When the pandemic hit us, many started working from home and many lost their jobs as well. Thus, more and more people started exploring freelancing and the increase of freelancers has increased around the world too.
A recent Upwork study found that:
- 33% of the U.S. workforce “freelanced even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- Younger, highly skilled professionals are turning to freelance, with 36% of the Gen Z workforce (ages 18 to 22) starting “since the onset of COVID-19.”
- Three out of four freelancers say their freelance gigs allow them to earn the same, if not more than the previous traditional job.
- 58% of non-freelancers (those working remotely because of the pandemic) will consider freelancing in the future.
More professionals have started freelancing since the pandemic started and the number will only rise as young people are passionate about travel and work at the same time.
However, if you’re new to freelancing, finding your first gig can be a bit difficult. In this blog, you’ll get to know 3 proven ways to find freelance work. Even if you have been freelancing for a while, this blog will help you find new gigs as well.
Let’s jump right in!
1] Sign up on Freelance websites
There are infinite freelance websites available online that you can use to land long term or short-term freelance work. Here are a few websites you can use:
- SolidGigs: SolidGigs is the perfect place to start finding freelance work. Just set a few preferences and their team will send you freelance job post alerts multiple times every weekday.
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn has more than 700 million users, and millions of jobs are posted in various categories. Use relevant filters, such as location, date posted, company size, salary, experience level, etc., to narrow down your job search.
- Upwork: Millions of jobs are posted every year in different categories on Upwork. Like LinkedIn, the site offers search filters, so you don’t have to waste copious amounts of time when looking for online gigs and other freelance opportunities.
2] Join Facebook Groups
Despite what we all think, social media is not just for entertainment or connecting with your friends. You can also leverage it to find job opportunities by joining groups and communities. For instance, you can find and join relevant Facebook groups that regularly post about freelance opportunities.
It is fairly simple to find relevant Facebook groups.
- Firstly, click on the “Groups” icon on the left-hand panel of the Facebook home screen.
- Next, enter the type of job groups you’re looking for in the search bar. For example, you might choose “content writer jobs.”
- Lastly, find the most relevant groups and ask to join.
- To get you started, you can join this group: “Digital Nomads Jobs: Remote Job Opportunities.”
Make sure you only join groups that are active and leave those groups that aren’t offering any value to you after joining them.
3] Write Guest Posts
One of the most underrated techniques to find freelance jobs is writing guest posts for other high authority and relevant websites. Writing for other websites will not only improve your skills (which means you can charge more) but also help you create a great portfolio. Here are a few reasons you should start guest posting right now:
- Reach a wider audience: One of the best parts about writing guest posts is that you don’t need to build an audience, you leverage the website’s already built audience.
- Increase traffic: If you have your own website where you create content then you can lead quality readers to your website.
- Get hired: The more people coming to your website, the higher chances of getting hired by someone. Also, if people like your guest posts, then they might reach out to you and give you their business.
Find the right freelance job for you
Freelancing is a profession that is going to be adopted by a lot of people and is expected to grow in the future. For obvious reasons that is - you can choose your own place to work, you get to choose the clients you want to work with, you work on your own time and a lot more. If you’re just starting your career as a freelancer, these tips will definitely help you in finding a freelance job in 2021.
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