Freelancing – what is it and how does such work look like?

Hundreds or even thousands of hours worked at a regular job over time may lead us to the conclusion that this type of work is simply not for us. Being under someone's "command", performing duties according to set hours, strictly defined schedule. Everyone's job may bother them differently, but there is an alternative type of work that is freelancing. What is? What are the advantages and disadvantages freelance work?

Freelancer – who is it and what does he do?

Freelancer, that is freelancer, is a person who is not permanently employed in any company. Performs orders based on contracts for specific work or based on a business activity. The work of a freelancer is characterized by a lot of freedom – it is up to him to decide with whom to cooperate and how it will proceed. As this is a job via the Internet, it also gives him complete freedom when it comes to working hours. The only thing that limits him are the contracts he makes with his clients. However, it is worth noting that it is the freelancer who sets their terms.

A freelancer also has freedom in terms of where he works. Whenever he feels like it, he can grab his laptop and go out to perform his tasks outdoors or in a coffee shop. When he is sick, he can stay at home and do assignments without getting out of bed. He can do his job – if he wants to – he can do it even on vacations.

How to become a freelancer

Freelancer can be virtually anyone, because the orders are really varied. Some of them do not even require high skills such as. typing data, searching for information etc. However it is the more complicated ones that are better paid, so only people who „can do something” such as. programming, graphic design etc. Of course not every activity can be realized in this form, so freelancers are usually those who deal with creative work.

Where to get orders from?

Deciding to freelance, we can look for orders on our own or use intermediary services. Below are the most popular ones.

Fiverr is a platform for freelancers with international reach, so you need to know English reasonably well to make money. The advantages are certainly the availability of assignments from all over the world.

Useme is the other platform that makes it easy to find freelance assignments. There are jobs from Poland, so the service will be a good choice for people who have problems with English.

The most popular professions

The development of freelancing has also its cause in the development of the Internet itself. It is through this medium that freelancers can find and receive orders faster and easier. Therefore the number of freelance jobs that can be done without direct contact with the client is constantly growing. Freelancing is the most popular among:

• graphic designers
• programmers
• copywriters
• explains
• journalists
• photographers

However, psychologists, coaches, personal trainers and even nutritionists are also increasingly choosing to freelance.

Undoubtedly, as you can see from the list of professions presented above, what characterizes every freelancer is a fairly clearly defined specialization. There is no place for an "everything man" who will do the job for "5 zl". Freelancers who have maintained themselves successfully for many years are specialists in their fields, for which clients are not afraid to pay.

Copywriter

The most popular freelance jobs include copywriting, i.e. writing texts for hire. It is such a popular job that there are even special services where we can find only this type of orders. Theoretically, this is the least demanding job, although certainly not everyone can cope with it.

Photographer

Having a good SLR camera the most serious investment for this business is already behind us. Creating great photographs requires artistic flair, a bit of knowledge about composition and of course attractive looking objects or landscapes to photograph. The demand for high quality photos is huge. We can do them on commission or present our works on so called. Stocks, thanks to which you will gain a passive income. Photography is undoubtedly also an extremely enjoyable job, so it is definitely worth considering.

programmer

Programmers are IT specialists who are highly valued on the labour market. Therefore, we can be sure that there will be so many job offers that we will have to reject some of them. And since this is a profession so much needed, it is natural that we can also count on attractive rates for their work. Forecasts indicate that more and more programmers will be needed. Therefore, it will certainly be difficult to complain about the lack of work in the following years as well.

However, working on the code may not be for everyone, because it requires some familiarity with the subject and knowledge – but it gives great satisfaction and of course good money. It is also a good idea for a business which is of great importance for. The applications we create can contribute to making many people's daily lives easier.

What you need to become a programmer? Above all knowledge and skills. Although, even if we don't have such, we can easily get them even through the Internet. To become a self-managed software developer, 3 to 12 months of preparation is enough, according to those who have already started. If programming gives you pleasure and satisfaction, it is worth trying to start working as a freelance programmer.

Language teacher

Even if you are not highly qualified, you can tutor others. It is enough, of course, that you are fluent in a foreign language. Lessons can be held via Skype or any other tool allowing video conversations. More and more people are interested in this form of learning language. Parents prefer their children to stay at home, where they can keep an eye on them, and adults who are tired of everyday duties are more likely to choose a teacher to whom they do not have to travel to the other end of town. Depending on the level of knowledge of a language our rate can vary from 20 to even 80 and more PLN per hour. The advantage of being a freelancer is obviously the fact that you reach a much wider group of potential students – you are not limited in this by your location.

Disadvantages of this type of work

But working as a freelancer is not as easy as it seems. A freelancer does not wait politely for orders coming in from all over the world, and he does not always have a wide range of offers. A freelancer, as the only member of his/her own business, has to make sure not only that there is a fairly regular flow of assignments. His task is also their execution, accounting, organization, as well as several other issues that everyone can find out on their own.

Freelancer takes care of the whole order. From the question of how to get it, through the implementation (which must be completed in a timely manner), handing over the order, customer service, and enforcing payment. The last one – contrary to appearances – may be the most troublesome. Sometimes, despite all the caution that a freelancer is "equipped" with, there can be simply dishonest clients. But those should be blacklisted right away.

Before we even take on these assignments, we first need to gather them. Here the task may not be so easy either. The right advertising – appropriate to the industry – will be here, how to find. You will also need industry contacts, which will certainly help you get started. If we take good care of our clients and keep up with the needs of the market – evolving along with it – we will surely see the effect of so-called "freelancing". snowball. So there will be more and more clients, and we will run out of time to carry out new orders.

Features of a good freelancer

A freelancer should therefore be a highly organized person who does not lack motivation and willingness to act. It is good if he/she has the ability of multi-track thinking, has an open mind and can adapt a bit. He/she also has to be extremely assertive and, if necessary, also firm in enforcing his/her dues and rights.

However, with good organization and ingenuity, contrary to the information that can be found on many portals, freelancing does not have to be extremely difficult at all. He or she will be like this at first, when overwhelmed by the multitude of responsibilities. But with time we will gain more and more skill, and we will move much more efficiently in our field.

Tips for the beginning freelancer

First of all, you have to believe in yourself. Before you try, you won't really know if this is really for you. Of course this does not exempt you from preparing your own strategy. Read how others do it. Listen to their advice. Check what advice they have. This will certainly help you avoid many of the pitfalls of freelancing, as well as the troubles that may arise.

If you are afraid of your first failure it is better not to take any steps towards freelancing. Even after reading countless articles, specialized e-books or books, you will not be able to avoid mistakes. In fact, most of the knowledge cannot be passed on in these packages, because it comes with experience. If you stumble, learn from it, fix it if possible, and then be careful not to let it happen in the future.

What every freelancer should remember is discipline in every area of life. It's not only about work. Don't forget about the rest and relaxation you need after completing your projects, as well as healthy eating and exercise.