You Got This: Surviving and Thriving in Today’s Content Market as a Freelancer

Our chaotic gig economy makes finding a full-time job with benefits hard. Are you afraid to take a contract job while you’re looking? Do you wonder how you’ll sleep at night, knowing your contract is only for three months? Have you seen all the people let go from full-time jobs pleading for work on LinkedIn?

This talk will show you how you can earn a living and forge a career in content design and strategy roles as a contractor. I’ll talk about the ups – higher hourly rates! – and the downs –no health insurance – and illuminate how you can take control of this uncertain situation.

The skills you need to survive and thrive as a contractor are the same ones you’d need in full-time work, but they can also help you stay nimble and relevant, with your ear to the ground. You’ll learn how to

• Grow and cultivate a network that supports and enriches you
• Pick up new skills even as a “temp” not worth the bother of training
• Build and convey your value, so you’re always employable

About Cynthia
As a freelance content strategist, Cynthia has worked in industries that range from technology to automobiles to healthcare. She has contributed to both interactive agencies and corporate, in-house teams. Much of the time, she has been brought in on projects with unrealistic timeframes and client expectations, usually at the last minute. Due to the challenge of finding and succeeding at work in an uncertain market, she has had to learn skills and build networks without the benefit of full-time employer support. She believes this has given her an advantage in this increasingly unstable market. Born, raised and educated in and around New York, she lives in Chicago with two very fluffy dogs.