Finding local freelance jobs to help kickstart a dream career

Freelance jobs can give college students and graduates the experience they need. Photo: Taelar Pollmann The Sentry

Tips for working towards a dream job before (and after) graduating

“What do you plan on doing after you graduate college?”

This one question has sent college students’ stress levels sky high since the inception of the public university system. With a hyper–competitive job market, quick job turnover, and qualification requirements that discourage those who are breaking into their job fields from applying, this question may seem tough to answer. Thankfully, the answer may be at graduates’ fingertips.

Freelancing, or the idea that a person works for different companies at different times rather than being exclusively employed at a single company, has gained immense popularity in the working world. Having the freedom to move from occupation to occupation without attachment to a certain corporation has attracted creatives, computer scientists, writers, marketers, and others to expand their career profiles. Freelance jobs allow college students or those with limited experience to begin working in their dream careers without years of expertise.

For those in the field of writing, freelance journalism jobs have created a way for writers to gain experience while also building a name for themselves through their published works. In today’s climate as well, writing with a craft that requires practice and a seasoned portfolio finds breaking into the journalism field to be intimidating and difficult. However, many blogs, which have also gained popularity, as well as other online publications hire freelance journalists who have some experience in journalism to write for their platform. As a result, writers can improve their work with various jobs on reporting on current events or even reviewing a product. Soon, the journalist is able to build their writing profile into a good reflection of their skill sets with published articles to back up their experiences.

While creatives have a portfolio to showcase their work, many analytical jobs, such as marketing and data research, require many years of experience to remain competitive in the job market. To do this, analytical types should consider seeking contract jobs or internships at non-profits where they can gain experience in their field of choice, while also adding acts of service to their resumes. Many cities have numerous non-profits for various causes and are happy to onboard qualified college students into their organization to help with research, creative marketing strategy, accounting, membership analysis, and more.

Using the resources available to students is paramount in discovering freelance and contract jobs in and around Denver. CU Denver uses a convenient career and research platform called Handshake. There, students can sign up by inputting their interests, career path, and time dedication into the site where it will curate a list of potential job opportunities. Student can pick and choose from the different listings and apply to all that interest them.

To find their next career move and be on the path to their dream job, students should visit Handshake at ucdenver.joinhandshake.com.