Some Encouraging Words for Freelancers (from Adam Savage)

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9 ай бұрын

As a freelancer did you set up any kind of savings/retirement fund for yourself? How do you think a proper portfolio should look? Adam Savage answers these questions from Tested members johnosbornmusic and WernerKaffl, whom we thank for their questions and support! Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam questions: kzbin.info/door/iDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOAjoin
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Пікірлер: 83

@tested 9 ай бұрын

Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam questions: kzbin.info/door/iDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOAjoin

@tmf8557 9 ай бұрын

Just learning to keep my head above water after the last 4 years, ive had to accept that im more disabled then when i was younger, gave me alot more patience and wisdom to approach my problems differently. I would never change any of the aspects and term oils ive had to take head on. Time is a great teacher and im so grateful to be able to keep learning.

@IrinaGreenman 9 ай бұрын

Solidarity to you! Also a disabled maker/crafter, learning how to redefine what my life will contain in the time of Long Covid. We can do this. I truly believe it.

@paulvamos7319 9 ай бұрын

Hang in there and don't quit! I worked in a machine shop for almost 30 years and I broke my back and hips when I was 16! It got easier but, I learned early on that you have to respect your tools and don't relax when they are on! 😂 Muscle memory kicked in after about 5 years of doing the same thing over and over again 😂 Happy New Year 🎉🎆🎇🍻

@PetrolJunkie 9 ай бұрын

I build vehicles from scratch. My best hire drove his project car to the interview. I didn't ask any of the typical questions. We spent an hour talking about his project car. I listened carefully to every detail measuring how passionately he talked about the work he did. I passed over people that brought me professionally prepared portfolios and reseme's and hired the guy that showed me that he loved what he does so much that it defined him. You can't put that on paper. What you do put on paper is a brief overview of your skills. This guy just told me that he can weld, he knew how to do body work, use lead to smooth out a car body, etc. Awesome stuff. At the interview he sold himself by talking passionately about the work that he's done, even more passionately about what he wished he'd done different or wanted to do better. Nothing screams hire me like someone that knows what they know and can admit what they don't, espires to improve. That not to say you should talk negatively about yourself, frame it in a way that communicates that you are still learning and that you want to continue to grow and that working for a company can help you to achieve that goal, that you can help the company achieve it's goals at the same time. Hiring skilled craftsmen is less about the things that get you hired in a typical corporate world. We have to be way more practical.

@compu85 9 ай бұрын

The times I've been on the interview team hiring for IT systems positions, I always ask "Tell me about an interesting problem you ran in to, and how you fixed it." Surprisingly, few people applying for senior level positions could even respond!

@GPFlljk 9 ай бұрын

That was some great advice for resumes in general. I work in IT. I don't hire, but I assist in hiring. And, I see so many that only say "This is a timeline of what I did" rather than "Here is where I am, here is my interest in IT, and here is how I think I can help". Actually going to have to rebuild my own to fit that idea...

@ckhicks 9 ай бұрын

Agreed, outstanding advice for makers of all types on that front

@Heizenberg32 9 ай бұрын

I have ADHD and have been working 100% freelance for the better part of a decade and it has changed my life. Every other job I have had, even ones that were seemingly perfect for me, I could make it about 6 months before the novelty wore off and I would start dreading going in every single day. The saddest part was when I went from part-time, college student, kind of jobs to working in my chosen profession... and it made no difference. I thought I was destined to force myself to slog through every day watching the clock, fidgeting at my desk, and trying to look okay when I was screaming internally. I look forward to my work now. It challenges me in new ways that keep it novel, and feel rewarding to overcome. It does come with its own set of challenges though. I still have difficulty with punctuality, organization, and estimating the time it will take to complete a given task. These things often come back to bite me even harder as a freelancer than when I was a traditional employee. They are things I will always have to work on, and will not always succeed at. But, at least, day to day I enjoy what I do, and I can't imagine going back!

@weswade8979 9 ай бұрын

From someone who’s been following your work ever since I can remember and now 22 moving into the working world. Thank you for these words Mr. Savage!

@AsheCraftingCorner 9 ай бұрын

I've recently started painting and selling my work,and this helps..I have never in my life done anything I have have joy and happiness in..But I finally found something I want to share my art,and make things people love

@Kilomylesco 9 ай бұрын

Another good one: Under promise, over deliver. Almost always makes you look better even when youre just doing the standard.

