How to Get a Freelance Job

Putting in the Work

1. 
   
   Find your first project locally or online. When you're working to get your very first client, don't get discouraged. It can take a few tries! Be creative in your search and be open to all sorts of projects, because you need work to build a portfolio, gain experience, and eventually get higher paying jobs. Contact local businesses and explain how your services could benefit them. Send your cover letter and resume to websites you frequent and admire. Use Google to find job posting for the particular service you're offering— you will be shocked at how many different job boards there are for various types of freelancers.

   • Upwork, Toptal, Elance, iFreelance, Craigslist, Project4hire, Demand Media, and dozens of other websites post new jobs daily. Never underestimate the power of the Internet! Check these websites daily to stay on top of available jobs.
2. 
   
   Understand the value of the smaller jobs. When you are beginning your freelance career, the smaller, lower-paying jobs can actually be your best bet. More experienced freelancers may overlook these jobs, so you can snag them. Send the employer a personalized cover letter, and show a sincere interest in the job they are offering, no matter how small. By completing your first projects, you can get start gathering positive references as well as more material for your portfolio.
3. 
   
   Make yourself work, even when you do not have a project. It can be tempting to relax when you are discouraged or between jobs, but this is a time to show off what you can do. Create things for your website, attend networking events, do pro bono work around your community, do anything! Just keep producing content, seeking clients, and marketing yourself. When you rest on your laurels, you may be missing potential clients or letting your skills get rusty.
4. 
   
   Create a schedule. Working freelance jobs gives you the luxury of setting your own hours, but it can also become dangerously easy to procrastinate. Try to outline a schedule and stick to it! The good thing is that you can design a schedule tailored to your personal work style. Whether you work best in one hour increments with frequent breaks, or if you work best by sitting at a desk for ten hours straight and pounding out a project, you should still make a plan.

   • Make sure you consider time that will be spent receiving feedback from the employer and making necessary edits.
   • It can be hard sticking to a schedule when you are your own boss, but it is even harder scrambling to finish a project with an impending deadline. Effectively managing your own time will help you produce quality results, which in turn will lead to more jobs.
5. 
   
   Accept criticism gracefully. Freelancers typically work for many different employers, which means they constantly tweaking their style to fit a new job’s requirement. With that process comes some growing pains. When an employer gives you feedback, nod your head and take the feedback. They have hired you to complete a task as they see fit, so what they say goes.
6. 
   
   Preserve bridges. When you are self-employed, it is crucial to network successfully and have excellent references. No matter what, don’t burn bridges! While a perk of freelancing is that you are your own boss, you are also the face of your whole company. It will be hard to sell your work if you can’t sell yourself, and it will be difficult to sell yourself if you have a poor employment history.

   • Keeping your employers happy will help keep work coming your way.