If you’ve just recently started building your freelance career, continue reading this article. Many new freelancers give up too soon just because they don’t know how to get the first few jobs. Building your portfolio is a long-term process. Be patient and take a look at our advice that will help you to get hired as a new freelancer without working experience.
Building experience is more important than the paycheck – in the beginning
You’ve probably realized that you’ll have to prove your freelance knowledge and skills by completing different big and small projects and getting feedback from clients. Yet, it may be a bit difficult for you to stand out from the crowd as a newbie. What you can do is offer various clients to complete their assignments for lower prices than other freelancers and online workers.
Of course, this only refers to those freelancers without experience, which is exactly the topic of this article. When it comes to freelancing platforms, remember that working for free is usually against the user agreement, so try to complete something successfully for a lower price to prove your skills. Once you have a few feedbacks from clients, and if those are good ones, you won’t have trouble with finding new job opportunities anymore.
Beginner freelancers should use all their existing skills
Why wouldn’t you use all your existing skills to show the world that you are capable to stand out from the crowd in the freelancing market? Maybe the best would be to complete some tasks on your own, so you can represent them in a portfolio.
Search what tasks clients want to be done in your field of expertise or niche, and then create examples by yourself. This is also helpful when you write proposals trying to get through the hiring process. Once you have something to show to clients, they will hire you more likely.
This is why every freelancer needs their own website
Besides creating a portfolio, you should also think about building a digital self-image, and for freelancers who think about becoming online professionals, it’s a must to have a personal website as well. Try to represent yourself and your online business in the best possible manner. Clients love freelancers who consider their remote careers seriously, and the website will definitely help you to create a professional look.
Remote workers and networking
Don’t forget about networking as well. Working from home alone doesn’t mean that you won’t communicate with people and that you’ll be a lone wolf. Instead, create profiles on different social media channels, but focus on your professionalism. LinkedIn is probably one of the best place for representing yourself online, but not only that – you can finally connect with other similar professionals like yourself. Learn from them, talk to them, get advice, and sometimes – work together, be invited into some project.
New freelancers can also search for different Facebook groups with the purpose to get their job opportunities. Be there, follow the news, and look at new job opportunities that are usually posted on a daily basis. Sometimes, offer advice, so others can realize what skills you have and who you are in the online business world. Be a part of all those groups and pages that are related to your field of expertise.
Writing a proposal for an online job
Writing a proposal for an online job is like art – it shouldn’t be too long, or too short, but it definitely needs to show a client why you may be the best match. One friendly piece of advice for beginner freelancers – whenever you write a proposal for a certain job, never talk about yourself, but rather represent yourself through completing the project. Let the client know how you can help them complete their tasks, step by step. In this way, you’ll represent yourself and your skills in the best possible manner. Never copy-paste and send proposals, many freelancing platforms consider that spam.
Make time in your day when you’ll search for new job opportunities.
The importance of constant learning for freelancers
There’s one fact about freelancing – you’ll have to learn until the end of your career. Of course, don’t find this fact as doom, but rather as your opportunity to become better and better by each day. Within just a few years, you can literally become an online professional. Attend online courses, connect yourself with successful freelancers, and explore tools you can use to expand and improve your business. This is why constant learning is so crucial for freelancing.
Understanding your field and niche
Know as much as you can about your field and niche – this will not only help you to have better communication with clients and other professional freelancers but can also open new chances. Maybe you didn’t even know about some fields that are related to your business, but you’re naturally talented for them. For example, many people who start content or creative writing, later on, realize that they are talented in copywriting, which is definitely paid better and there are more job opportunities for it than for creative writing.
Freelancers need a daily routine
Once you start freelancing and leave your 9 to 5 job, you may sometimes find yourself lost. Newbie freelancers claim that they should have started with a working routine from day 1. Don’t expect that you’ll just wake up whenever you want and start working when you feel like it. Maybe the best would be to create a strict plan at first. For example, you’ll wake up at 8 a.m. and then search for new job opportunities for an hour or two. This is just an example – the point of freelancing is that you can create your own schedule and routine, but make it work for you, not against you.
Overall, that would be it. You are now ready to improve your beginner freelance experience.
If you didn’t find all this helpful, maybe you’re not ready to become a freelancer. Read this article and find out which signs show that maybe it’s not the time to start your freelancing career.
