Image Credits go to WikiPedia
I see a lot of people struggling with freelancing. They expect it to be a piece of cake, which is not the case at all. In fact, it is other way around. Surviving as a freelancer and earning money online is way too difficult than doing any 9 to 5 job. If you are interested in freelancing, go ahead and watch the video given right below.
Video Credits go to SimpleProgrammer
Many people quit freelancing even before landing their first job. They complain about the high competition and not getting noticed. Well it is very true that getting your first job is difficult. But it is not impossible, trust me. Also, it is not as much difficult as some of you guys would have perceived. Actually It is all about your attitude.
Let's Dive in and find out how you can land your first job on any freelancing platform.
Image Credits go to FreeGreatPicture
Decorate your Profile
Alright so the first thing anyone would see is your username, profile picture, location, skills etc. You must pay attention to those attributes. For example:
1) Choosing right Username
Always choose a professional username and try to avoid digits in it. Your username should include your name or something relevant to your services. Such as ProWriter, SharpDesigner, LauraWrites etc.
2) Setting your Profile Picture
Use human picture instead of cartoonic. I will always recommend you guys not to fetch picture from google images. Use your own picture. If you are not comfortable showing your face, then just put a picture of your hand or torso there. Just make sure that the picture is original and not copied from somewhere else.
3) Showcasing your Skills
Put your skills details in easy to read manner. Don't offer what you can't deliver. Just be honest and properly explain the services you provide. So the clients would know what to expect from you. If you are not good in anything, then just put the name of the skill and mention your proficiency level in bracket. Such as beginner, semi pro, professional, expert, extraordinary etc.
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Anybody who is in freelance work, especially artistically, knows that it comes with all the insecurity and the ups and downs. It's a really frightening life.
-Alessandro Nivola-
Image Credits go to Pixabay
Get Aggressive
After doing the above mentioned things, you are ready to roll. Now start promoting and marketing yourself. Approach people, employers and other influential freelancers. Tell them about your expertise and show your worth. Explain how you can help them and make their lives easier. Long story short, don't just sit and wait for the people to hire you. Be active and approach them YOURSELF.
You know why many people never get hired even once? Because they are not aggressive. They just play reactive and keep waiting for someone to come and hire them.
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Acting is a freelance career... you never stop having to prove yourself and fight for work.
-Miranda Otto-
Image Credits go to Flickr
Stand out of the Crowd
On every freelancing platform, there is a place where employer post projects and wait for the freelancers to post their bids on it. Always read their project's description carefully and then bid accordingly. Most of the freelancers don't. They bid without reading what the employer wants from them. Hence, if you just fully read the project's description and bid accordingly, you will drastically increase your chances of getting hired.
Another way to beat the competition and stand out of the crowd is to Bid Low. When you are new, your bid proposal easily get shadowed by other people's bid. Because they are more experienced than you and already have some ratings on their profile. But you can cope with it by bidding low. You can attract employers' attention by asking for less money.
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The freelance writer is a man who is paid per piece or per word or perhaps.
-Robert Benchley-
Image Credits go to WikiPedia
Be Persuasive
Do explain why you are the right person for the job. Tell them how you can help out. Explain how you will be making their life easier. Prove that you have fully and carefully read their project's description. Show that you are damn serious about the work. Always write separate bid for every project. So you don't sound like some Bot.
If you do those above mentioned things, no doubt you will be getting hired very soon. Always stay positive no matter how things go. Because things never stay the same in freelancing. Your income, work load, daily routine and client's behaviour, they all keep changing with the time.
Feel free to check the following useful posts:
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If things don't work out with one person, there's many other people to replace you with online.
-Jennifer Coolidge-
Image Credits go to Flickr
Additional Freelancing Tips & Advice
Let's suppose you are no longer on the waiting mode and you are getting work easily. In that case, just keep these additional tips and suggestions in your mind:
1) Reply Fast
Whenever someone contacts you, reply him/her fast. Don't keep him/her waiting Or they will hire someone else. Because there is always another freelancer available to help out. So don't miss out on the opportunity by being late.
2) Check your Client's Profile
Before saying "Yes", kindly check the profile of your client. Ensure that they are not some scam. Also,there are many people who are actually the middle man not the real client. They pay you very less and just eat commission in between. Kindly make sure that you are working with a real client, not some middle man. One way to find out is by checking their profile. See if they are offering same services as yours. If Yes, it is very likely that you are dealing with a middle man here.
Working with middle man is not a bad thing. But don't let them such the blood out of you for commission.
3) Never Compromise on your Ratings
Your reputation and ratings matter a lot. The amount of work you get and the money you will be earning, all depend on them. So always strive for top ratings. You can do that by keeping your clients satisfied and delivery high quality work always. If client is not happy with the work, then don't take risk. Just give him a refund and save your ratings. Because once your rating is damaged, it can't be recovered.
4) Work for less in Start
Don't hesitate to work on cheap rates in beginning. Once you get high ratings, you can charge more and clients will pay you happily. Because it looks odd to demand more money without having any experience or rating.
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Here is a Querlo chat desigend by Mam Ninab. I am sure you guys will love it :)
Those were some vital freelancing tips that you should always keep in your mind. We all make mistakes; but won't it be better if we learn from the mistakes of others? For that, I will leave you with the following video. It will save you from doing a mistake that this guy did in his career.
Video Credits go to Brett Dev
It was quite fun writing this blog for you guys. There are many other users here who write on the same topic. One of which is Mam Ninab. You can check her blogs anytime. Also, don't hesitate to buzz this blog and share it with your friends. You can also post your valuable comments below :)
