RSS
Home
Freelance Resources: on-the-move flash drive
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
When you freelance, contract, and travel between appointments or events, you can find yourself needing to call up information, produce something, or show samples in any location. You might be viewing gig listings at the library and want to send a resume, or have stepped into a short-term on-site contract and need to produce work quickly on an anonymous computer. PDAs and phones can do only so much, especially when you need computer production. In these cases, a well-stocked 2-4 gig USB flash drive makes life much easier.
Have your normal workflow productivity resources on the drive. If you have ever created macros, special settings, snippets and shortcuts for programs you’ve used, carry these. Ditto for any special styles and signatures you use for emails, and templates for communication pieces. If you have filters and search parameters for common research tools, add these. Carry a copy of your IE and/or Firefox favorite links and account settings so you can upload them on any contract job.
Make sure you have your contact and career history information on the drive. Include versions of your resume (Word and PDF) in case you find yourself in a place to upload or print one on the fly. Carry some of your work samples and/or summaries, such as design portfolio pieces or writing samples that no longer have active web links. You might add case study summaries of projects you’ve handled, copies of recommendation letters, etc.
Finally, make sure you have several small programs you like to use, since some locations or worksites let you do quick installs. Include two or three of your favorite web browsers, code or text editors, and a to-do list program or personal organizer. You can even carry an open source productivity suite, a PDF maker, a small image manipulation program, and a project management tool. Add a portable virus checker for your drive, and some kind of encryption program or password protection.
The great thing about carrying your basics on your pen drive is that in many situations, you can respond to email requests, fresh appointments, and add quickly value in an on-site gig. Also, your drive lets you store additional information as you need it, like copies of work you do on the road or contacts you make. Check out PortableApps: http://portableapps.com/html.
Questions? Contact L.J. at ljbnomad@gmail.com.
