How much “Fake it till you make it” is acceptable as a freelancer?

We’ve all heard the phrase “fake it till you make it” at least a few times in our lives. It’s an empowering concept that suggests we can just pretend to be something until we get there. But as a freelancer, how much faking should you really do?

Fake it till you make it can be dangerous territory for freelancers. On one hand, confidence is key when selling your skills and services. It’s important to keep a level head and project that you are more than capable of doing the job. On the other hand, overconfidence might lead you to take on jobs that are out of your depth—and then deliver sub-par results. So where’s the line? How much “faking” is okay as a freelancer?

The answer lies somewhere between being humble and being confident. There is nothing wrong with selling yourself short if you know that you can complete a job successfully and exceed expectations. However, if you find yourself trying to fake things like skill sets or experience that don’t exist, then it’s time to step back and assess what jobs are truly within your scope of expertise.

At the same time, don’t be too hard on yourself! Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, so recognize yours and use them to your advantage. If there are certain skills or tasks outside of your wheelhouse, reach out to others who have those particular talents and collaborate with them instead! They may have experiences or insights that could help bring more value to the project overall.