@worldwide_wes 9 ай бұрын

Some beautiful advice man, made me tear up. You have a great wife too, keeping things in perspective in a stressful time.

@bjbell52 9 ай бұрын

I know what you're saying about putting down job experience. I use to put down a place I worked and was really proud of my accomplishments. But I kept calling them by the name they went by : PCI . When I realized that wasn't impressing anyone, I started to put down that I worked for Westinghouse. PCI was a small division of Westinghouse.

@thecraftycollector2410 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for keeping it real Adam. Means a lot and really helps me put things into perspective

@christiancarlson5431 9 ай бұрын

I work as an engineering tech for Johnson & Johnson. Earlier this year I lost my dad and I was given 30 days paid time off to get some grieving done. Forever grateful for that.

@vandajay 9 ай бұрын

As a freelancer, this is information I wish I had known prior to working in the field. Communication/business skills are key!

@jasper265 9 ай бұрын

Note that resume length can differ based on where you are (and possibly on what you do too). I have had a recruiter tell me to go into more detail, even if that meant making my resume longer, and mine was two pages already at that point. I did take the idea of the single page resume and made that my first page, so a hiring manager can choose to go into more depth but doesn't have to go beyond the first page to get the broad strokes.

@Merennulli 9 ай бұрын

I'll echo the advice of being concise. The resume tells us if you meet the basic requirements, if you have related skills we can use, etc. and move onto the next part as quickly as possible. Honestly, the cover letter is more important than the resume. It also should be concise, but it should describe how your skillset fits the type of work described in the job ad and highlight a few parts of your relevant experience to the type of work that employer wants done.

@VAXHeadroom 9 ай бұрын

I have a young man in his mid-20s currently living with us (I'm 62 and somewhat well off...). Rather than charging him room/board I told him he needs to put away at least $100/month into an IRA. Compound interest is your friend. Start early!!

@Shadoweclipse1386 9 ай бұрын

I have been a fan of your work and career since the beginning of Mythbusters, and when I saw your book 3 years ago, it was an instant buy. The amount of wisdom you've given in even just the last year has me thinking that another book may be possibly needed ;-)

@dralbora 9 ай бұрын

As a freelancer, I am often miffed that I cannot tax-wise deduct my 'donation of services' of graphic design for non-profits. I put more time than I probably should with some of these projects so wish I could be compensated somehow because I'm not getting paid by the charities. Alas. I am fortunate to have a good household income and my the time available so it's not so bad. Just my tax gripe. I have done one job for one of my freelance clients (paid) for an annual campaign (charity auction) for 15+ years. The longest I've ever been at an office job is three-plus years. Freelance rules when you have the option.

@steve293 9 ай бұрын

Adam, I doubt you'll see this thx go youtube algs, but I really really hope that you can do something like this that focuses on improving your communication skills. I really appreciate you sharing your experiences and knowledge. It just feels like its from the heart. I say this bc while there are endless videos on communication skills, its exactly why its hard to find one that isnt incentivized by some other motive and just feels copied and pasted at best and/or disingenuous at its worst. It seems that as more of these channels w content resembling late night TV ads of the 90s are made, finding the necessary material to improve yourself is getting harder and harder. So at the least, I want to wish you and your family a Happy Holidays and say thank you for sharing your life (and learned lessons) with us just because you want to. Last thing, that thing you did for your family member, I hope others were just as inspired by that as I was. While I will never assume the circumstances, as a vet with PTSD, there have been many times when I wished to have a family member to just stop by.

@thewrench324 9 ай бұрын

Just astounding how all those points just line right up with my situation… thanks for laying that out so well!

@CK-ceekay 9 ай бұрын

It'd be cool to see Adam put together his portfolio, CV, now as if he were going for a gig

@robertweldon7909 9 ай бұрын

For what it's worth, here's some things I've gleaned from life that applies to what you do (Vocation) 1, if you can turn a thing you have a passion for into your vocation, you will never work a day in your life, you will be having to much fun. 2. There is ALWAYS more than one way to solve a problem. 3. Problems are not really problems, but opportunities to be creative. 4. Finding solutions requires answering 1 or more of 6 questions, who, what, where, when, why, and how. ( learned from UK mystery show Inspector Morse) Toss all this stuff together, shake well, and use what's needed and you end up with someone like Adam Savage,. Not dangerous, well maybe a little, but someone who can't help having fun, doing what he does, and you can too. ;-)

@SolaceEasy 9 ай бұрын

How to deal with difficult people? Deal with it. Don't avoid. Yea, it's hard. Move forward!

