With lockdowns, remote work is on the rise. Every second person wants to become a freelancer and start freelancing. People have the desire to work remotely and be location-independent. That’s why the freelance business has become an attractive prospect.
Luckily, becoming a freelancer is much easier than ever before. Even in developed countries, people are quitting their daily routine jobs and shifting towards freelancing.
A lot of jobs can be done remotely, and now companies prefer freelancers over full-time employees. Unlike full-time employees, they don’t need to provide the same financial and healthcare benefits to freelancers.
So, it’s the right time for you to start your journey as a freelancer and become self-employed.
In this article, I will give you actionable tips on how to become a freelancer with no experience.
How to become a freelancer with NO experience?
Starting off your freelancing journey with limited experience is not an easy task, but luckily in today’s digital world, you can easily find endless online work opportunities. You only need to have a firm belief in yourself and strong commitments.
There are several steps that can help you begin your freelance business.
Step 1: Change your mindset
The right mindset will always dictate your success as a freelancer. If you don’t back yourself, you are going towards failure. Don’t think like a desperate employee; clients can smell desperation from a mile away, and they will use that to overwork or underpay you.
Change your mindset from an employee to a businessperson. Never think that you’re asking for a job; you’re a business person who is starting a mutual relationship with another businessperson.
Always remember that you will have to invest time and money. Start from freelance writing. It is a low-cost business. You just have to buy a domain and hosting along with a few good courses.
Always try to pitch like a confident business owner; you will get respect, and clients will take you seriously.
Step 2: Choose a niche
It is better to decide what kind of freelancer you want to become? It will help you market yourself effectively. Create a list of your interests, skills, and experience, and choose a niche that reflects all of those.
If you have a keen interest in writing and enjoy the process of writing for different audiences, then consider becoming a freelance writer.
You could be a freelance social media manager only if you are an avid social media user and have the ability to create connections on different social media platforms.
Or maybe you have a passion for creating beautiful art and pleasing graphics. It can lead you towards becoming a freelance graphic designer.
Don’t worry about the opportunities; make sure to be 100% clear on your specialties to sell specific services to clients worldwide.
Step 3: Build your credibility
In the freelancing world, most of the time, clients will ask you about your particular field experience, which is why you need to build your credibility.
But what if you’re new and have no experience? Don’t worry; I’m providing you few solutions to this problem:
- You can offer free services to friends, local businesses. It will not only build a solid portfolio for you; it also enhances key relationships with whoever you’re doing free work for. Later on, they might become your paying clients.
- Start your blog. It will help you showcase your work style and build an audience that may bring new clients to you.
Your credibility will allow you to increase your rates over time. You should know that even seasoned freelancers are continually trying to improve their credibility. So, it’s better to start as soon as possible.
Step 4: Optimize your Social Media
If you want to choose freelancing as a career, it’s not enough to create an Upwork or Fiverr profile and hang out there. You need to make sure your online presence on social media attracts clients to your website.
It will do wonders once you create a polished, professional LinkedIn profile. Other social media accounts such as Instagram, Twitter is also essential, but LinkedIn is a great place to find potential clients.
Just use a professional headshot, write down complete details in the about section, add all your experiences, and Include any samples if you have. After doing so, focus on creating connections with professionals in your industry. Be respectful and intentional when networking with anyone on social media. Later on, it will pay off.
Step 5: How to pitch?
The most important skill for you to have as a beginner freelancer is learning how to pitch.
Why do you need it?
- You will require it while replying to job board ads
- It will help you in writing cold emails
- You’re going to need it while creating connections on LinkedIn.
- It will help you in podcast interviews.
- Guest posting
If you can write a pitch that does all that, it’s going to make it much easier for you to land that dream client and start seeing a boost in your sales.
I’m going to give you an easy formula about what to include in all your pitches, that is:
- Go through all the details and identify a problem
- Provide a solution to that problem.
- Position yourself as the expert
- Back yourself up with case studies, results, testimonials, or samples.
No need to worry. If you have zero work experience, create niche-specific samples and host them on your website. You can follow the steps I mentioned above.
Final Thoughts
Freelancing can be quite intimidating at the start, but remember that it will only seem that way if you let it be. It is a great way to earn money at home. There is a world of jobs out there, and you can do it with what you already know and the skills you already possess.
Landing first jobs are indeed challenging and frustrating, but that is where the hardest part stops. After that, you will know how things work and what the client expects from you.
Never Give up. Even if you fall in the first place, you’ll see that you will reach a destination that you could never think of in the beginning, even without experience.
