There are many reasons why people choose to be self-employed. Some reasons include being your own boss, working from home, or earning extra money. But how do you get freelance jobs? Is this a good time to do it?

How is the freelance market?

Before you decide to become a freelancer (also known as a service provider), it’s good to know the health of the freelance market. So is it a good time to work as a freelancer? Well, this may seem a bit counterintuitive, but during periods like the ones we’re currently experiencing, freelance jobs are actually on the rise. So the simple answer to this question is, ‘yes’. There are freelance jobs, there are more than you think, you just have to find them.

Is freelancing for me?

To paraphrase a well-known phrase, if freelancing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. And if you’re not ready to be a freelancer, then there’s no point in becoming one!

To help you understand if freelancing is for you, ask yourself these questions:

  • Would you like to work for different companies or for other people?
  • Are you an entrepreneur, capable of managing your work and your time?
  • Pay attention to the details?
  • Do you finish what you start and take pride in what you do?

These questions are the same ones an employer would want answers to before offering a potential employee a permanent job, and it’s no different for freelance jobs.

So if you’re looking to be a successful freelancer, then your answers to all of the above should be “yes.” Freelancing can be a means of earning extra money, but if you want to be successful and maintain your earnings, it’s best to leave a history full of happy job providers.

What skills or services do I need to be a freelancer?

You don’t need a specific skill or skill set to get freelance jobs. And the demand for independent services varies. There are helpful sites that provide information on demand, such as itjobswatch and jobstats, but you can also get useful information by simply searching and counting the number of freelance jobs reported by your favorite search engine.

But don’t be discouraged if your skill or service isn’t popular on Google or Bing. In fact, having a skill or service that is in low demand puts you at a premium in the marketplace, especially if there aren’t many other freelancers who have your skill or can offer your service.

And of course, if a company or individual can micro-outsource you, then you can be independent! So keep that in mind.

But as a guide, freelance jobs include data entry, CCTV monitoring, online marketing, package delivery, event planning, phone answering, customer service, gardening, event planning, article writing, and site development. Web. So the skills can be as diverse as typing or data entry and video monitoring to writing and web development.

Where to look for freelance jobs?

Job boards are an obvious place to start. However, job boards do not specialize in micro contract jobs, which are the kind of jobs you are looking for as a freelancer. Also, job boards capture resumes and not services, which may not be very helpful if you have a typical resume that may show you’ve done more than one thing in your working life.

There are specialized sites that can help you get freelance jobs. With these sites, you will be able to promote your service, not your CV, and you will be able to highlight your relevant skills and experience. You’ll also be able to interact with job providers, allowing you to discuss job requirements and your skills, and work with them after you get the job!

Summary

There are many reasons why people choose to become freelancers. Some reasons include starting a business, working from home, or earning extra money. This article has discussed how to get a freelance job and the questions you will need to ask yourself if you want to be successful.

Copyright 2011 by Peter Louis. All rights reserved

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