5 Tips To Start Freelancing Today
We all need that starting point. Learn how to start freelancing today.
It all started in 2013. My friend told me about this online workplace called Odesk. I signed up and in the next 2 years, I didn’t touch my profile. With time Odesk became Upwork and in June 2015 I finally decided to give it a try.
I had no idea what I was doing. I was applying for data entry jobs because my friend told me those are the easiest to find and that that we can make around $100 a month. $100 in my twenties was a lot of money. So that is what I did. I applied and applied to jobs every single day and I was doing some random gigs. However, this was not going to work in the long run. Applying to jobs and hoping to find nuggets of gold wasn’t the roadmap to success and I couldn’t become independent and pay my bills.
What I lacked was a strategy and a job that would pay my bills. I have learned a lot in the past 5 years and I am ready to share my 2 cents. Here are my best tips on how to start freelancing and land your first gig.
- Decide what you are good at
Not knowing what I want and how I want it was my first mistake and I am sure I am not the only one. So many people make this mistake. I was clicking and hoping to land a job and earn money but I wasn’t clear what I offer and what I can do.
Therefore, before even looking for a job sit down and make a list. Make a list of what you are good at and what are your skills. Everybody is good at something so don’t get discouraged. If you don’t know where to start, use Google. “Google is your best friend,” my employer said once and that changed my life. So Google “freelancing jobs”, “online jobs” or “online work”.
On the other hand, if you already have a degree, knowledge, or experience in some field and you are ready to put it in good use, that is an excellent start.
If you don’t have a degree or certificate or diploma in anything particular don’t get discouraged. You are good at something and you just need to find what that is. Most jobs don’t require some special education anyways.
The beauty of online work is that you don’t have to limit yourself to one filed or one option. There is so much place to grow and learn.
So first things first — sit down and write a list of everything that you can offer to the word and that can bring you money.
2. Find an online workplace
The internet is a pool of options and there are more than 50 websites that offer work and look for workers. However, you shouldn’t just go and sign up for all of them. Pick your battles wisely and do your homework before going and signing up for everything under the sun. A lot of the websites are a scam, offer MLM (multi-level marketing) pyramid selling, or don’t have jobs fit for your skills.
Three very important things to remember here:
a) Don’t sign up for MLM pyramid selling if you are not good at selling and if you don’t have a huge network of people. These pyramid selling websites will often lure you with attractive slogans like “be your boss” and “make money by going to parties and events” and often this is not the truth. I know people who have made ridiculous amounts of money with MLM, and I have tried MLM myself but I landed in huge depth because I was 17 and I had 0 selling skills and social anxiety. Again, I do know lots of people who have made a hefty amount of money selling makeup and cleaning supplies. Go for this option if you are a bubbly, cheerful, and extremely friendly person.
b) Clicking on ads, watching videos, playing games, SFI can also be a scam. Also, been there done that. To make real money from websites that make you watch ads, play games, click on websites, etc. requires lots of time, you also need to sit down and learn the strategies, and often they are hit or miss. I failed because I wanted work experience and earning 0.0002 cents a day was not motivating at all. Go for this option if you are patient, want to build things and you don’t mind watching the same add 17 times in a row.
c) Singing up for platforms that don’t have jobs fit for your skills is a waste of time and money. I have also done this mistake. I signed up for Fiver and I had nothing to offer. Once again I had no idea how to promote my gig, I had 0 knowledge in marketing and I just wasted time there. Nothing against Fiver, people make a living from this website but they know what they are doing. So if you are a writer don’t sign up for a platform that is made for UX designers and vise versa.
Second — pick your battles or find the corresponding area which can give you opportunities, it’s fit for your skills, and you know how to navigate it.
3. Make a decent profile
Once you have done your research and decided on your skillset and the places worth trying you are ready to sign up. Personally, I wouldn’t advise signing up for more than 3 platforms because it can be overwhelming but you make the choice here.
Anyways, let’s focus on the profile. So many people fill in only the basic info and jump on searching jobs and applying for positions and after 2 months of failing they give up. Remember — your profile is your face, keep it simple, attractive, and beautiful.
Invest some time into writing all the correct info about your education, experience, and achievements. Also, that picture from Friday night party won’t do it. Choose a professional, simple picture where the employer can see your face. So many people shoot themself in the foot by choosing the wrong picture and writing a crappy description.
When building your online profile the list we made in step n.1 will come in handy. You already know what you can do and what you can’t do so use this list wisely. Besides, don’t write vague and unclear descriptions. Instead of “writer” write which field you specify in. Is it creative writing, ghostwriting, copywriting, or something else doesn’t matter as long as you know how to spell it loud and clear.
