Freelancing is a fun way to make a living. People of different races and ages compete on the same platform. This is good for companies because it saves money and gives them more freedom. As for the freelancer, most like that they can set their own hours and do work that they enjoy. But as the global market gets more and more competitive, it’s getting a little harder for freelancers all over the world to get the attention of potential employers. It’s easier than you might think to find freelance work. All you have to do is a little research and know where to look! Here are eight ways to find freelancing work:
1. The most important thing to do when you get your first job is to be ready. Make sure that your home office has everything you need and that it works well. You don’t want to delay getting a job because your computer is infected with viruses.
2. Choose a market niche. You’ll need to do some research and think hard about this. What do you do well? What do you enjoy doing? From there, you can go. Don’t worry, you can find a lot of work doing almost anything, from writing to setting up meetings.
3. Once you know what kind of work you want to do, look online for sites that hire freelancers. Again, this will take some time, but there are dozens of sites out there. You just have to find one that makes you feel good. You can check to see if the company is part of the certified business community. Try searching discussion boards to see if you can find information about a certain company. Former employees may leave feedback about what it was like to work there.
4. Upgrade your skills. Take some classes, either on the Internet or in person. The easier it will be to find your first freelance job, the more education and experience you have. Learn as much as you can. Stay current with technology.
5. Put together a portfolio. Keep a file of samples of your work and references, and be ready to show it to companies that might hire you. Make sure to ask your former “employers” if you can use them as references. You don’t want to call or email them out of the blue. Also, make sure they are willing to tell you good things.
6. Join a group for freelancers. The fee is very reasonable. An association is a group of freelancers who help and encourage each other and give each other constructive feedback. You can also look for a job here. There are a number of groups you can join. Do a search on the Internet, or go to your library or chamber of commerce if you want to join a group in your area.
7. Take it easy on your first few jobs and only take on what you think you can handle. Don’t work at more than one place at once. Do small tasks that you can finish in a few days or a week so that you can quickly build your resume. Make sure you do things in a professional and skillful way, of course.
8. As you learn more and more on the job, you can move on to bigger jobs that pay more. Some freelancers work on a project for only a week or two, while others work on it for more than six months. Many businesses hire the same freelancer to do more than one job.
So, if you want to be a freelancer, I hope you will do your research before taking on your first job on your own. Always make sure you’re ready for the work, and always try to do more than what’s asked of you. Remember that freelancing is a business, not just a part-time job for most people. If you treat it like a business, you will do well.
FreeLancer.co.uk is the best place to find freelancers and freelance projects of all kinds. Businesses hire independent professionals through this site to get work done.
