Why should you become a freelancer NOW?

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult to find physical jobs for students to get an experience about their career trajectory. Financial problems arise with the growing unemployment rate among people, and students find it hard to receive education properly. Despite all these struggles currently, freelance jobs have increasingly expanded due to the need for more online interactions. They are present in job sites like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, Outsourcely, and Toptal.

Many students nowadays don’t view freelancing as something worth trying or even see its potential to earn money. This is because they think that freelance jobs need experience or a college degree before clients can hire them.

While this is practically correct, some freelance jobs are now considering self-taught individuals who have the necessary knowledge and skills, especially students. Any student can become a freelancer online, whether you are from Africa, Asia, Europe, or in any far-flung place. Freelancing is global.

Freelancer is more than just obtaining income on the side.

There has been a trend that employees are already leaving the traditional path of applying to employers and working their way to get promoted in their respective positions. They are now drawn to online jobs that not only give them the salary they need but also offer them the freedom to schedule their own time and pace of doing their work. They can decide how much work they want to do and when to do them.

Basically, freelancers take full control of their income and manage their lifestyle to accomplish things that matter to them, like education for example. So, why should students still be afraid to take the step forward towards freelancing?

Is it the lack of skills or the heavy competition with other freelancer?

Here, we have outlined a brief guide to provide you with an overview of the freelance market and give you that push you need to start freelancing.

Metrics aren’t everything.

It is true that there are a lot of freelancers who have skills and competencies above yours, but this should not prevent you from learning in the first place. Never let anyone’s metrics restrain you from reaching your goals. Thousands of people need your knowledge and skills every day, and there are clients out there waiting for you to actualize it.

However, you must be aware that freelancing is different from what you might think it is. You might say that you are eligible to apply to thousands of freelance jobs online, but you should have the presentation skills to present what you can offer to your clients. In order for you to do that, you should label what kind of jobs you can proficiently perform. Don’t just apply to jobs here and there without even knowing your specialization.

When we enter the freelance market, labeling is what we have to do because it enables us to shape our career path. It allows us to draft a clearer, more structured plan about ourselves than just winging it.

You already have the skills.

You may be worried that you are unfamiliar with the work in the freelance market when in fact, the work usually requires skills that you already know as a student.

In an environment where you’re usually given essays and reports to write, you’re one step ahead in establishing your writing skills. Many freelance jobs require writing skills for blogs and presentations of businesses, data entry, email assistance, and technical write-ups. These are skills you already have learned in school. You can also advertise yourself to your clients by impressing them with your own winning essays or published articles.

In addition, there are jobs in demand for organization and project management. If you have done some work in a school organization or interned in a company, then tell your clients about it. Let them hear about your volunteering activities and accomplished projects. This will show them that you have experience and you are good at it.

The market niche is wide.

Freelance enables businesses to have access to different talents in the global market. There are many job sites that connect freelancer and clients from around the world, enabling you to apply to employers who are also looking for a talent like yours.

Because it is a global market, you have a higher chance of being hired for a high-quality salary. You also have a wider niche of job categories, meaning there are jobs you may not have realized it was needed. Do you know that clients may need some language translation? Transcription of audio to text? Or even background removal of a photo? The freelance job market is all varying and this should encourage you more to try.

You just have to keep an open mind.

Freelancing is not a one-way street where you apply for a job, get hired, and acquire your salary. It is also about building from the connection you already have.

Keeping in touch with your former clients helps you discover a wider network to become familiar with. This saves you some failures in applying for new jobs. However, you should remember that failures will always be part of job applications right from the start and should not discourage you. Rather, it should encourage you more to keep an open mind and work hard.

Freelancing has numerous advantages as stated above, but not every day is going to be a success. There will be rejections and unproductive days, and that is okay. The important part is, you stick with it and be better. There is still space for you left in the freelance world and if you wish to succeed, you can and you will.

We, at whilestudying.com, help students with access to information and resources on how to achieve other things while studying.