@Cahos_Rahne_Veloza 9 ай бұрын

Watching these Adam talks videos are enough to perk me up and encourage me 😊

@ThrawnFett123 9 ай бұрын

"I won't work weekends" is something that I would never say and never had. "I will charge 3 to 10 times my rate and be drinking while I do if its the weekend or holidays." Is something that I HAVE said. I enjoy my work AND my time off of it. I use one to charge up for the other, and which is which changes week to week. But I am under no illusions that I don't have a price. I have found personally that naming that price and the conditions for it immediately are way better. You CAN buy my time, but I will only sell it at MY rates

@dorhocyn3 9 ай бұрын

Almost Every time I try to do something during the weekend my family time with my wife and my children just trumps the cash.

@Kristian_theDane82 9 ай бұрын

Hi Adam, i hope you and your loved ones, had an amazing Christmas 😊 i'm thinking about becoming a maker, but what to make i haven't found out yet 😅 maybe redesign or making my own furniture.. You're videos inspire me a lot, and so cool to see all the, meant in a good way, crazy things you make, despite you having adhd.. stay cool Adam 👍

@chelseawhite7117 9 ай бұрын

A- I’m 33 and I’m super aware of my own mortality 😅 no illusions of any slight invincibility here B- your wife always has the best insights in your stories!

@appalachianunderground8474 9 ай бұрын

You were brave enough to do a cannon ball into the deep end of the pool…wearing concrete boots… it took determination to be able to swim to the surface and stay there …now you can thread water , swim laps … do flips off the high dive !!! My God doesn’t it feel great? You earned it buddy, now you get to enjoy it… Happy New Year Adam, I can’t wait to see what’s next 🇺🇸🤙🏻🅰️✌🏻

@Bayan1905 9 ай бұрын

Something I tell my teenage son is to have a back up plan with your life. For instance, don't bank all your hopes on the career you're doing because it can suddenly end. You can lose your job, there can be life changes, etc. In my case, I got hurt on the job, I had a career in law enforcement, and suddenly, after several surgeries, PT, and never getting it all back, my career was over, a good 10 years before I planned on retiring. What I had always done though and something I have lived by and learned from my grandfather is not to be an expert in ONE thing, but to be really good at many things. I have been a published author although I haven't written anything for a couple of years, it helped out when it needed to, now I make things. I learned to make things from leather, bags, wallets, mostly historical stuff for reenactors. Now I am branching out into metal trade goods/jewelry, also for reenactors. I've told my son that not to just learn that "one" thing, but learn many and never be afraid to learn something else because you never know when you may have to fall back on something else. I guess it goes back to the old saying of not putting all your eggs in one basket.

@cerneysmallengines 9 ай бұрын

the resume as a 1 page is a must. I have worked as management, and I can say, if you send me a full 3 or 4 pages, I am not going to read that. Give me 3 or 4 related jobs, give me your education graduations, maybe some special skills or certification. Keep is simple. I dont care that you worked a gas station when you were 18, that doesnt apply to the mechanics job you are applying for when you are 40

@paulvamos7319 9 ай бұрын

Thank you and Happy New Year 🎇🎆🎉🎊🍻

@motogeee510 9 ай бұрын

I am amazed you haven't got a side channel titled things I have made or help to make. That shows off ur work !

@SabrinaOlivera 9 ай бұрын

Really needed this video today😊

@TheWadetube 9 ай бұрын

I would add that you could custom design each portfolio for the company you want to work for. You could select photos based on the job you are pursuing which might not be the same from company to company and add a note to alter or add info on a post it on the back that you can read that is specific for that employer . Lastly if you are out of work don't be idle, go volunteer at a place be it a hospital or habitat for humanity or even a construction site to get more work experience. Work at Weta if you are in New Zealand, for Mr. Jackson would look good on a resume'

@ADarkandStormyNight 7 ай бұрын

I gotta say, I work as an emergency police call taker 911, my mother died recently. They did not even bat an eye, I assumed I would have to move my vacation around and they were just like "no need, we got you...go take care of your family" and I was so moved by that. They just made it work, there are good work places in the world

@GeoMadFar 9 ай бұрын

The advice you give in this video is worth a hell of a lot more than the 10 bucks. I’m giving you. Thank you thank you thank you!

