I’ve done a few posts about part time freelancing over the past few weeks, and I hope they’ve made sense. Breaking into freelancing as a part timer is a viable option for some, as is actually STAYING part time. One thing I haven’t really discussed is how to actually compete with all the fulltime freelancers out there.

Honestly, its simple. You need to have a good story. You need to be able to let people know why you are the right one for the job, no matter how many projects you accept or how much time you spend on them.  A great story told by a part time freelancer will always beat a mediocre story by a fulltime freelancer, or a fulltime professional for that matter. You just need to find the right people to tell your story to.

Don’t craft your story and jump right in and start flinging it around, either. Once you have your story, put it out there and see if anything happens. You can always tweak your story as you go along if you notice something that’s attracting the wrong types of assignments. Don’t be afraid of anything that comes to you. You are never under any obligation to accept something that is offered to you. Don’t wait too long to find something though, because that may mean your story needs some work.

Some people would say to find a freelancing network site and concentrate on the short term or smaller payout jobs, because the full time folks don’t want those. Bullshit. A fulltimer is just as likely to take something they can fire off quickly if they have the time and the skills to do it. Go after those long term deals, and you can use your part time status as an advantage. I’m not going to tell you how. You need to use your story to tell a potential client why you are the one for the job.

To tie back to my earlier posts, do your thing, don’t do something because you feel you have to, or because it’s presented. Be yourself; don’t try to be someone else, because you are not. Don’t be afraid to take that no pay assignment or offer up yourself for no pay at first — but don’t forget to ask for recommendations if you do free work — they can be, and usually are more valuable than money.

You can compete with anyone, even if the next job is your first one. If the job is right for you, and your story shows that, it doesn’t matter who the other people are, the job is yours. Take it.