B1 Preliminary (PET) Practice Paper 28

alice: I'm thinking about becoming a freelance photographer. Do you have any advice, since you've been freelancing for years? george: Definitely! The first thing I'd say is to build up some savings before you start, at least three months' worth of expenses. alice: That makes sense. How did you find your first clients? george: I started by offering discounted rates to friends and family, then used those photos to build a portfolio online. alice: That's a good idea. How do you handle months when there's less work? george: I always put aside twenty percent of every payment into a separate account, just for quieter periods. alice: That's really practical. Do you work with an accountant, or manage your finances yourself? george: I hired an accountant after my first year, since taxes became too complicated to manage alone. alice: That's helpful to know. One last question — do you ever miss having a regular salary? george: Sometimes, especially in slow months, but overall the freedom is worth it for me.

Freelance work has grown substantially over the past decade, offering many people flexibility that traditional employment often cannot provide. However, this flexibility comes with significant trade-offs that are not always obvious to those considering the switch from a stable, salaried position. When Hannah left her office job to become a freelance graphic designer, she was initially delighted by the freedom to set her own hours and choose which projects to accept. Within a few months, though, she encountered challenges she had not fully anticipated, particularly the unpredictability of monthly income and the complete absence of paid holidays or sick leave. To manage these difficulties, Hannah developed several strategies over her first year of freelancing. She began setting aside a fixed percentage of every payment into a separate savings account to cover quieter months, and she started building relationships with several regular clients rather than relying entirely on one-off projects. She also joined an online community of fellow freelancers, where members share advice and occasionally recommend each other for jobs they cannot take on themselves. Three years later, Hannah earns a stable income and values her independence highly, though she readily admits that the transition required far more financial planning and self-discipline than she initially expected.

Freelancing ___1___ significantly in popularity over the past ten years, particularly among people working in creative and technical industries. When my sister ___2___ her stable job to become a freelance writer, several friends warned her that the transition would ___3___ more difficult than she expected. In her first few months, she ___4___ to accept almost any project offered to her, worried that turning down work might mean none would come again. Over time, however, she ___5___ how to be more selective, focusing on clients who paid fairly and offered interesting work. She also ___6___ a habit of saving a portion of each payment, which gave her confidence during quieter periods. Looking back now, she says that if she ___7___ her decision again, she would still choose to freelance, despite the early difficulties. She believes that anyone considering freelancing ___8___ prepare financially before making the leap.