The most common question I get for this point is: What if I don’t have work experience/education?. My most common answer to this is — you have the experience, you just neglect it. Think of a project you have done in school, an event you have intended, the special course you have taken, seminar certificate, youth exchanges, volunteering, even that bartending work you did last summer at your uncle’s restaurant counts. At some point in your life, you have done something and that something counts, you just need the right words to transform bartender = customer support agent ;).
p.s. I don’t encourage lying or twisting and bending the truth too much. I suggest to keep an open mind and use your best assets. At the end of the day, bartenders do listen to people complaining, they need to remember long lists of drink ingredients, and they work directly with people. Also, bartenders tend to have an amazing personality and can make anyone laugh and listen to drunk confessions. Think out of the box.
Employers want freelancers that are go-getters and don’t whine and complain so please don’t be one of those. Sit and think about all the experiences you have done and all places you have been to.
Third step — get your online persona right. Edit and proofread your profile, list your skills, and polish your grammar.
4. Prepare for applying
Now when you have your profile and an idea on which jobs you are going to tackle prepare properly. I know I talked a lot about preparation but you don’t want to be caught in a lie or asked some general questions your don’t know. In the past, I had conducted over 200 job interviews and you will be surprised how many people start mumbling or are confused when I will ask them “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Such general questions are so easy and simple yet so many people stumble and don’t know what to say.
Depending on the job position your will be asked to do one (or several of the following things): have an interview in person, send your CV, apply with cover letter, answer niche questions, send your proposal, send your portfolio, do a small test, etc. So if you are a photographer get your portfolio ready, if you are web designer get ready to show you past work, if you are a writer get ready to show your best articles/blogs/essays, if you are applying for a customer support job polish your English (or any language) skills, practice your voice on the phone, if you are going to have interview over Skype reread some general interview questions and most wicked answers. Again, Google is your best friend. Search the internet for the most common requirements for the job you plan to apply and prepare them ahead.
One more crucial thing you need to decide on is your availability and rate. I made this beginner mistake of accepting whatever I was offered and I ended up used or not paid at the end of the project. Please don’t do this. Decide how many hours a day you can work. Don’t be foolish and say “I am home, I can work 24h a day” because that is a lie. You may work 10 or 12h a day if you are extremely motivated but plan long term and don’t forget about your personal life.
Also, plan your monthly/hourly rate that you can’t go bellow and then add 10% on top of that. Decide how much you value your work and your time. For example, if you want to charge $5 per hour for a simple data entry job, put $5.50 on your proposal. In this way, you have a bit of space to offer a “better price” to the client and negotiate on your terms. Never accept jobs that you don’t think pay enough for your time and effort because this will make you rush, make mistakes, and ruin your profile. Remember, your profile is your face, you don’t want scars or blemishes.
In the end, don’t forget to read the platform’s rules and requirements. For example Upwork has a policy not to accept payment outside of their payment system. So many people think they can outsmart the system and end up banned, don’t be that person.
The fourth step — Prepare your portfolio, brush on your English, read the rules.
5. Apply
Applying for jobs is always easier when you have a clear picture of what you want and what you offer. In the past 4 steps, I showed you how to make your choices and now the time has come to step into the online world.
No matter which platform you have chosen, always be picky about the jobs you apply. Read the description in detail, check the client’s past job posts, and hires. If possible, join a Facebook group where people share different experiences from working on the platform, for example, Proz translators have a public group on Facebook where you can ask if somebody worked with certain client/company in the past or share your positive/negative experience. Also, there are countless Upwork/Fiver/Freelancer groups which are also country-specific and where people share all kinds of info. Don’t be afraid to join, ask, or share your thoughts. I made a crazy mistake on applying on everything I saw “okay” for me to work and ended up scammed so many times. I remember once I believed to a client who told me that he will set up a payment milestone when the job is done and not before because he had some issues. I believed him and did the work. When the work was done, he blocked me and moved on. I couldn’t do anything and the platform couldn’t help me because I agreed to work without the milestone and it was in writing. So be clever about your options.
Apply on jobs only if you are sure that you have the time and resources to do it and you are sure you can do a good job. Write in simple English, communicate freely, and don’t be shy to ask additional questions if some part of the job is unclear.
The last step — read the description, check the client, double-check the requirements, and apply!
These are my best tips on starting with freelancing. Do you have some tips on your own? Or maybe you have some happy/sad story to tell and we can all learn? Share them in the comments below.
