A Day in the Life of a Freelance ID with Nicole Stephens

TL;DR

Nicole shares her journey as a freelance instructional designer, offering insights and tips for success.

Transcript

all right hey everyone we are live today we're here with nicole stevens hi nicole hi um we're we're both happy to be here and nicole it's gonna be casual we're gonna be great um but yeah so the topic of today is a day in the life of a freelance instructional designer so i met nicole at the beginning of last year in the boot camp nicole put together... Read More

Key Insights

• 🍝 Leveraging past experiences and multifaceted skills is beneficial in freelance instructional design careers.
• 💪 Building strong client relationships and offering unique skills like QA work can lead to diverse project opportunities.
• 🤩 Strategic project planning, routine schedules, and solid communication are key to freelance success.
• 💦 Maintaining a balance between work streams, such as ID and development tasks, can enhance productivity and client satisfaction.
• 🇨🇷 Financial stability and managing upfront costs are crucial considerations for freelance success.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Nicole find QA work as a freelancer?

Nicole leveraged a project retrospective discussion to highlight her QA skills, leading to a client offering her QA work and a substantial project opportunity.

Q: Were Nicole's financial expectations as a freelancer met?

Nicole initially experienced upfront costs and delays in payment, but eventually found exceeding financial success by managing multiple projects efficiently.

Q: What insights did Nicole share about the importance of networkin and client relationships in freelancing?

Nicole emphasized the significance of building strong client relationships, leveraging past projects, and having open conversations to translate skills into new opportunities.

Q: How did Nicole manage the balance between instructional design and e-learning development in her freelance work?

Nicole strategically scheduled her workload, focusing on one ID role and supplementing with smaller development tasks, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Nicole's career path evolved from software engineer to instructional designer with a focus on creative solutions in various sectors.

• After a break to raise a family, she returned to the workforce, excelling in projects in the corporate and K-12 education spaces.

• Transitioning to freelancing, Nicole strategically built her portfolio, networked, and welcomed the challenge of managing multiple projects efficiently.