How to get started freelancing - tips & links

Whenever people find out that most of my career has consisted of remote work, they have questions. Over the years I started throwing links & tips into a document so I thought I’d share what I’ve collected up.

The best advice I have for freelancing, remote work, or doing anything slightly outside the norm (though really these things are becoming the new normal nowadays) is that you need to be willing to just dive in & figure it out. There is no one path or one perfect guide that will help you get a job - you need to be willing to try things, test, learn, fail, try again.

And that’s good practice especially if you want to find work as a virtual assistant or project manager. No matter the client, your job will be all about problem solving. The first problem you’ll face as a freelancer is figuring out how to freelance :)

Freelancing marketplaces
https://www.upwork.com/ (I’ve had the most success on Upwork)
https://www.guru.com/
https://www.freelancer.com/
https://www.fiverr.com/

More job boards for writers & designers
https://problogger.com/jobs/
https://www.flexjobs.com/
https://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/freelance-writing-job-ads/

Resources that have I’ve found helpful in the past
https://thewritelife.com/
https://www.natasharelph.com/ - journalism
https://fundsforwriters.com/ - skews more creative, literary

Remote job listings (mostly part-time & full-time)
https://weworkremotely.com/
https://remotive.io/
https://www.dynamitejobs.com/

Have to mention these sites just in case people haven’t heard of them
https://www.workaway.info
https://wwoof.net/
I’ve never done a workaway or WWOOF but I hope to one day!

General thoughts about Upwork

• Be selective about which jobs you apply to - don’t waste bids on spammy or sparse listings. BUT be prepared to apply to multiple jobs at once. This is partly a numbers game - the more you apply, the better chances of getting hired.
• Be willing to back away from a job if you think the client seems impossible to please. It’s better to avoid risking a negative review.
• Try searching for niche keywords & applying to those jobs first. Search for topics you’re interested/experienced with (wellness, technology, investing, etc).
• Don’t be afraid to bid on a lowish paying job if you feel you're perfect for it. You might convince them your work is worth paying more for. But be upfront about what your pay expectations are.
• Try to use the person's name or any information you can find about the company. Scan reviews other freelancers have left them - you'll often find a person or company name.
• Do research about the company if at all possible before you write the proposal. Try to mention something you’ve learned about them. Show them you took initiative & a sincere interest in what they’re doing.
• Selling yourself on strictly technical skills is ok but I think what can make you stand out is mentioning your personal interest in the company/client.
  -- Ex. If you’re really into fitness try to find clients in that industry. If you fall into a client's target audience - be sure to mention that in your proposal. Even if the job doesn’t require you have any previous experience with the industry, it doesn’t hurt to mention experience you have even if it’s just a casual interest.
• The first two jobs are the hardest to get - it's much easier after landing those.

Rough outline for Upwork proposal

Attention-grab by showing you’ve read the description (not just the title) and try to throw in a bit about experience. Clarify your native language & any other languages you speak.

Talk about your experience relating to this job or if the description was short, offer other reasons why you’re hirable.

Invite them to reach out, thank them. Bonus points if you can say something like “I would love to discuss this project further. I’m especially curious about [relevant company info you found on their About page on their website}.

A few more random freelancing thoughts:

• Be sure to understand how contract labor/self-employed tax works in your country.
• In my experience, charging based on project vs hourly tends to lead to a better working experience.
• No one needs a website in order to freelance but if you want to stop paying fees to sites like Upwork and you want to build your own business for the long term, then it’s a must imo.
• Invest the time in creating a portfolio of your work (even if that means creating work for imaginary clients though a better strategy is to volunteer some time to a local business or nonprofit and create a portfolio of work from that).

I hope this was helpful! I’d love to hear other people’s freelancing tips and experiences!