@TooLazyToFail 9 ай бұрын

That's good resume and job-hunting advice in general. I work in an extremely boring industry where the average resume is 9 pages. We get 100 on-paper qualified applicants for each of our highly-desirable remote jobs. I don't spend any more time on the 9-pagers than the 1-2 pagers. My resume LEADING this team was one page. Make it one page, I beg of you.

@bas8116 9 ай бұрын

I spend some years after college working regular jobs, and it just went from bad to worse. Made me feel like such a failure it completely tanked all my confidence to the point I became and unemployed recluse. Took some time to get back on my feet and freelancing opened up as what felt like as the only route open to me. It took time and effort and ups and downs but since getting on that track it has felt like what I always should have been doing. It got me thinking that probably im just geared for it in a way. It was Interesting to hear your thoughts on that. I don't know if I have ADHD but I can relate to the points your bring up. Starting this year getting set up in a new workspace I just upgraded to with a friend who's also self employed and I just feel so excited that I have no idea yet what kind of things I will be working on here. The future is one big surprise and I wouldn't have it any other way.

@StumpkillerCP 9 ай бұрын

Sock an amount into an IRA routinely. I planned that Social Security would not survive into my retirement. Next year I may start to draw, but it will be a supplement rather than a necessity. My Father-in-law and Brother-in-law were self-employed cabinet makers. My Father-in-law worked hard and built a great business . . . then he sold off the assets to my Brother-in-law, who rode it slowly into dissolution. My Father-in-law was driven and worked with purpose. My Brother-in-law was unfocused and spent half his time futzing around and gardening. Do some self evaluation.

@JotographyGraphics2.0 9 ай бұрын

Thank you that was very helpful to be able to understand it from the interviewers standpoint. Im already majorly considering revising my digital portfolio. 😅But working for I.L.M. has always been a dream of mine, got any advice on how to get noticed and where even to start to develop a plan to make connections for high scale companies such as these?

@DS-ic5ps 9 ай бұрын

I agree that you have awesome communication skills! Starting out as an "awkward child," how did you discover and develop those skills?

@j.r.millstone 9 ай бұрын

@ 0:44 I've felt like I'm going to die everyday since my late 20s. I am 36 now.

@dorhocyn3 9 ай бұрын

Sure wish we had better mental health options in the United States

@Vmcf1968 9 ай бұрын

communication...very true

@spoonz202 9 ай бұрын

The resume thing, yes. 1-2 pages tops. I can't tell you how many times i got handed a 15 page resume and knew the person wasn't looking for our company they were looking for work anywhere.That's not a person that's high on my list of priorities.

@brussels13207 9 ай бұрын

I was amazed at the “40 hours a week” comment. I have only ever had white collar type jobs, am now retired. I have never had a job where I only worked 40 hours a week. Typical was 60 hours. Strange. Love these videos.

@NRay7882 9 ай бұрын

I wonder if Adam has any portfolio work he used early in his career that he could share in a future video. Although somehow I feel like if he did, he would of shown it already.

@TheWadetube 9 ай бұрын

My problem and issue with freelancing is that I never want to charge a customer the going rate because I feel like I am ripping them off and I don't mind making $15. an hour on a fun project. Sometimes I bid low on something to get it and get raked over the coals on labor and time and it's the first time I have made a project so it takes more design time , covering mistakes and materials and trial and error and sometimes I even have to design and build the tool or jig I need for a one time job and that tool will sit on the shelf with a clever story and never be used again. Sometimes, however, it works out, when I keep my head, use insight and resourcefulness to achieve a miracle and charge a friend a low price because I was super fast and then I get a huge bonus or tip that says we love your work.... then it's really about allowing the client to give a gift and not feel gouged by me and that's a great feeling. Half my pay is really the ooooh's and aaaah's I get of appreciation for quality work in replicating something or flushing out a dream design.

@lilmizmiki 9 ай бұрын

In my early days as a freelancer, I thought the same way - I didn't want to charge too much and potentially lose business to someone charging less. However, some of the best advice I ever received was to RAISE the rate I charged, according to my level of skill. If you're new, and admittedly have moderate skills, price yourself in the middle of the pack being charged by similar professionals. Of course, if you have supreme skills, but haven't established yourself yet, you can charge more. Selling yourself short only serves to discredit you as a professional and create a race to the bottom. It also lowers expectations for the entire freelance industry. Why would clients pay $60 an hour plus project expenses, when they can get the same work done for $15, with no extra costs? You should also remember that you have to factor in what it costs to run your business (shop space, supplies, tools, electricity...) If you want clients to take you seriously, start by taking yourself seriously and charge accordingly.

