Pursuing Entrepreneurship/Freelance Work

There are many opportunities for students who are interested in working for themselves rather than in the nine to five structured environment of an established employer. Two of those options are to become an entrepreneur or to do freelance work in a particular field.

• Entrepreneurship – Do you have the next great idea? A product, an app, or a service that people just can't live without? Are you passionate about a cause and hoping to start your own nonprofit grassroots organization? Pursuing an entrepreneurial path may be right for you.
• Freelance Positions – Like entrepreneurs, freelancers are self-employed. Freelancing is project based and you can be working for one or several clients at a time. Freelance possibilities are available in a wide variety of areas including graphic design, web development, writing, and translation.

Benefits

• Ability to choose the work you like to do
• Being the decision maker
• Flexibility to work in a way that best fits your skills and values
• The time to take the risk before mortgages and family obligations become more important

Resources

• Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship
• Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship
• Drexel Libraries – How to freelance

Next Steps

• Do some research
• Talk to your faculty and professional staff about becoming an entrepreneur or freelancer
• Use social media to network with alumni working in your field
• Consider initially working for someone or an organization to gain relevant industry knowledge