Tips for Internet Freelancers

Of course in the beginning, becoming an Internet Freelancer can get very frustrating, and at times you just want to give up. Why is this? You search day and night trying to find a job, looking on sites such as elance.com, guru.com, and/or getacoder.com. How is it that you never get selected for a job on these sites? Most people think their content isn’t good enough, and others think that it’s because someone makes a lower bid on a project they had previously bid on. Neither of those are the true case, and the other reasons flying through your mind are probably not the case either. Read further for tips on how to increase your chance for work and how to properly present your portfolio or profile.

Presentation:
These days, you will more than likely be rejected or overlooked if you do not have sample work. Sample work would include previous projects you’ve worked on such as writing, designs, data entry, development, etc. If you have the time and money to invest into a website, I’d suggest you set up a portfolio you can link to when placing a bid. This will give the buyer a chance to see what you can do. Try and have maybe ten or so examples listed in your portfolio. The more styles & variety you present, the more opportunities you will receive.

Certification:
Most buyers these days are looking for highly-trained, certified professionals for their jobs. This can also put you in a bind if you have either not been certified, or you have nowhere to place your certificate. If a buyer can’t see proof of certification, they will more than likely continue their search for another freelancer. At sites like elance, you can put your verified certification on your profile, which gives easier access and a better idea to those looking for something specific to be done. Don’t worry though, if you have yet to receive any type of certification or have never taken an actual class (you’re self-taught), you can still get work. You just have to persuade the buyer, and that is what we are going to cover next…

Placing A Quality Bid:
One of the most important things to remember when placing a bid is to offer your services in a professional, but not-so-professional way. What that means is to describe any previous experience with that specific field, then kindly leave an extra comment. This extra comment can be about anything, but don’t take it to an unnecessary extreme (i.e. things not work-related). Don’t make your offer sound monotone, like it’s been said the same way a hundred times before. Make sure you sound smart, but not like a robot. Just remember, you’re trying to persuade the buyer to choose you so you may even read others’ bids first to see what you can come up with that sounds better. The most important thing is to not make it sound like an overused pick-up line. Avoid that and you’ll be fine.

One more important thing. When being in the freelancing world, you’re never guaranteed a specific amount of money and your income changes all the time. A lot of people depend on this field to feed their families. If a fellow freelancer has a question and asks you about it, help them. This is probably one of the toughest businesses out there and we should all band together and help each other. If you needed help you’d want the person you asked to help you, right? “Always treat others as you want to be treated,” that popular line from when we were younger. Makes sense now, doesn’t it?