@tracyrreed 9 ай бұрын

All good stuff except the 1 page resume advice. If you've got a lot of relevant experience you can go past one page. I'm a hiring manager and have read hundreds or maybe thousands of resumes. Put the most important stuff on the first page. If I like what I see, I'll continue. I don't care if your resume is 100 pages. I'm not obligated to read it all just because I picked it up. It's on my screen in PDF anyway. I don't care about the wasted bits. "Hiring managers don't have time for long resumes" has always struck me as silly. You don't have time to read the second page of a resume whose first page you found worthy? You're just cheating yourself and your organization out of potentially great coworkers out of spite or something at that point.

@andromydous Ай бұрын

I have a policy against using social media to air out my issues with previous employers. I may vent to a friend or family, but never on a public rant. On a resume or an interview, I only provide enough information that is necessary and only when asked. If I'm never asked why/how I left company X, then I never volunteer that information. One reason for that is the fact that infrastructures are always changing. The person, or persons, in company X may not even be with the company anymore. If my work performance was up to snuff, then I have a still open with company X as long as I haven't burnt that bridge by dragging them through the mud in social media. Plus, in my opinion, it's just not professional to do that anyways. If company X, as a whole, did me wrong, then I just wash my hands of it and I don't look back.

@saragruber1019 9 ай бұрын

I teach high school STEAM. My question is how do you approach the ideas of precision and accuracy with beginners in the maker community? My biggest struggle is getting them to slow down and pay attention to the details.

@lilmizmiki 9 ай бұрын

In my own experience, as Adam said, the best thing you can do is put it all out there at the beginning. Tell your students that you believe they can do amazing things, but it takes iteration and attention to detail to reach higher levels of anything they do. Tell them you're there to coach them up to the next level, just like any elite athlete works with their coaches to constantly improve their game. Tell them you won't focus on mistakes (unless safety related, of course), but on what can be refined and done better in the next project. The precision and accuracy will come with time as they see the difference between what they just accomplished and the first project they did (always save the first project!) The best lesson you can teach them is this: Aspire to learn and improve each step of the way, throughout your life. Although they may not show it now, your patience and lessons will stay with them and rise to the surface when needed. I know that I remember more of the life lessons I learned from my junior high geometry teacher than any mathematics he ever taught - and I use those skills every day. (Thank you, Mr. Sauer!) Thank you to you and all teachers out there, for all you do, and for caring about your students. Please know that you're making a difference, even if you don't see it yet.

@VAXHeadroom 9 ай бұрын

Any engineering effort is a team sport. My suggestion is to find the super detailed oriented kid(s) and have them write the requirements for the things to build and then also have them be the quality assurance (QA) to verify the requirements were met. Something 5 inches long but a half inch too big doesn't pass if the precision required is +/- 0.01" (which is almost certainly too tight!) This is how a customer would do it. I build spacecraft for a living and the quality of the requirements we are given is often ABYSMAL. Teaching this skill (how to write good requirements) is as important as how to actually design and build widgets!

@nathkrupa3463 9 ай бұрын

Great work sir

@clanzil 9 ай бұрын

Okay idk how to put this but have you (Adam) lost a lot of weight recently? Idk if it’s because I recently rewatched Mythbusters (for the 50th time) but as an avid tested viewer there seems to be a noticeable difference from the summer and last year. Wishing you and the entire tested team a happy and healthy 2024.

@frankharr9466 9 ай бұрын

Yeah, that kind of communication was something I was never any good at. And now, communication is the big thing I do. Talk about the irony.

@AnnaAnna-uc2ff 9 ай бұрын

Your wife is brilliant.

@MikeIsCannonFodder 9 ай бұрын

Do PEOs like Justworks take onesy-twosy clients to get yourself benefits and retirement accounts?

@saramysko1022 9 ай бұрын

I love your channel so much xoxox

@Ceriden 9 ай бұрын

A bad thing about watching videos on this channel is that my dog gets freaked out by the sound that plays with the logo. So much so that he has associated it with the sound of Adam' voice. Even if I skip the intro as soon as he hears Adam he runs and hides.