We live in a time when more and more professionals around the world are starting to live a freelance lifestyle. We can say that many look at freelancing as their future, especially when they see some of the success stories. Some of them are completely dedicated to freelancing, while others do it in addition to their regular work. One of them is James Aquino, top rated freelancer on UpWork.
James grew up in the Philippines and completed a bachelor’s degree in Nursing, has been happily married for more than a decade and blessed with two daughters. He has several part-time jobs online, all of them through UpWork, work as a freelance writer, copyeditor, and social media manager. James also supporting numerous projects overseas, including Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Libya.
So, what were the reasons to start freelancing?
I started freelancing out of curiosity. I registered in oDesk (now UpWork) in 2008 just because I got interested and curious about how online jobs work. At that time, I was only familiar with traditional types of work that require you to be physically working in an office. While I started my freelancing journey in 2008, it was only in the late 2014 that I aggressively pursued it as a career. I never looked back since, and I believe it is one of my best life decisions ever.
How did you learn to be a freelancer? Did you have help, or did you research it yourself and where?
Freelancing itself is still not completely embraced and understood. I believe the concept of remote work was only highlighted by the pandemic, and I love that more people are appreciating this type of work setup. In the past, the main misconception about freelancing and remote work is that we are just sitting in front of our computers and typing stuff. Now, people are discovering that freelancing is much more than that.
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I love to write, and this is a skill I learned to improve through the years until it became my primary skill as a freelancer. When I was starting out, it was a bit of a challenge because resources back then are not as abundant as what we have now. Years ago, you need to find the resources yourself, and you should have the initiative to do it because no one will do it for you. So, what I did is to surf the internet for courses on writing and proper negotiation with clients, and those small steps turned into bigger leaps into what I am today.
Have you tried working on different platforms?
I tried onlinejobs.ph, Indeed, and even LinkedIn, but for me, the leverage and dynamics I found in UpWork is unmatched. I think they have found the perfect recipe to make things work in the world of freelancing.
What are the advantages of working on UpWork?
I can go on and on about the advantages of working on UpWork for the number of years I’ve been in the platform. However, the three main advantages of UpWork compared to other freelancing platforms are security, legitimacy, and exceptional freelancer experience.
There is security in terms of guarantee that your efforts will be paid based on the prevailing company policies. While I consider UpWork to be platform that is not perfect as there are still some clients who are problematic or fraudulent, the incidence is way fewer than those in other platforms. There is this great sense of security that the money you worked hard for will be properly processed and transmitted to you.
Legitimacy is one of UpWork’s strongest selling points. Being one of the first freelancing platforms, it continues to prove itself as one of the best freelancing platforms out there.
Experience has and always been amazing, from customer service to community discussions, to updates. In fact, I was able to share my knowledge and expertise when I was invited to do a speaking engagement for UpWork last June 2021 held online. I was able to talk about my experience and what can be done beyond your successful freelance journey.
What are the biggest benefits of a freelance lifestyle for you?
Definitely the freedom to live the life you want. As someone maintaining both an office job and freelance work at the same time, I feel more secure and confident about my freelance lifestyle. That’s why I already considered to dropping my “day job” back in 2019. The freedom and flexibility to work anywhere is an amazing and life-changing experience. Therefore I encourage others to give it a shot, even just for once.
And what are the disadvantages?
While I don’t directly consider this a disadvantage, the freelancing lifestyle requires considerable commitment and discipline to make things work. In a traditional office setup, your mind is programmed to do just that – work. When you have the freedom to work at your own pace, at the comfort of your own home, it will be challenging because all the distractions are there – from television, internet, to food, and of course, the bed.
Freelancing is not for everyone, but everyone is free to try. What you make out of this journey will help you understand what you really want in the future.
If you compare regular work with freelance, what are the advantages and disadvantages of regular work compared to freelance work?
