Under 18? How to Get a Video Editing Job as a Teen!
If you’re under 18, the thought of starting your own freelance career might be a little… scary? And while it can be difficult gaining the trust of clients, it is not impossible, and it can be a great way to get ahead as a freelance video editor.
If we haven’t met yet, I’m Colleen and in this blog, I will help you get a job doing what you love. Whether that’s video editing, graphic design, or blog writing.
For more tips on video editing, creativity and freelance lifestyle, be sure to check out my youtube channel where I dive into the nitty gritty about my self-employed life as a freelance video editor!
Take Advantage of Fiverr
There are plenty of platforms out there for freelancers, but Fiverr is the most popular one that lets you create an account without being 18. In fact, Fiverr’s minimum age is 13 years old! After you create your account, promote your editing services there.
Another key factor in helping your freelance editing business is brand awareness. One way to increase brand awareness is to post engaging content on Instagram! You can create educational or entertainment or lifestyle posts, and it would be smart to follow some sense of brand guidelines with color and style.
I think that this is one of the easiest ways to promote your brand, but this is also why people start blogs on their website. Not only can it lead to people finding your services, but eventually you may even be able to earn money off of it through ads.
Okay, but… websites can be expensive. Are there other options for a place to promote your services? Well in fact there is! There are free website options like Wix, but if you have a Creative Cloud subscription, Adobe offers a free website host called Portfolio where you can post examples of your work and tell visitors all about what you can offer!
Another tip here? Be where your customers are looking. Join facebook groups that relate to the niche you’re interested in. Create content on Tiktok if you want to edit for influencers. Create a professional looking Linkedin account to appeal to small companies and corporate clients.
The more you can engage with the right people, the faster you’ll be able to book your next client.
Let’s Talk Referrals
Writing blogs and creating a lot of content can be kind of difficult if you’re already overwhelmed with school. So for any video editing job you do get, MAKE SURE to get a good testimonial from them!
Even if it’s a family member, just list them as “first name, last initial.” Use these testimonials in instagram posts, on your website, anywhere you can! A good referral can be incredibly validating to other prospective clients who aren’t sure if they can trust you yet.
Keeping Your Expenses Low
I know it can be exciting to look at all the fancy equipment or new software and use all your money to create the perfect setup for yourself. One thing I try to hold myself to even now is to not purchase anything until I have a specific, direct need for it for a client or a project.
Especially when it comes to more subscriptions or software, you can buy those things immediately. So why not wait until the last minute before investing in them? As far as your computer goes, I would still try and wait until you REALLY have to upgrade in order to edit properly before investing in anything new.
While you shouldn’t risk buying too many expenses for your freelance business, you SHOULD take risks when it comes to experimenting with the work you do. This means being open to different kinds of creative work. Video editing is very vast and can easily fuse with graphic design, videography, photography and sound design.
Diversify Your Work
Being open to different kinds of work in this field will lead you to more paid opportunities down the line, AND it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with these areas to make yourself a more well-rounded video editor.
Now, as a teenager, it might be more common that you’ll be doing some free work, or nothing BUT free work depending on your network. However, you can use this to your advantage as a teenager! Use free work as leverage to kick off your freelance video editing career. Use it to gain testimonials like I mentioned. Network with others who can help you in other ways and trade your services with them.
I know that too much free work can feel frustrating, but if you can use your age to your advantage and do that free work while it’s still an option, you can gain an incredible amount of experience and solid relationships.
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Looking for more help getting your first job as a video editor? You’re in luck! My SkillShare class is now LIVE and here to help you with all the steps you need to take to set yourself up for your video editing career!
