Just Start Freelancing
Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.
- Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
- The timing is never perfect, Just start.
- Big things often have small beginnings.
I have been freelancing for a year. It’s not so much a statement as a sudden realisation of how long I’ve been doing this.
I did my first freelance activity back in July 2018. I was promoted to 3rd year of my engineering and the summer vacations were there to relax from the burden of study. With the passage of time, I got bore with my lazy life. I was spending more time on the internet rather than doing any other activity.
I was good at writing and analysing data. I want to earn some money by utilising my skills in an effective way. II remember stumbling upon a job ad about looking for a data analyst who could work from home. I applied and was sent my first project. My “data analysis” job involved stuffing as many keywords into an article as possible. And for my skilful stuffing of keywords, I was paid a fee.
I was skilled I'm writing articles around Fitness & Health niche due to my interest in this field. I have made a website on which I review different home gym equipment, home gym essentials for working at home
The next thing I have been making a complete series of working out at home whether you are working on your legs, shoulders, traps, abs, back, biceps, triceps, cardio, chest. You will love to read each guide over there
Getting attached to freelancing first time
That first job, as quite boring as it was, got me attached to freelancing. I was a full-time uni student and can’t continue to do my job anymore. While scrolling my Facebook timeline, I got to know about freelancing from on of my friend’s post. That was the night I searched all together on YouTube, Facebook about how to earn from freelancing. What a revelation!
When I first became a writer, I made the mistake of finding work on i Writer, which is a content mill. I Writer was a good platform for writers to share their knowledge but it was cheap. Upon my first order, it took two nights for me to write an article and what I get was a 2$ measly. This was not for me
I need something more. Then I searched about Fiver and start making new gigs in a daily routine. Between finishing my vacation and moving to university again in September, I had 3 months of boredom to fill. 3 months wasn’t long enough to apply for an “internee job” as I was not interested in an internship after 2nd year but it was definitely long enough to get better at freelancing. I took on making many gigs as I could and learnt the difference between writing website content, data analysis, spreadsheet and more.
Challenges I faced
I was well aware that was not going to be as easier as I think it would be. I divided my way of becoming the best freelancer into three chunks:
1. Getting knowledge about freelancing
Researching freelancing: When I first started, I did a lot of research.
I found another freelance analyst, view their YouTube tutorial and looked at their website and learned as much as I could about this business. I had no clue what kinds of jobs there are for freelance data analyst. I sometimes emailed freelance writers and asked questions like how to start, but never get a reply. Things were getting worst and worst for me.
Now I know I said you can start freelancing from nothing. This is absolutely true, but if you want a better chance of succeeding, it’s probably a good thing to learn a few skills and tools.
Some skills you should definitely have for freelancing are:
- Organisation skills
- Analysis skills
- Confidence
- Task management ability
- Photo editing ability
- Multitask er( so you can create more gigs)
2. Practice your skills
Now it was time for me to practice my skills. I started to make excel spreadsheets and presentation on different topics so that I have a good command of Microsoft Office.
Now, you don’t have to be the best freelancer to be a successful one. But, you do need to know how to tackle orders and get your thoughts across!
The language was another issue for me as English was not the first language for me. There are people who have English not their first language, but they still write articles in English and they were my inspiration. I worked on my English. Not only will this help you become a better writer, but it will also help you market your freelance writing business. Reading is also a great way to improve your vocabulary and world knowledge. I try to watch many Hollywood movies and when I can, I actually pick up a real book or two to read on my downtime!
Making a Website
It was necessary for me to make a website. In this regard, I asked for help from one of my uni fellow Ahsan who guided me to make a website for my clients to see my work. Website: aa2875324.portfolio.com.
Start searching for freelance jobs:
I started to search for freelance jobs on the internet and in social media or whatever platform I know. These job boards list new jobs daily and are often good quality jobs. I avoided freelance marketplaces like Upwork because the jobs weren’t high quality and I actually never landed a gig there. I actually joined Fiver for starting freelancing jobs. It is a good platform where you can drop your gigs and can earn much.
3. You Gotta Hustle
There are always steps to be excellent in your life. Never be in search of shortcuts. Being a freelancer means you gotta hustle for work. But, this doesn’t mean you ALWAYS have to hustle. The goal is your work so that clients to come to you. How do you do this? There are many ways, but to start try this way:
- Get on social media — This isn’t for socialising; it’s for networking. Sign up for Twitter and LinkedIn and start connecting or following other writers and businesses you want to write for.
When I first started, I only had a GMAIL account and Facebook account. But, I knew I had to be more social so I signed up for a Twitter, G+ and LinkedIn account and started networking.
And I can tell you that Twitter and LinkedIn can help you more in getting orders.
Current Situation
Currently, I am working hard to get as many orders as I can by sharing my gigs on social media and in my friend's circle. I know I am not earning too much at this time but I will be consistent and steadfast in my effort and one day will come when I will achieve my aim of becoming a next level freelancer. “LIFE IS A DIFFICULT GAME. YOU CAN ONLY WIN BY RESTRICTED TO YOUR IDEA”(A.P.J Abdul Kalam).
Always learn from your experiences
During my whole journey of Freelancing, I learnt that never remain silent and unmotivated. I remember the days when I get frustrated that no client and no order is coming up to me and you are wasting your time. But that was the time I have to boost my self. As I’m a critic of my own. I always try to get flaws from mine and look for positive things in me. I encouraged myself at that time and now by consistent efforts, I must say that I have learnt about how to tackle unmotivated and frustrating circumstances. If u ask a solution to me, I think self-learning and consistency is always a solution for the betterment of yourself and achieving your dreams.
Next steps:
So, as far as the next steps are concerned,I think I have made my mind and I’m not like that person who doesn’t know how to achieve their aims. I’m now focusing on my presentation skills and after a month, I’m gonna start learning these two soft wares which can also help me in my field and can also help me to get more skills, so I’ve more opportunities and more gigs to earn more
- Revit
- 3D Max
About the Author
Hi, I’m Ammar Ahmad and I’m a freelancer and currently enrolled in bachelors of civil engineering. I help people just like you to become a profitable freelance. I write articles on fitness. health niche If anyone has questions or wanna give feedback about my blog, then feel to contact me on
- Email: aa2875324@gmail.com or muhammad.ammar102amalacademy.org
- Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhammad-ammar-ahmad-91b64b180
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/its_amy25
