Working With An Agency
Working as a freelancer in the media can be an advantageous, fruitful and successful career choice. It has many upsides, including autonomy, setting your own schedule, setting your rate, a variety of work and much more. We understand, however, that fears can creep in when managing yourself, the biggest being – finding your next job! Luckily you don’t have to go on the journey alone. Working with an agency, such as The Crewing Company, means that you gain some of that support back that you might have lost if you left a full-time role or are missing that team feel.
We promise this is not a hard sell on persuading people to join us! Instead, this article is a space to highlight some of the benefits of being with an agency, plus what to consider if you are looking to find representation.
Joining an agency won’t be for everyone, and many freelancers have established a pool of their own regular clients, however, for most of our freelancers, the feedback we get is that it really helps to have other people look out for work for them, and having that network of support there to help guide them through their freelance journey. Here are some thoughts that might help you on your journey.
Do Your Research:
There are many platforms and agencies that you can choose to work with as a freelancer these days, it’s hard to know where to begin. We think one of the most important things to consider is – does the platform/agency represent your values and work ethics?
If you’re planning to make freelancing your main source of income it is vital that the agency/platform fully understands what type of work you are looking for, your experience and your rate. A good agency will want to support your career goals and help you connect with clients and projects you want to work with, whilst also trying to get you the best rates possible. Don’t be afraid to make it clear what work you will and won’t do, and also what your minimum and maximum rates are.
Honesty and transparency build a healthy working relationship, so if freelancing is only a temporary move for you whilst looking for longer term employment, be honest with your agency, and you never know how they might be able to help you get there.
Working With Multiple Agents:
When someone starts freelancing, they might be tempted to sign up with multiple agencies. This could well work for you whilst you are figuring out what agency works best for you, but our suggestion would be to keep monitoring how these relationships are going, and then in time choose a smaller selection, or even just one or two agencies that you can really build on your working relationship with. Working with fewer agencies could also mean that you won’t be bombarded with phone calls, with roles that may not suit your skillset.
Some agencies also require you to be exclusive with them if you want to be on their books, so that’s something to consider if it works for you too.
What About Agency Fees?
Every agency may have a different way of working when it comes to fees, some may charge a monthly fee to find you work, and others like TCC will incorporate both the freelancer pay and fee into the end client charge, and only on the work, they secure for you. The important thing here is to ask questions, find out what the agency’s % or fee is and spend time figuring out what works for you.
Agencies can have huge value as they will be continuously building on client relationships, finding new clients to work with, helping secure work for freelancers, paying freelancers on time, dealing with employment contracts and much more, but you need to believe in that value, and what it might be worth to you of having someone else market and represent you out there in the industry.
Depending on what aligns with your work will depend on the agency you choose – the agency can be a valuable window between yourself and a client. At TCC we work hard to negotiate fair and industry standard rates for our freelancers, whilst also working with the budget provided by our client.
Update, Update, Update:
Many freelancers are constantly growing and developing their skills – so keep your agency updated! If you are contracted to work on a long project, keep the agency updated, let them know your availability and new skills you have picked up or even just have a catch-up. This is vital to build trust within the working relationship, and will help the agencies look for work for you in the times you are available, whilst also successfully communicating your great skills with a client to help secure you work.
Keeping your agency updated means they will get to know you better, along with learning your skillsets and what work you enjoy doing. This will help them find you work that suits your skill set best, and with the clients, you are keen to work with.
We know CVs can be the bane of some peoples’ lives, and one of the last things you want to do after a hard day’s work, and whilst some people might think they are a little old fashioned, we promise you they still count! So if you have completed work on a new project, update your CV, credit list and showreel, and it could be the difference between you getting that next job or not!
3 Reasons To Work With An Agency:
- Support: Need some advice on how to get to the next step in your career? Or, looking for support while working on a challenging project? At TCC, we can advise on what steps may be best for you to advance your career, what training you could do or even help promote you on social media.
- No More Chasing Invoices: The biggest problem working freelance is battling to have your invoice paid. Many freelancers rely on being paid on time to pay the bills and support themselves. Working with an agency can alleviate this problem, every agency may be different when it comes to payment terms, but at TCC we do the chasing for you and ensure you are paid within 21 days.
- Credibility: An agency has spent years building relationships with clients and bringing big name brands into their portfolio. Working with an agency means you have access to these clients and could end up working on much larger scale projects, or be introduced to clients you wouldn’t necessarily have connections with when working on your own.
Here To Help:
At TCC, we are always here to help, whether you are on our books, looking for career advice, or finding out more about working with us. Feel free to drop us a call, contact us via the website or drop us a message on our social channels.