What to do when you're not getting work
A few practical tasks you can get stuck into, when work is slow.
As a self-employed person, I’ve rarely managed to hit on the right volume of work. I’m either too busy, manically juggling diverse briefs and demanding clients, or it’s tumbleweed. When I’m quiet, I’m likely to say yes to any project, regardless of suitability. And then all the potential work I agreed to suddenly gets green lit at once, and I’ve overcommitted myself. The alternative scenario sees me constantly refreshing emails, forgetting that a watched inbox never chimes.
When you’re out of work, whether you’ve been laid off or are freelance, there’s a real temptation to panic. To stress out about the lack of money coming in, and apply for work you’d never usually consider. I typically feel out of control, breathless, and unable to pull myself out of the situation. Over time, I’ve found some practical strategies to ride through these quiet spells. Some have even led to more paid work. I thought I’d share them here in case any are helpful.
Do some work housekeeping
I find that a work lull is the best time to get my house in order, so that when the enquiries start rolling in (fingers crossed) I am good to go. Consider the following:
Your CV. Do you have one? Do you need one? Is it up to date? Does it accurately and succinctly sell what you’re offering? Does it highlight your recent achievements? I have about four CVs with different focuses. They’re all factually correct (honest guv!), but each one brings out a different competency. So when a role becomes available, I have a CV that matches perfectly with the skills required.
Website. Do you have one? Do you need one? Is it up to date? You get where I’m going with this.
Portfolio / samples of work. Ask yourself the same questions outlined above. In my Great Downtime of Winter 2022, I spent an afternoon collecting and classifying writing samples. Now I have folders with sexy names such as “Fintech blog samples” and “B2C campaign examples”. They have saved me precious minutes during periods of heavier workload.
Online profiles. Is your name or company appearing where it needs to be? This will vary depending on your role and industry. Think about industry directories, social media sites, and communities you belong to.
Learn a new trick
Is there a new skill you could develop, or an existing one you could improve? Working in social media for many years, I spent hours each month watching videos and reading articles about network updates, trends and policies. That was a full-time job in itself! What’s your equivalent?
For example, when I have a free morning, I play vaguely work-related podcasts as I go about my other errands. That way, I feel like I’m half-working and not wasting the nursery fees I’m paying (that particular guilt is for another post, perhaps). Beyond reading articles and listening to podcasts, you could:
Take a video course - search your areas of interest on YouTube, Udemy, Coursera, edX for starters.
Watch / listen to replays of conference keynotes or sessions.
Find some online or in-person training sessions or events. Even if you can’t afford them now, make a list of courses or events you’d love to attend in future when you’ve got the funds.
Identify your ideal work
Rather than applying for anything and everything you find, this is a great opportunity to think strategically about your ideal gig. This works whether you’re hoping for an in-house or freelance role. Consider who you would really love to work with. Get as specific as you can, down to the companies or even individuals. Find out what they are working on currently by signing up to their newsletters and following them on social media. If the company or person is fairly high profile, you could even set up a google alert so you’ll know first if they make the news. Use these insights to craft a compelling outreach email when the time is right.
I did this a few months ago, and was alerted to a contact of mine announcing a new agency. I reached out to congratulate them and put myself forward for work. This client has so far been my main source of work and income for the year. Of course, for every success story I’ve got about 20 examples of where this hasn’t resulted in actual work. The thing is, I always learn something about myself when I remove my own limitations of the kind of work I think I could get.
Do something completely different
This one takes discipline. My theory is that if you’re doing all you can to get ready for the next gig, then this is the ideal moment to also prioritise yourself. What have you always wanted to do, but never had the time? Stay in bed until noon? Watch all the Harry Potter films? Train for a race? I allocate a certain amount of time each week for these non-work missions, which gives me psychological permission to spend some time off from worrying about work.
The ‘feast or famine’ cycle will probably resonate with most freelancers, but in truth I’ve experienced the same feelings when looking for full-time employment. If I’m honest, even when employed in work that I’m not loving. Over time, I’ve got better at getting busy rather than stewing in my own worries. Take this very Substack, which I launched during a slow work period earlier this year. It gave me a reason to get up and write, and I truly believe that this positive attitude has bled into my work life.
I’m lucky in that my work lulls have been so far short-lived, and these tactics have really helped me feel like I’m being proactive. Like I’m taking back control at a time of chaos and uncertainty. I’d love to hear if there’s anything you’d add to this list, or if there are other ways you cope with slow work periods? Please leave me a comment below.
Great advice. I usually have about two weeks of calm and then panic/money math takes over...even though I'm trying to stay calm and positive, believing that it will all work out (because it almost always does). Cheers! xo