I Wasn't Sure Freelancing Can Be A Career. Revealed: It Can

At the beginning of this year, I was a full-time employee with two part-time freelance jobs on the side. I wasn’t unhappy in my 9 to 5 job or anything, but I had always imagined that one day I’d take my side hustles and make them into a full-time career.

So that’s what I did. In January, after working up the courage, I quit my job and with shakiness in my gut started freelancing full-time as a writer and social media manager.

Now, almost six months later, I get to work from anywhere in the world while traveling way more than before (while still saving money). A lot has changed since then, so here’s how it happened:

3 Pillars for a Successful Freelance Career on Upwork

Takeaways
Freelancing can be a viable career option, offering opportunities for professional growth and financial success.
Many individuals have found fulfillment and achieved their desired lifestyle through freelancing.
Building a successful freelancing career requires determination, perseverance, and continuous learning.
Freelancing provides flexibility, allowing individuals to have control over their schedules and work-life balance.
Developing a strong network and maintaining client relationships are crucial for long-term success in freelancing.

You Can Make A Living

You can make a living as a freelancer. And you don’t have to be an expert in everything either. I’m not the best writer or designer out there, but I’ve found my niche and can provide value for clients in those areas.

You can make a good living as a freelancer. But this requires some effort from yourself, and requires that you’re willing to hustle and do the work needed to grow your business without expecting anyone else (like an employer) to do it for you.

You can even make great money as a freelancer if that’s your goal and many people do! Some people even go into business with each other, pooling resources so they can offer higher quality work than they could otherwise deliver on their own.

Discover how freelancing can transform your life and career in ways you never imagined. Read the inspiring story of how freelancing gave me the life I always wanted and find the motivation to pursue your dreams.

Be Ready For Uncertainty

Freelancing is a lot like the weather. You never know what you’re going to get.

You can’t plan for every possible contingency, but you should always be prepared for things to go awry. Remember that freelancers are self-employed and as such, they have little job security and no paid vacation time or sick leave.

If a client cancels on you at the last minute, there’s not much else you can do except try again later (or send them an invoice). It’s all part of the game.

Be ready with backup plans if your clients take longer than expected or aren’t paying on time. Make sure you have enough money saved up in case something goes wrong; otherwise, invest wisely so that when emergencies arise, your savings won’t run out just yet.*

Build Your Brand And Business

Freelancing is a great career choice, but it will take some time to get started. You’ll need to find your niche and build a business around it. Here are some tips:

Identify your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re not good with numbers, don’t try to become an accountant; instead, look for other types of work that fit with what you enjoy doing.

Your passion will help keep your motivation high while also attracting clients who want someone like them working on their project or campaign.

Find a mentor or coach who can guide you through this process you don’t have to do everything alone! Reach out online if possible (via Twitter) or join a local meetup group where people have similar interests as well as different ones too in order for them all learn together about how freelance work works best.”

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Build An Audience

There are many different ways to build an audience and create loyal followers. You can blog, podcast, or share your content on social media. I like to use social media because it’s an easy way to connect with people who may be interested in what I have to say.

It also helps me find my target market by interacting with them and seeing what they need help with.

Building a following will take time, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results from your efforts at first. As long as you keep sharing your content regularly and connecting with people who resonate with what you share (and vice versa), eventually, those numbers will climb higher than they were before!

Start Thinking Long-Term

When it comes to your career, be prepared for the long haul. That means thinking about the future in a way that isn’t just about getting paid.

To start, think about where you want to be five years from now: What do you want your life to look like? Where are you living? Who is with you? How much money do you make? What responsibilities do you have at work and how’s that working out for both of you?

And then, of course, all those other details go into making up a person’s “career”: How much should we save each month so that we can retire comfortably one day (or at least not have too many financial burdens during retirement)?

How often should we buy new clothes (if ever)? What kind of insurance coverage should we purchase and why (life insurance? dental insurance?). A lot goes into creating an image of what our lives will look like down the road but it helps us figure out where we’re going and how fast (or slowly) to get there.

When I started freelancing full-time two years ago after seven years as an employee at one company, my first real hurdle was figuring out what my next steps were going to be on my path toward being successful as a freelancer.

Luckily, since I had already written up goals before leaving my job in case things didn’t go well with freelance work right off the bat, they were easy enough for me to find online and give me some guidance on where I needed to focus first when starting solo again; here was my list:

Start doing research into different types of clients who might hire me as their writer/editor/whatever else they need–this way I’ll know what type(s) of companies would best suit me based on their needs rather than assuming every client wants something similar

Work Harder Than You Need To Now

If you’re still in school or just starting your career, it can be tempting to take as many days off as possible. After all, except for some jobs (like cleaning toilets), working hard doesn’t sound like much fun at all.

As someone who’s been working a full-time job for over six years now, I can tell you that this isn’t what happens at least not in the long run.

When I first started freelancing part-time while I was still in college, I would work almost every day after class because 1) my parents told me doing so would help me pay for my phone bill and 2) it seemed pointless since there wasn’t much money coming in any way (my first client paid $100 total).

But then something changed: once I started getting more clients and making more money per project not to mention having more time on my hands between projects it became easier to justify taking breaks from work when needed (or even better yet: going on vacation!).

