ArcGIS for Personal Use is a great option for recent grads for building their portfolio, taking tutorials and Esri academy offerings, and for keeping up to date the the latest software. As stated on the Personal Use site, it's intended for noncommercial personal use, therefore not for paid freelancing jobs.
ArcGIS for Personal Use comes with everything you need to map like a professional. Get access to the full range of ArcGIS capabilities to create rich, dynamic maps and apps. This is an easy and low-cost option for existing ArcGIS users who want the same powerful software licensed at home for noncommercial, personal use as well as recent graduates who want to build a personal GIS portfolio.
It is the same software but priced for an individual user to be used for personal, noncommercial projects such as professional development.
See the Overview and Pricing pages.
I'd expect that if you are doing freelance work for existing users they could come up with the software needed for you to do your consulting.
Others here may have additional insight. You can also call 1-800-447-9778 or chat online to review the terms of use and ask questions.
