This past weekend, my family and I attended numerous high school graduation parties. It was wonderful to chat with these recent graduates, especially listening to them enthusiastically discuss plans to further their education either in college or the military. This got me to thinking: am I as passionate about my freelancing? How am I furthering my education as a freelancer? I have really enjoyed the freelance work I have done so far and feel I have grown in my skillset. That said, I can see areas where I could improve even further and move into new freelancing areas. Have you thought about your freelancing education? Are you self taught, or do you have a degree in your field (art, writing, graphics, editing, etc.)?
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. – Chinese Proverb
We all continually learn through practice and experience. There are also books, videos, and free online courses for furthering our education. What I want to discuss is formal education to improve our freelancing skills. Have you pondered returning to college or a tech school to take classes in your freelancing field or even to pursue another degree or certificate?
I discussed earlier a desire to add editing and manual writing to my proofreading freelance work. To increase my skills and experience in editing and writing, I am putting some serious thought into reinvesting some of my freelance earnings into college courses. Two colleges nearby offer writing programs and an online program in copyediting that was recommended to me.
- Taylor University has a Professional Writing degree program that includes courses on editing
- Taylor University Online offers a Certificate in Professional Writing
- Ivy Tech offers courses in Composition and Creative Writing
- UC San Diego Online certificate in Copyediting
I have even reached out to the Taylor University Professional Writing department to see if they might be interested in offered a Certificate in Professional Copyediting. I am really curious your thoughts on continuing your education to enhance your freelancing. If you have pursued continuing education, did you find it opened up more freelancing opportunities for you?