I’ve been thinking about putting more energy into freelance writing and photography. I haven’t had any luck finding traditional employment, yet I am motivated to work. Freelancing might be the solution. There are some challenges to getting started, but I have had one or two good results! It only takes one success to become motivated and to develop the positive attitude to keep going.

The Challenges of Becoming a Freelancer

Working as a freelancer, at least in the beginning, there is little job security, and no clear path to follow. Setting the intention is a good place to start. When you seek freelance work, it’s good to see what people might want from you based on your skills and what other similar freelancers are selling. Once you figure that out, getting noticed as a seller may be the biggest challenge.

When beginning the freelance journey, the first thing to do, once you know what service to offer, is to find clients. One place to look is on websites that offer a platform to buy and sell creative services. I began my journey by finding freelance websites, exploring them to see what types of work people offer, and then setting up my writing service accounts.

Creating Seller Profiles

I placed profiles on Upwork, Freekancer.com, and later on Fiverr. It’s straightforward to set up profiles on Upwork and Freelancer. A good profile includes examples of past projects and a portfolio, descriptions of your talents and skills, your work history, plus other details like education, preferred pay and hours, and the kind of work you are seeking. Once the profile is set up, you can watch for job postings and send out proposals when appropriate jobs appear on your feed.

I’m still investigating the best practices for getting employers to read my proposals. I’ve seen that successful freelancers often apply to many positions, because not all employers respond. This may differ depending on whether a seller has a history of past clients listed on ther profile, meaning it’s a process to break through. I’ve sent proposals to several jobs that match my skills, and I haven’t gotten a job yet. Granted, it has only been a couple of months, but it’s been a challenge to break into working on these platforms.

My Fiverr profile seems more promising. As a seller, I set up my profile, including work history, education, skills, and type of work I do. I then included a photo and description, then defined a specific gig. For a gig, which is specific service with a list of features being offered, uploaded a logo, and set my prices. I have gotten some profile views on my gig, and even some click throughs from people reviewing my gig. I haven’t gotten any clients yet, but am maintaining a positive outlook, however challenging it seems right now. As I have gotten some response, I feel it is a positive outcome so far.

The Breakthrough

For my good news, I had a promising breakthrough. I applied to a freelance writing position listed on Media Bistro. I sent writing samples and received an email response from the the website listed on the platform. They were interested in giving me a chance to write a trial article! I wrote one, passed the test, and will now be working for in a supervised role to see if I am a good fit for the company. I will talk more about this as I proceed, but it feels good to have gotten a positive result for my efforts!

When I put the energy and intention into the world, things happen. It doesn’t always happen in a straight line, but arises in a winding fashion. I am excited to write professionally again!

Wishing for the best of luck to all the job seekers and freelancers out there!