Juggling work and life in the technology business may be difficult. It is a fast-paced environment where things change by the second, and your knowledge and expertise are needed full-time.
While this may be thrilling for the younger generation, it can become burdensome if you reach the age when you want to settle down or establish a family. Or, just want to set your own terms and become your own boss?
This was the driving force behind Sachin’s decision to seek a freelance career. Working for a digital marketing firm was a great learning experience for him. He was fortunate enough to work for a few firms where he obtained valuable knowledge in the field of digital marketing. Still, he wanted to make adjustments due to personal developments.
Sachin has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. His main area of expertise is Search Engine Optimization, but he also became fluent in tech support and lead generation while working for more than 10 years in the field of Digital Marketing.
With every successfully executed task, Sachin’s confidence in his areas of expertise grew. He decided that it was time for him to try to pursue his own clients and become a freelancer.
Read Sachin’s short interview to learn about his path to becoming a successful freelancer.
Q: Please tell us about yourself, your expertise, etc.
A: My Name is Sachin Kumar, and I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. After that, I started working on Search Engine Optimization in HealthGenie, an e-commerce portal. Apart from it, I have worked for multiple companies in various industries like Insurance, Fitness Tech Support.
My area of expertise is Search engine optimization. I have 10+ years of experience in digital marketing.
Q: Please describe your previous work as an employee.
A: I was working for Lemonpeak as an Online Marketing Specialist. Our main focus is on tech support and lead generation in the US market, using pop-ups and search networks like Google Adwords and Bing.
Q: What was the point where you decided to become a freelancer?
A: After gaining experience and self-confidence as an employee, I decided to try my fate in freelancing.
Q: What are the challenges you’re facing as a freelancer?
A: As a freelancer, one of the main challenges I face is balancing work distribution. I have so many clients with different requirements, and dividing their work sometimes feels like a hard nut to crack.
Q: What can you advise a beginner freelancer?
A: To all the newbie freelancers out there, I advise making an attractive portfolio that includes the previous client’s case study and their appreciation or letter of recommendation. Also, build your portfolio in a way that tells the employer about your specialties in brief and how you can be a valuable asset to them.
Q: How to handle inflation as a freelancer?
A: Actually, I am based in India, so the Indian currency depreciates every month, and I get all my payments in USD, which helps me to get a good amount even after inflation.
I also invest my 50% amount in Stocks & mutual funds.
Q: How are you getting new clients?
A: Right now, I am using Upwork and Fiverr to get clients.
Q: Name one mistake you did as a freelancer?
A: When I started freelancing, I thought that having as many clients as possible would be the best. But that only increased my work burden, and I could not pay appropriate attention to each client.
Q: Can you send a photo of your working station?
A: Yes, here is my workstation:
Q: How can potential clients get in touch?
A: Potential clients can reach me through my LinkedIn profile or my blog. I also added my Upwork account.
Final Note:
You will face many obstacles on your road to becoming a freelancer. But having the right skills and attitude toward your goal will help you immensely. For starters, you need to acquire skills that you’ll use to provide services to potential clients.
Having a Bachelor’s degree is definitely helpful, but you can also learn many skills by attending courses or job internships.
Working in several companies in the field of Digital Marketing helped Sachin gain the necessary confidence to start his freelancing journey. So, finding a job to refine your skills might greatly help. One other crucial thing is to build your portfolio, as you will easily attract the attention of potential clients when they can have a preview of your previous work.
Sachin’s skillset and rich portfolio brought him many clients. But getting them is maybe the easiest part of freelancing. Each client will have different requirements and deadlines, and you have to plan your tasks meticulously and carefully organize your time.
Those who are new to freelancing often take on more work than they can handle. Don’t rush to get as many clients as possible. If you’re not organized properly, you might get stuck and lose them altogether. Make sure to finish your current tasks successfully and take on new clients as your work schedule frees up.
Organize your tasks using a calendar or project management software. As you complete contracts with your clients and build your portfolio, you’ll be able to raise your rates to keep up with inflation.
To consider yourself successful, you need to maintain a balance in your professional life, just like you do in everything else in life. Make sure to plan enough leisure time, so you don’t experience burnout.
