Whether you're a consultant in the global development or humanitarian space or have a side gig, freelancing is a way to build a career that aligns with your values, expertise, and ambitions. Well, kind of. The reality is that creating a sustainable and thriving business is rarely straightforward.
With that in mind, we spoke with careers expert and development consultant Jennifer Bangoura during our recent Devex career event. She provided a deep dive into the realities of being a freelancer, and what it takes to grow it into something that is fulfilling career-wise and also pays the bills.
“It was a hustle to do all of these things on top of my other work,” she said. “I try to have a balance of what I share in that it's not always glamorous and it's not always easy, but I had very specific goals in mind with all of these [projects/roles], most of them financial, but also professional.”