The Three P's

When you're a freelancer - whether a writer, web designer, programmer, or photographer - you need to prioritize your jobs. Which ones should you sign on for - and which ones should you steer away from?

When in doubt, think about The Three P's.

• The People - Who are you working with or for? Are they easy to get along with? Do they respond and communicate well with you? Cooperation is essential.

• The Project - Is it interesting or boring? A challenge or something that you do over and over?

• The Pay - Am I getting compensated fairly or am I being taken advantage of? Maybe the gain isn't just monetary, but something that I could put on my resume instead. Or even better - something that I would pay to do anyway!

Ask yourself these questions before accepting a job to make your decisions painless and have a balance in your job. Try to find assignments or careers that satisfy 2 out of the 3 credentials - once in a while, say, if you really need the money, you might just have to settle for 1 out of 3, but hopefully this is a rarity. Find the 3 for 3's too - and enjoy them! Who knows - maybe you'll enjoy what you do even more!

(Thanks to photographer Jim Sugar for the idea!)