4
min. reading time

The Pros and Cons of being a 3d Freelancer

a desk with tea a book and a laptop

A few bus changes, then a quick walk, and you're at work. Arriving at a full office on the outskirts of town, it's about 8:30 in the morning. It's a normal routine, but starting the day in a hurry can feel stressful. There's no wonder, you may start looking for a way to avoid it. On top of that, being the good worker that you are, You stay late and come in on weekends. Perhaps the thought crosses your mind "what if I stopped rushing to an inconveniently located office and stayed to work at home? Perhaps even without getting out of my favourite pjs?"

Getting into freelance work can create a new reality for you. It may be possible to do much more, in significantly less time. The pjs though, you can decide for yourself.

It's worth the risk to try!

It might be seen as dangerous to leave your office job in a heartbeat. So it's recommended to try freelancing in your spare time to see if it works for you first, then slowly transition fully with more ease. This can only be appropriate if you find a part-time job, holding two full-time positions at the same time will be overwhelming and it is always a bad idea to sacrifice sleep. For me personally, it was a different story. I left my office job and didn't look back. I had to be resolute in my decision, even if I had no guarantee of success. If my attempts to work at home instead of the office failed, then I had made my choice. You can follow my lead, but I recommend going with the former.


Don't be afraid of taking the lead

At first, it can be difficult to find a permanent freelance remote job or to build up and improve the flow of commissions. If you are used to doing routine work in an office, you will likely find that now your list of duties has greatly expanded. It is essential to manage your time wisely. It's not only necessary to search for new clients, but to also keep up correspondence with old ones. You'll need to negotiate and finalise contracts with every customer, keep accounting books updated, and take care of your own financial security. Self-confidence in your skills, the ability to properly assess the complexity of a project, and the time frame for its implementation will be essential.


Keep improving your skills

Professional skills need to be high. In the office, you were a part of a team and certain skills were sufficient. At home, you're doing everything on your own and you're competing with all the top freelancers out there. Maybe you're lucky enough to have someone close to you who is also involved in the same kind of work as you, someone to learn with and bounce ideas off of. But if not, then you'll have to do this completely for yourself. Online 3D courses were a good head start for me.. These helped to raise my level of work and get me my first orders. Information is also available in the public domain for free. However, organised work within a paid course provides a structured delivery of information and will not only lift your skills but help you get used to client deadlines.


Everything's under control

You have to be prepared for a storm of criticism. Working in a new and uncertain environment where the flow of orders is unstable with varied and demanding clients, every offhand remark can shake your confidence. Don’t let that happen.

You have to be a little tough. Don't forget that freelancing is still a job; it's not computer games or pointless surfing on the Internet. Stay focused on building your remote career.

Don’t be scared of change

People can be wary of change, and that is natural. Distance work is what has allowed people with health problems or disabilities to work in the 3d design profession. Even if you are just a night owl or suffer from mild morning sickness, you will certainly appreciate the advantages of remote work. It is difficult to disagree that the distance between the bed and the home computer is much shorter than the distance from the bed to the office. For many people, this argument sounds pretty convincing. Remote work implies that even if you perform the same duties as an office, you will also have many secondary tasks aimed at organising your work. If you don’t have a problem with self-discipline, (perhaps you can just calmly put down the book in the middle of a story or not watch another episode of your favourite TV series) - then maybe remote work is for you.


Table of Content
Subscribe to our designer newsletter

Subscribe now to receive all important information and announcements.

Become part of our talented 3D designer community!

Join the RenderThat Talent Network to get access to exclusive projects, fun at work, and remote working opportunities. Get connected with top companies and showcase your talent across the world.