I guess the only advantage of regular work compared to freelance work, at least in the Philippines, would be the government-imposed benefits (which are deducted from your salary) and other company-provided benefits like health insurance. When you are a freelancer, you need to mind these requirements on your own. Being a freelancer, you are your best employee, your own manager, and PR. No one will do it on your behalf – just you.
As for disadvantage, I have seen better career and fulfillment growth in the freelancing landscape than office work. There are also grave incidences of office politics, something that rarely occurs in freelancing based on my experience. One funny disadvantage as well is that I tend to spend less on food being a freelancer compared to being an office employee even when I work remotely and sometimes visit coffee shops from time to time. Perhaps this is due to the fact that my spending is not influenced by co-workers who are with me physically whenever I am in the office.
You do multiple jobs at the same time, how do you manage to get organized? Is your day long enough for all your obligations?
I get this question a lot. I believe it is all about the mindset to get things organized and done. If you will look at it from afar, it can be an overwhelming view. However, when you divide things into smaller, more manageable tasks, it is definitely doable. By the time of this writing, I have a 6-hour-a-day office job, five part-time projects in Upwork, and still able to go to bed by 11:00 p.m.
You live in the Philippines. Are there any special challenges or interesting facts about freelancing from your country?
I believe the Philippines is one of the largest countries in Upwork in terms of freelancer population and is consistently in the top ten countries with the greatest number of freelancers overall. Filipino freelancers have managed to adapt and be competitive in taking advantage of opportunities outside their comfort zone.
I think the special challenge for Filipino freelancers is still acceptance, though the pandemic really gave the freelancing landscape a boost. The years 2020 and 2021 gave the world a great overview of how the system works, and I do hope that more Filipinos embrace or at least understand this even more. I want more people to break the stereotype that freelancing is not an “actual career.”
Do you think there are universal rules for success, or every person and every success is a different story?
I always ask my friends and starting freelancers this question: Do you think you will be successful?
How they respond is my personal yardstick on whether or not they will succeed. If it is a solid, confident yes, then I believe they will. Their mind will exhaust all effort to make things happen. If the answer is unsure or given with reluctance, then we might have a problem because the foundation of success is believing that you can.
Not every journey is the same, but we all have our own share of beginnings and one beautiful milestone – success. I called it a milestone because it should not be the end goal, it should be a beautiful chapter worth pursuing for more chapters ahead.
Some freelancers claim that there is a part of their work that is particularly exhausting for them. For some it is bookkeeping, for others it is communication, or constant bidding … Is there a part of freelance life that is especially difficult for you?
Being a writer, sometimes the exhausting part is the time when creative juices run dry, especially when writing jobs are piling up. However, I always consider this as normal and something I must deal with it occasionally.
Are you planning to continue working as a freelancer?
Until I am old and gray. Even when I retire from my office job, I will still continue doing freelance work for at least two more decades, working comfortably at home together with my family.
If you had a full-time job as a freelancer, would you consider quitting your regular jobs? Or having a regular job provides irreplaceable security?
I already considered this in 2019, then the pandemic happened. This was the reason why I have decided to keep my office job as there is a possibility of a real global crisis, which means I need to keep my cash flow and resources running to prepare for the inevitable. A regular job indeed offers security, but you can use this security as a steppingstone and safety net while setting up for a freelancing career.
My best advice is this – if you want to try freelancing, don’t abandon your regular work. Test the waters, accept part-time jobs so you can understand the process, and then engage into bigger projects. Gently uproot yourself from regular work because this is the best approach without hurting your finances, especially when you are a breadwinner. Your goals should scare and excite you at the same time.
What would be your advice to those who are just starting freelance?
Enjoy the challenges, prepare to have thick skin because not everyone will understand you, keep a good heart, and be grateful. Freelancing is not for everyone, but everyone is free to try. What you make out of this journey will help you understand what you really want in the future.
Freelancing is not an easy journey to take, because if it were, then everyone should be doing it by now. It takes discipline, commitment, and openness to learn new things to equip yourself for new chapters. But trust me on this one: You are one step away from a decision that will give you a shot towards a better life.