Nowadays when people ask why I only take two weeks off each year instead of four or five like most people do during their summers off from school/work, I tell them that “the investment” has already been made; there’s no point in trying to get something back if it wasn’t there originally.”

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Ask For What You’re Worth

You can find out what the market is paying for your skills and what your time is worth by doing a few online searches. It’s not hard to find out how much other people are charging for their services, as long as you’re willing to do some research and ask around.

And unlike many office jobs, freelancing allows you to use tools like Google Drive and Slack that were designed specifically with remote workers in mind.

I’ve found that asking around has gotten me higher-paying jobs than simply bidding blindly on projects posted on platforms like Upwork or Guru.

By asking around, I’ve been able to turn down gigs where clients were offering less than I felt was fair (and yes, this includes some very lucrative opportunities). Don’t be afraid if someone isn’t willing to pay what you’re worth then they probably aren’t worth working with anyway!

Diversify Your Income Streams

Another key to success is diversifying your income streams. This means having multiple sources of revenue and not relying on one client or project to bring in the bucks. Your portfolio should be diverse, but you can also work on projects that are closely related, like writing a book or launching an app.

Using your connections is also helpful in finding more clients and projects. You may already have friends who could use your services as well as people you can introduce them to when they’re ready for freelance help (and perhaps even make some money off their referrals).

If you don’t know anyone who needs your skillset yet, look for ways to expand your network so that those opportunities will come along sooner rather than later, and remember: it’s never too early or late!

Freelancing is not without its challenges, but the rewards are worth the effort. Discover the resilience and determination needed to succeed in the freelancing world. Learn why freelancing is hard, but it will be worth it and let your passion drive you toward success.

Get A Mentor Or Coach For Help, Connections, And Accountability

A mentor or coach can make a huge difference in your business and career. They’re people who are willing to help you get to where you want to go, whether that’s building a successful business or learning how to deal with the challenges of freelancing.

You don’t necessarily need one for every part of your life, but mentors and coaches can be beneficial when it comes to your goals, dreams, and vision for the future.

They can also help with your work and career: how do you find clients? How do you structure projects so they stay on track? How do you deal with clients who don’t pay on time? Does it matter if I have an office space vs working from home all the time? Should I hire employees? What skills should they have if I decide on hiring them full time rather than contracting them out only when needed?”

Freelancing Can Be A Real Career But You Need To Plan And Work Hard To Make It So

When you first start freelancing, it can feel like a hobby. You’re doing something you love and you get paid for it. It’s all very new and exciting and the money is coming in nicely.

But as time goes on, your understanding of what being a freelancer means changes. You find yourself working longer hours than expected because your client needs more things done than originally thought; that’s fine the work is still fun.

But then there are those days where no one wants to buy your services or projects come with too many tight deadlines that make you worry about whether or not they’ll be finished on time; sure enough, nothing goes wrong but those feelings don’t go away easily either.

And if they did go away quickly? They would probably never have existed at all (or rather at least not with such intensity). This is because being freelance isn’t easy and sometimes even downright sucks!

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Conclusion

So there you have it, all the things that I wish I knew before making the leap into freelancing. This doesn’t mean of course that freelancing was a mistake for me. Quite the contrary. Not having to wait on somebody else to move your career forward is incredibly liberating and empowering.

In fact, if I had known all this before, I probably would have made the switch even sooner! All in all, we can see now that it is possible to both earn a living and maintain a healthy work-life balance as a freelance writer but it may take some time for you to figure out how exactly your own schedule works best for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Best Way To Get Started Freelancing?

Start by doing what you love. If you don’t know where to start, try a few of these ideas:

Do You Like Writing?

Then write! Maybe blog about something you’re interested in. Maybe write for a magazine or website that needs content. Or even just start your blog and see if it catches on.

Do You Enjoy Graphic Design?

Then why not try to find some clients who need help with their business cards, or maybe a flyer or poster for an upcoming event?

Are You Good At Math?

Then offer up your services as an accountant! You can be self employed and work from home or anywhere else that has internet access!

How Can I Start Freelancing?

It’s simple. Just pick a topic you’re interested in and start writing about it. You can write about anything from how to make money as a freelancer, to how to find the best freelance jobs, to how to stay sane while working from home.

What Does It Mean To Be A Freelancer?

There are literally millions of freelance jobs available on the web right now. They range from full-time positions with benefits to part-time gigs that don’t offer benefits but pay well, to projects that might only last for a few hours or days.

Basically, if you want something done, there’s probably someone out there willing to do it for free or for pay and they’re probably looking for someone like YOU!

Is Freelancing Safe?

Yes! The internet is an amazing place where people from all walks of life come together and help each other out by doing what they do best: offering quality services for fair prices.

Can I Work From Home?

Yes! We’re happy to help you find jobs that will allow you to work from home.

Should I Get Health Insurance?

It depends on what kind of freelancing you do and how much money you make. If you’re doing work for companies that offer health insurance benefits for their employees, then yes! But if not, then probably not. But don’t worry we’ll help you figure out if it’s right for your situation.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.

I Wasn’t Sure Freelancing Can Be A Career. Revealed: It Can