Lately, the job market has felt particularly discouraging. Between LinkedIn job listings with thousands of applicants, mass layoffs, and concepts like “the great freeze” and “quiet cracking” taking over the headlines — it seems like one of the only ways to stay positive is to turn off the news.
It’s hard to feel optimistic when traditional paths to employment feel like they are collapsing beneath us. But when old systems stop serving us, it’s time to get creative and figure out alternative routes to make money that make use of our talents. Luckily, there’s another option: Stop waiting for the job market to give you a break, and start paving your own way.
“Stop waiting for the job market to give you a break, and start paving your own way.”
I’ve never been one to follow rules. Growing up, I wasn’t very studious and scraped by with B’s and C’s. I relied on my charm and talked a lot in class to distract from the fact that I wasn’t doing my reading assignments. The thing was, when society told me I had to do anything a certain way, it made me want to rebel — and school was no exception. My parents worried I wasn’t “applying myself,” but I always believed I’d be successful once I found something that actually interested me.
My freshman year of college, that moment came when I took a graphic design class. And all of a sudden — something clicked. I loved being able to start with a blank canvas and design something exactly as I wanted to — and beyond that — I loved having a skill that I knew other people needed… and would pay for. As it turned out, my friend’s mom had a social media business that needed graphics designed for her Facebook page — and I had the naïve confidence to take on the job as a freelancer when I was 19.
“When we understand our value — and aim to provide it — there will always be opportunities for us, despite a mercurial job market.”
Flash forward — I’m now 32 and have been freelancing ever since. What started as a “side hustle” progressed to full-time self-employment, doing everything from marketing, strategy, websites, writing, content, and creative direction. I’ve found an alternative, abundant, and flexible career without climbing the corporate ladder — and I’ve coached over 100 creatives in the past year on how to define their services, set their rates, and get clients, too.
I firmly believe that when we understand our value — and aim to provide it — there will always be opportunities for us, despite a mercurial job market. And the first step is understanding what you have to offer.
📓 This is a workshop-style article, so grab a notebook to work through the prompts in this 5-step guide to monetizing your skills.
Step 1: Identify your skills
We all have skills that people would pay for. Monetizing them starts with identifying them. If you currently have, or have had a full time job — you should know that you can take your skills out of your role, and turn them into freelance services!
To get started, list out all of the tasks you do / or have done – at your current or previous job. Some examples:
If you’re a copywriter, that might look like:
- Writing blog posts or website copy that grabs attention
- Creating email newsletters people enjoy reading
- Coming up with captions in the brands tone of voice
- Editing other people’s writing so it sounds clean and clear
- Doing quick research to come up with story ideas
If you’re an operations manager, that might look like:
- Organizing projects so things actually get done on time
- Setting up systems that make everyone’s job easier
- Keeping track of budgets and vendors
- Managing team communication so nothing falls through the cracks
- Training new hires or helping teammates learn the ropes
💻Cheat code: If you’re feeling stuck, use this ChatGPT prompt “If I am a [insert your job title], what tasks do I perform at my job every day?” Use this as a jumping off point, and delete anything that does not apply to you. Your final list should only include things you have experience in.
Next, let’s look at your hobbies, interests, and the practical things you’re good at. Sometimes the things that come naturally to you are exactly what someone else needs help with. Examples:
- Hosting holidays and dinner parties
- Cleaning and organizing spaces
- Knitting, crafting, or making handmade gifts
- Creative writing or journaling
- Cooking, baking, or meal prepping
- Helping friends with resumes or job interviews
- Taking great photos or making aesthetic social media posts
And lastly, take inventory of your soft skills — they are often overlooked but highly monetizable and translate into consulting, coaching, workshops, and just being an overall great service provider. Examples:
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Teaching and training others
- Problem-solving under pressure
- Leadership and management
- Creativity and design thinking
Confidence comes from knowing your value — and taking time to reflect on your talents and accomplishments is a powerful way to reclaim your power.
Step 2: Turn your skills into marketable services
Now that you know what you have to offer, let’s choose 3-4 of them to turn into services. Ideally, these are related to each other, so that you can bring dynamic value to your future clients.
Make sure the skills you select meet these criteria:
They come easily to you: Focus on what you can do effortlessly — then you will feel more confident offering it as a service. If you choose skills you’re not that experienced in, even if you’ve done them before, don’t be surprised if imposter syndrome sets in.
“Find something that pays the bills quickly first, so you don’t have to put pressure on your beloved hobbies or art to provide for you.”
You don’t hate doing them: The reason the qualification isn’t “choose what you love the most” is because when you need to make money, sometimes you have to choose the skills that have the most demand versus the skills you love the most. For example — project management vs. knitting. I’m not saying you can’t make money knitting — hello Etsy! — but it just might take longer, so find something that pays the bills quickly first, so you don’t have to put pressure on your beloved hobbies or art to provide for you.
There is a clear market for them: As a way to vet your skills, have a quick think about what types of businesses or people need them (we will build this out more next). If you can’t think of any believable buyers for them, leave them off your list.
Next, let’s turn them into marketable services…aka services that people want to pay for!
This goes beyond just listing or labeling your service — and requires that you package and explain what you do, and the value to your customer.
Here are some examples, building off of the skills in the previous section… take your skills and build them out in the same way!
💻Cheat code: Put your 3-4 skills into ChatGPT and use this prompt “Turn my skills into marketable services [insert your skills], and give them a title.”
Blog & Website Copy — Content Copywriter
“I help businesses write engaging blog posts and website copy that attract and convert customers”
Project Management & Workflow — Operations & Project Management Consultant
“I help teams stay organized and meet deadlines by managing projects, creating timelines, and optimizing workflows.”
