Gorjan Stojanovski is an instructor at the Institute of Design and Technology – IDT Skopje. We talked to him about his experience in teaching the freelancing course.
Introduce Yourself
I am Gorjan Stojanovski, consultant for digital marketing and growth of small and medium enterprises. Until a few years ago, I was the owner and co-founder of one of the largest ecommerce stores in the country, which managed to expand in the neighboring R. Bulgaria and R. Serbia. After six years of operation, we sold the company and since then I have been working on freelance projects.
What does a typical freelancing course class look like?
In our specially designed Freelancing program (Be Free, Be a Freelancer) developed with the help of Impact Foundation, as part of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)’s Reconomy program implemented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation, we split the classes in three stages.
In the first phase, in the introductory classes the mentor introduces the participants to the basics of freelancing by sharing his personal examples and experiences. This phase is the shortest, but quite important in order for the participants to understand what are the pros and cons of freelancing as a profession are, when it is best to start, how to start, etc.
In the second phase, in addition to the classroom lectures with practical examples, students begin with research and application. They get acquainted with the various platforms and tools that they will use to find a job, project management, finance and payment and many other things that they will use in their daily work.
The third and final phase consists of individual mentoring sessions (one-on-one) in which the student receives specific advice and guidance on his/her specific situation and steps for further work on the selected platform.
How long do the classes last and what can students learn from this class?
The program consists of 30 hours of group teaching and 30 hours of individual mentoring sessions. The dynamics of lectures takes place twice a week. In our case: Friday (19:30 – 21:45) and Saturday (12:30 – 15:00).
Definitely, this is a program where you can get all the necessary information for anyone who is hesitant or wants to start freelancing. From getting acquainted with the profession, the market, managing clients, sending proposals, using platforms or recommendations, preparing a presentation and pitching in front of a client, negotiation, pricing policy and strategy, collection, etc. A comprehensive program that, in addition to practical experiences, provides direct acquaintance with the most current platforms for freelance, setting up an account and personal advice on how to use and develop them.
What is the most common question you are asked and what is the answer to it?
Due to the large number of students of different ages and career orientations, the questions are different and the most frequently asked question can not be singled out. But, as the two most popular topics we can single out the topic of collection and taxation when working with clients from abroad, as well as the questions where it is easiest to find quality clients.
How can interested people sign up?
The course is posted on the website of the training provider – School of Design, Art and Technology “Skala” (Dzolev and the Arts) https://djolevandthearts.edu.mk/kursevi/be-free-be-a-freelancer/ and the website at the Institute of Design and Technology – IDT Skopje https://idt.mk/2022/01/14/programa-za-frilenseri/. Through the application attached to the announcement, as well as the contact telephone numbers, all interested people can get more detailed information.
We spoke to Dolores Sokolova and Filip Karkalasev, students at IDT Skopje about the way the freelancing course helped them build their freelance career
“The freelance course, as I expected, helped me in the most important and most difficult part for every freelancer – the very beginning.
Because not only do you learn from someone’s many years of experience, (I came across a lot of information that I did not think about before..) in parallel you start your career with maximum support and help from the mentor, about communicating with a client, how to choose clients and projects would be most suitable for you .. to all possibilities and ways of payment.
Through this training I gained absolute knowledge, self-confidence and completed successful projects as a result.” – shared Dolores Sokolova, a student of the freelancing course at IDT Skopje.
“Before I decided to take the Freelancing course, I was introduced to the benefits of freelancing and how it can be well combined with a full-time job, both for extra income and for upgrading skills. I enrolled in the course with some basic freelance information and did not have any high expectations. However, the mentor, at least as an individual, convinced me that it is possible to earn well and advance with freelancing. Although it is a huge field and new things are learned daily on the course with a fast and adapted program, we are introduced to the basics of how to contact a potential client, job-seeking platforms, portfolio arrangement, etc. With these basic things I learned in the course I think that in the near future I could successfully work as a freelancer and offer services from what I do professionally. – shared Filip Karkalasev, a student at the freelancing course at IDT Skopje.
If you are on the threshold of your freelance career, read the following blog post My experience and tips for Upwork. How to become a freelancer on this platform?
