Production.

As a freelancer, a significant amount of my "free" time is spent looking for work.  Nowadays, that means sending out emails.  Sometimes, they include my availability.  Sometimes, they include questions that I have been meaning to ask.  Sometimes, they are just simple hello's.  All this to keep all five of my bookers thinking of me.  That's it.  Just thinking of me.  Because when a new job pops up, I want to be at the forefront of their minds.

And it works.

It works so well that four out of the five companies I work for have me as part of the core group of go-to cooks.  It's a great feeling.  And it helps prevent me from worrying about where my income will be generated.  Or if there will be any income to begin with.

Which is why I am convinced that a lot of my fellow freelancers are lying when they say that they do contact the bookers for work and claim that they are never given work.  I am especially convinced because there are a lot of people getting work who are not as skilled as the ones who say they are overlooked.  There are a lot of times I get asked to do double shifts.  There are a lot of times I have to turn down work because I am already booked or my week is too full.

I am truly convinced that a lot of my fellow freelancers are lying because one of the companies we all work for sends out an availability form before the beginning of the month.  I fill it out promptly.  I get work often.  I find it baffling when others say that they haven't filled it out and it's the second week of the month.  Really?  I guess you aren't strapped for cash as badly as you say you are.  Weird.

I guess I have to be thankful for these folks.  If it wasn't for them, I may have less work.  Because, no matter how good you are, if you don't follow up on work, you won't get hired.  No matter how good you are, your booker has no idea if you are available to work.  No matter how good you are, if you don't spend time looking for work, you'll be spending a lot of time "free".  Later.

Labels: Effort, Pounding the Pavement, Weird, Work

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