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Going down the freelance route can be the result product of many different circumstances. It can be a well-thought fully conscious decision and feel like the next logical and natural step if you spent the bulk of your career in full-time job positions, it can be the end goal some people have, the only way to enjoy a certain degree of flexibility and the perks of remote-working – mind you, it has its downsides, too- or it could be taken as a temporary measure or route if , like me, want to also focus on other personal projects and need to leverage these with your career. Whatever the category you fit in, being a freelancer can equally daunting and rewarding, sometimes can feel rather frustrating and draining and it requires a good dose of creativity, perseverance and optimism.

Freelance- job searching: a few tips

Speaking from my personal experience as a temporary freelancer, these are my recommendations  for job and project-hunting if you want to go freelance or just sneak a taste of it:

1. Capitalise on your -extended- network of contacts: this means capitalising on second, third or even fourth degree connections. Anything goes as long as you keep a professional approach. As darn simple and obvious as it may sound, your contacts could be your best asset to get you work, refer you to connections who might be looking for the services you offer or put you touch with relevant people. Opportunities can be anywhere. You need to look out for them.
2. LinkedIn is your best friend. Not only is keeping a polished, optimised with the popular, highly searched keywords relevant to your sector, SEO-friendly profile imperative, it is also important to keep an active profile on the network: be sure you share updates and information relevant to your industry, write your own posts – this functionality is now available on LinkedIn- but also engage in conversations: comment, add value, speak up, and participate in professional groups to interact with professionals in the same industry and, most importantly, engage in groups where your target audience is. Adding value there is key. Do not only advertise yourself, answer questions whenever you can, give help and share insights. It will pay off.
3. Create a Personal blog: A neat and optimised LinkedIn profile is a must-do to build your personal brand. A personal blog or a personal website is as well. If you are a web designer having a site to showcase your portfolio is essential. If creating a website is too much of a hassle or you don’t think there is much in it for you in the first phase of your freelance work quest, then start off with a blog. It is a powerful tool to build your own personal brand whatever the sector you are in. Yes, maintaining a blog it does require time, effort and upfront planning. But it is your space, your brand. Nurture it and handle with care J
4. Freelance-work sites and platforms: Albeit I got the bulk of my projects through contacts and acquaintances of contacts, if you are serious about getting freelance work uploading your profile and services there is strongly advisable. You need to maximise your visibility as a professional and your chances of getting work. Competition is fierce and one of the downsides of some of these sites is that you compete against professionals from all over the globe meaning that the hourly fees proposed by them vary… A lot.  But don’t let this deter you, there are certainly companies or hiring professionals which want to get the cheapest deal no matter what and, lets put it bluntly, pay peanuts, and will go for the lowest rates on the market. But there are also companies which post projects that do require a level of expertise and quality that only a specific type of professionals can offer. These sites are not the flea-market of freelancing work so don’t be discouraged and sign up.

8 freelance-work related sites worth checking

Voilà my selection:

• Elance: Signing up is free as well as applying for jobs. It is the biggest site in terms of registered users and posted jobs. One of the perks of this site is that your payment is 100% protected. It is highly competitive and you can find projects related to Marketing, Sales, Web development, Graphic designer, translation, writing… Virtually any sort of project.
• Freelancer: Another big site in terms of job posts and registered users. The scope of projects is huge and so is the competition but it is a must-have if you want to want freelance work online.
• Upwork offers a huge scope of projects and expertise levels, from junior to senior projects.  The categories of the posts range from Accounting to Legal Counseling. Another key site to monitor and sign up to if you look for freelance work online.
• Fiverr: The focus of the site is “micro-projects” with fees starting off from as little as $5. Good choice for entry-level projects, build a first portfolio, or getting micro-jobs in which you can sell your skills and make some cash on the side.
• Dribbbble: Site focused on web desigining jobs and one of the most popular in this sector. If this is your field, signing up is almost imperative.
• Textbroker: Specialised in content production and writing jobs. It is one of the biggest in terms of projects posted and registered users in this sector.
• Contently: Not as big as Textbroker as this is a start-up specialised in Content Marketing but work checking if content related jobs in Online industry is what you are searching for. They publish valuable content and insights, with tips and tricks which you will find helpful.
• Journalism jobs:  The title is self-explanatory and site focuses not only on offline- broadcast and print jobs – but also on Digital Media jobs. It is a well-established marketplace founded back in the 90s so a good resource to check if this is your area of expertise or where you want to gear your next career move to.

If freelancing or contract jobs are not your thing but want to enjoy the benefits of a commute-free job and the freedom to work from virtually anywhere then you might want to narrow your search down to sites offering remote work type of job offers. While this might not be applicable to every industry, if you work in sectors such as IT, Marketing or Sales, this option is certainly worth looking into. For the purpose of not making you dose off with a neverding  post, I will be covering remote working websites in a second instalment, so stay tuned!

Are you working as a freelancer or thinking of giving it a go? Do you recommend any tips to find jobs? Let me know in the comments below.