With remote work on the rise, many 21st century skills like tech, marketing, and creativity are now needed more than ever. These skills are what freelancers have acquired to meet the growing demands of work, and it’s fetching them a lot of money.
The pandemic was the original cause of many unemployment issues. Since most of it was because physical work could no longer be considered safe to do, many unemployed people took to freelancing and began discovering that they enjoyed the freedom to work on their own time.
This also made it possible for freelancers to work different jobs and increase their earning power in the process, some even got to the point of tripling their original income from physical jobs.
But it didn’t just stop there. As physical jobs resumed, some freelancers continued to do remote jobs in their spare time, so you can imagine what their total income would be like.
To be a successful freelancer is relatively easy when you have the necessary skills and a good understanding of getting clients. The first thing you need to do is decide if being responsible for your own time can work for you and that you have the discipline to get things done.
As a freelancer, you’ll have to meet deadlines for tasks, and no one is going to be there to ensure that you do. You could also have more than one employer give you different assignments that may not have the same expectations. These tasks can require you to explore various thought processes as the need arises to complete your jobs.
Of course, you may wonder how to start bagging big projects in the first place. There are several platforms that freelancers choose for remote work. As many as they are, the idea behind them remains the same.
They will need you to have an active and sometimes verified profile with a rundown of who you are and what you do. It is also advisable to attach samples of the work you’ve previously done in the field you’re advertising yourself.
Some platforms like this include Fiverr, Freelancer, Toptal, and Upwork. Upwork has been dubbed the best one out there, but it requires you to send out proposals for every job you wish to take, so it’s important to tailor proposals specifically to the project and put in your best application each time.
It can be exhausting having to have to send new proposals constantly, but it pays off when you eventually get a gig because your brand can grow quickly with recommendations.
Getting relaxed with your skills as a freelancer is not advisable. Just because you got that first job doesn’t mean you now have all it takes. It’s important to continue building your skills in that field, and that’s why you must learn to appreciate and incorporate feedback. As you get better and can provide more value to your employer, your rates can also get higher.