Hosting Holidays and Dinner Parties — Event & Dinner Party Planner
“I plan and host memorable events or dinner parties, handling everything from menu planning to setup so you can enjoy the day stress-free.”
Cleaning and Organizing Spaces — Professional Organizer
“I help clients declutter and organize their homes or offices to create functional, peaceful spaces.”
Cooking, Baking, or Meal Prepping — Personal Chef & Meal Prep Specialist
“I provide meal prep services for busy individuals or families.”
Helping Friends with Resumes or Job Interviews — Resume & Career Coaching Specialist
“I help job seekers polish resumes, craft cover letters, and prepare for interviews to land their next role.”
Taking Great Photos or Making Aesthetic Social Media Posts — Social Media Content Creator
“I create visually appealing photos and social media content that aligns with your brand or personal style.”
Step 3: Identify your clients
With your services defined, the next question is: who actually needs them? Let’s identify your ideal clients, so that you can start looking for them.
Take your 3-4 defined services, and list out the people you imagine needing them.
For example, if you landed on “Personal Chef & Meal Prep Specialist” and you’re going to offer meal prep services, your target clients could look like this:
- New postpartum mothers, ordering for themselves
- Friends of postpartum mothers, looking to order for their friends
- Busy parents who don’t have time to cook
- Busy entrepreneurs who don’t enjoy cooking
- People on special diets: paleo, plant based, Whole30, etc.
- Caregivers who need extra support cooking for their loved ones
Now let’s take it a step further, and think of people you know — who you’d feel comfortable reaching out to who fit these descriptions:
- Your sister who just had a baby
- Your neighbors, who are jugging 3 kids and 2 fulltime jobs
- Your friend from yoga class, who is on a plantbased diet
- Your partner’s friend, who runs 2 businesses
And even one step beyond that, list out some people who you don’t know directly, but could get introductions to, cold email, or market to:
- Your yoga studio, full of plant based patrons — maybe you could hang up fliers, or advertise in their newsletter
- Mom community groups, looking for supportive resources
- Nutritionists, personal trainers, or wellness coaches who could refer clients
- Local businesses or coworking spaces with busy employees who might want weekly meal prep services
Once you know who needs your services, it’s time to figure out how much to charge and how to get your first clients.
Step 4: Set your prices
When it comes to setting your prices, start with an hourly rate. You can use this to bill by the hour, or multiply it to come up with project fees. If your work requires buying supplies (like the meal prep example), set a flat rate that includes your supplies + your time.
Everyone’s rate will be different, depending on experience, skills, and location — but here are some research prompts to help you figure out yours:
- Use ChatGPT: Try the prompt: “What is the market rate for [my service] in [my state]?”
- Ask your network: Reach out to people offering similar services and see what they charge.
- Do some market research: Check what companies providing the same services are charging.
- Base it on your past experience: Take your rate from your previous full-time job and add 30% for taxes (remember, self-employed income means you’ll be paying taxes!).
“The biggest mistake freelancers make is not setting their rates upfront and instead bending to clients’ budgets.”
Once you’ve explored these four prompts, pick your starting rate(s). You can always raise it later as both your confidence and experience grow.
The biggest mistake freelancers make is not setting their rates upfront and instead bending to clients’ budgets. Know what your work is worth before you talk to anyone. Don’t feel pressured to underpay yourself just because a potential client is looking for a deal!
Step 5: Finally! Land your first client
Now that you understand your skills, marketable services, ideal clients, and have set your rate — it’s time to find your first client.
A lot of people make the mistake of going through big branding exercises or getting ahead of themselves with business plans before they’ve even demonstrated that there is interest in the service they are offering. Keep it simple to start: Make your goal to get one client, and deliver your best work.
“Keep it simple to start: Make your goal to get one client, and deliver your best work.”
When it comes to getting clients, revisit your list in Section 3, and start with people you already know — warm connections are often the easiest first clients. Then expand outward to communities or businesses that align with your services.
And in terms of marketing, you’ll need to update your digital presence to show the world that you are open for business. Here are some ideas you can execute on that are free:
- Update LinkedIn: Add your new service to your headline and work experience. Make your email easy to find in the contact section.
- Post weekly on LinkedIn: Let your network know what you’re offering.
- Use Instagram: Update your existing account or start a new one. Share posts about your services and include your contact info in your bio.
- Create a survey form: Google Forms works great for collecting potential client info.
- Word of mouth: Tell everyone you talk to about your services.
- Ask for referrals: Text or email friends and family and ask them to connect you with anyone who might need your services.
- Offline promotion: Hang fliers in your neighborhood and drop them off at offices or retail spaces frequented by your ideal clients.
Often, freelancers don’t have work simply because no one knows their services exist — but if you implement the above, you’ll be well on your way to brand awareness. And after you’ve worked with a few clients — you can move on to building a website and a more robust marketing plan.
There you go! The basics of monetizing your skills. If you decide to move forward with self-employment, make sure to connect with an accountant to learn about setting up your business and saving for taxes.
The job market may feel discouraging, but you don’t have to wait for permission, a perfect job listing, or a lucky break.
Start small, take action, learn as you go, and remember: You are your most valuable asset.
Grace Abbott is a LA-based freelance Brand & Marketing Strategist and a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade. She has a degree in Graphic Design from Parsons School of Design and is the founder of How To Go Freelance — a brand dedicated to empowering creatives to monetize their skills and build personal brands. Beyond work, she’s always studying a new spiritual modality, painting her bedroom a new color, practicing Pilates, hosting friends, or going on a nature walk with her chihuahua, Donnie. Find her on Substack or Instagram.
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