line of work that's not very satisfying beyond the pay cheque that freelancing the odd job on the side is a way to keep the creative juices flowing...or something.
Jan 16, 17 4:18 am ·
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Changed career paths and still do freelance design work?
I was just curious who else has gone through what I did in the last few years. I started out in architectural design and after the downturn got into construction management. Now I have a full time job in CM but work as a freelance designer in the evenings and weekends mostly on residential projects. Now I am realizing that this is the way to go, putting all your eggs into the architecture basket is too risky. Thanks!
I took a new career as a teacher and invested as a partner in a private school during the downturn and now do both it and architecture too. It pays a base salary but I don't have to do any of the day to day work anymore and now I just help out with some marketing and admin stuff and then I do architecture part-time freelance for a few different firms and contractors in both residential and commercial from coast to coast. It's pretty fun. Since doing this, I've met a lot of other people with non-traditional career paths or multiple careers/multiple businesses and it's really exciting and inspiring. It's definitely the way to go if you can. Having multiple sources of income is far, far better than one - recession lesson.
I am interested in doing some freelance work myself.
there is a there - how did you go about getting the freelance gigs?
From people I know or friends of friends mostly. I've gotten jobs from 2 archinectors, 4 small jobs from a firm I used to work full-time for, several jobs from a former classmate, a few schematic designs for a colleague of a former employee, a big job from a real estate developer I met through a friend, some small projects from a contractor friend, some small jobs for the husband of a friend, I did work for an archinector's cousin too.
sounds like it is all about the network then!
Once I got one job, a bunch more came my way. Still isn't full time though, I have a kid at home so it is enough.
same here, got a 1 year old under my feet!
"Thanks!"
You're welcome? :-)
But seriously, am also freelancing, but mostly from one full-time (32h recently) freelance gig to the next. Working also in evenings and weekends would just be too much, I enjoy having a life next to my work. That's the beauty of freelancing for me, I'm much more in control. But I can imagine if you're stuck in a line of work that's not very satisfying beyond the pay cheque that freelancing the odd job on the side is a way to keep the creative juices flowing...or something.
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