Does the autonomy of this type of work attract you? Well, there are other advantages to becoming a freelancer, but also pay attention to some points of attention. Let’s count them here for you to make your choice:
Benefits of freelance work
Flexibility
As a freelancer, you can choose your own hours and decide when and where to work. For example, you can work from home or rent a space on the beach or in the countryside. The flexibility of freelancing helps promote a better work-life balance.
Therefore, it is important to pay close attention to the hours worked per day. No staying up all night working or going much further than eight hours a day, agreed? It is essential that you, as a freelancer, have this control.
Set your earnings
You can enjoy greater control of your earnings, as you generally have more bargaining power to define the value of your work as a freelancer.
The amount of work you can do daily or weekly is another factor that will determine your earnings, in addition to the agility you have to develop the tasks. In the beginning, it is very likely that you will take more time to make fewer deliveries. But do not worry. Experience will bring you agility in everyday life.
Improved skill set
As a freelancer, you may have the opportunity to work on more specialized projects, giving you greater experience in niche subject areas.
Therefore, he never stops studying and seeking knowledge. Today, there are a number of free courses that can help you become an increasingly valued professional in the job market.
Add Experiences and Skills to Your Resume
When working as a freelancer, you acquire many experiences and skills, depending on your area of expertise and even your client portfolio.
All of this can be included in your CV, improving it and enhancing your chances of getting a good CLT position in the future — if that’s what you want, of course.
Disadvantages of Freelancing
But not everything is rosy in the life of a freelancer and it is important to consider possible negative concerns.
- Isolation . Unlike a part-time or full-time job, running a freelance business can be lonely, especially if you’re working remotely.
- Earnings insecurity. The market does not always need so many freelance professionals, a certain seasonality in this demand is possible. Therefore, if you work in this modality, it is important to have good financial planning.
- Administrative Responsibilities . As your own boss, you will need to deal with certain bureaucracies such as contracting, invoicing, marketing and other relevant administrative tasks.
- No employer-funded benefits. No transportation allowance, flex benefit or health plan. All this will have to be included in the price of the frila service.
How much does a freelancer earn and how to price it?
This is the million dollar question. Many professionals get lost in this essential step of the freelance career, as they are unable to price their experiences and the time spent.
Here, the tip is to look at websites for working as a freelancer, how much is being paid per hour for a given service, or what is the average amount paid for a given job (term used to refer to projects).
Then, analyze whether your price will be above, equal to, or below that average. You must consider your experience in the area and also the deadline to complete the task (the more urgent, the more expensive).
But it is worth noting that the value of some works may be subject to pressure from market supply and demand. During Black Friday or Christmas, for example, when there are many advertising pieces being produced, perhaps a design could charge more for them.
Freelancer groups on social media are also a good place to look at the average fees charged by professionals.
How to find the first jobs as a freelancer?
You can become a freelancer at any time, whether you are employed or not, one thing does not cancel the other. It is possible, for example, to keep a CLT job and, in your spare time, do a freelance job in an area that can be a hobby, such as photography
To find your first job as a freelancer , we recommend that you take a look at websites specialized in this type of work or that you ask someone in your contact network to recommend you for a job .
What areas are most in demand for freelancers?
Almost any service an employer needs can be outsourced to a freelancer. However, there are certain fields and industries where freelance work is particularly common, such as:
- Graphic design;
- Marketing, media and public relations;
- Accounting;
- Writing, editing and proofreading;
- Fashion;
- Photography
- Advocacy;
- Schedule.
For those looking to work as a freelancer on the internet, the areas of design, marketing, photography and programming are highlighted for containing many remote opportunities.
If you, on the other hand, have a CLT job and are looking for freelancers to supplement your income, why not work as a freelancer in events, such as birthdays and weddings?
How to become a freelancer?
Do you really want to try working in the freelance market? So, let’s activate your entrepreneurship with some tips that we’ve separated to help you become a respected freelancer:
1. Activate your network
If you are serious about providing services as a frila, you need to let people know about it. A good start is to get in touch with former work or college colleagues who work in the same field as you.
2. Invest in social networks
Social media is also a great way to advertise your availability and skills. Do this professionally, with good text and always showing the quality of your work.
That way, people will already realize that there is a lot of quality in your work and this will make them interested in your services.
3. Be committed to deadlines and quality
Meeting deadlines and delivering with quality are golden rules for anyone who wants to be a freelancer. Your client has to trust your work.
Think how much easier it is to change service providers than to fire an employee and hire another. “Those who provide a bad service can get burned much faster in the market”, warns coach Caroline Calaça.
4. Keep in touch with customers
It is also necessary to maintain frequent contact with people who hire your services so that they remember you in the next opportunities and can indicate your name to other people and companies.
5. Make work your calling card
If you only want to be a freelancer while you don’t find an effective job, a tip from the coach is to set a period for the “freelance” and continue in search of the good old CLT.
If you find it convenient, you can even let your client know that you are looking for a CLT opportunity. Maybe the first opportunity will appear to work with him!
And, of course, good work, especially in this case, will be your best business card.