This quiz will help you understand your freelance personality type and how it influences your work style, client interactions, and overall success. Answer honestly based on your typical tendencies and preferences. After you complete the quiz, you will see an analysis of your freelancer personality type that reveals your strengths, weaknesses and areas of improvement.
Instructions:
For each question, choose the answer that best describes you. There are no right or wrong answers.
1. When starting a new project, you:
a) Dive right in and figure things out as you go
b) Carefully plan and organise every detail before beginning
c) Brainstorm and experiment with different ideas before settling on a direction. d) Seek input and collaboration from others before getting started.
2. When facing a tight deadline, you:
a) Thrive under pressure and produce your best work
b) Stick to your schedule and prioritise tasks to meet the deadline
c) Feel anxious but manage to complete the work on time
d) Seek an extension or delegate tasks to ensure quality isn’t compromised
3. When communicating with clients, you:
a) Prefer brief and direct interactions, focusing on the essentials
b) Provide detailed updates and documentation throughout the project
c) Use visuals and storytelling to convey your ideas and progress
d) Prioritise building relationships and understanding their needs
4. When dealing with setbacks or criticism, you:
See it as a challenge and opportunity to learn and improve
b) Analyse the situation objectively and find solutions to prevent it from happening again
c) Feel discouraged but try to use the feedback to do better next time
d) Seek support and reassurance from others to overcome the setback.
5. When it comes to self-promotion and marketing, you:
a) Confidently showcase your skills and achievements
b) Focus on building a strong portfolio and online presence
c) Rely on referrals and word-of-mouth marketing
d) Network actively and build relationships with potential clients
Analysis of your results
Based on your answers, you predominantly fall into one of the following freelance personality types:
Mostly A’s: The Independent Trailblazer
Strengths: You’re adaptable, resourceful, and thrive in dynamic environments. You’re comfortable taking risks and enjoy the freedom and autonomy of freelancing.
Weaknesses: You may struggle with planning and organisation, leading to missed deadlines or inconsistent quality. You might also come across as blunt or insensitive in client communication.
Areas for Improvement: Develop better time management and organisational skills. This can take away unwanted stress and help you meet client deadlines. Get rid of distractions like social media and email checking and set times for these after you have completed a sizeable amount of work each day. Even pit an email alert/out-of-office message to let clients know you are doing deep work and will get back to their emails later in the day. Practise active listening and empathy to improve client interactions. At the end of any call or email, you can always reconfirm what a client wants to make your job easier and meet their objectives. Consider utilising project management tools and communication templates.
Mostly B’s: The Meticulous Planner
Strengths: You’re organised, detail-oriented, and reliable. Clients appreciate your professionalism and ability to deliver high-quality work consistently.
Weaknesses: You may be too rigid or perfectionistic, leading to overthinking or difficulty adapting to changes. You might also focus too much on the technicalities and less on building relationships or the client’s individual needs. Think of every assignment as a new way to learn and adapt to create a lasting client relationship that generates repeat business.
Areas for Improvement: Embrace flexibility and learn to adapt to unexpected situations. Focus on building rapport with clients and showing your strengths shine through by making their jobs easier. Consider incorporating client feedback loops into your workflow.
Mostly C’s: The Creative Visionary
Strengths: You’re imaginative, innovative, and passionate about your work. You bring unique perspectives and ideas to the table, captivating clients with your creativity.
Weaknesses: You may struggle with self-doubt and criticism, affecting your productivity and confidence. You might also find it challenging to promote yourself or translate your vision into concrete deliverables.
Areas for Improvement: Develop resilience and learn to handle feedback constructively. Put yourself in the client’s shoes. If you wanted something done a certain way, how would you like someone to handle those tasks? Improve your communication skills to articulate your ideas effectively and how they can improve a client’s goal attainment. Consider creating a strong online portfolio showcasing your best work. Look around for inspiration and how-to videos to get you started.
Mostly D’s: The Collaborative Networker
Strengths: You’re empathetic, communicative, and excel at building relationships. Clients appreciate your collaborative approach and ability to understand their needs.
Weaknesses: You may be overly accommodating or prioritise client satisfaction over your own well-being. You might also struggle with self-promotion or setting boundaries.
Areas for Improvement: Develop assertiveness and learn to negotiate effectively. Read self-help books and watch TedX videos on this topic to support this goal. Prioritise your own needs and set clear boundaries with clients. Consider diversifying your marketing efforts beyond networking.
Points to ponder
These personality types are not set in stone, especially if you show traits from multiple categories. However, you can now easily identify your strengths and weaknesses to enhance your business and your ability to attract and retain clients. If you are unhappy with some of the results, don’t sweat it. Think of this as a tune-up to adapt your approach to attract more clients, build stronger relationships, and achieve repeat business.