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#CareerAdvice : Between Jobs? #Freelance to Earn Cash & Gain Experience…Freelance Work Helps you Develop your #Skills , Earn a Living & Gain Valuable Experience, so your Time #BetweenJobs is Anything but Wasted. Here are a Few Best Practices to Get you Started.

So how’s your job search going?”

Well-meaning friends, family members and distant acquaintances never fail to ask this dreaded question. And it stings, whether you’re in week one or month six of sending out resumes and hustling for interviews.

Sometimes the process of finding your dream job takes longer than you’d like. But that doesn’t mean you have to watch your bank balance disappear while you wait for full-time work. You already have what you need to start freelancing in your field right now. Freelance work helps you develop your skills, earn a living and gain valuable experience, so your time between jobs is anything but wasted.

Here are a few best practices to get you started.

See the Possibilities

The freelance labor force has grown steadily in recent years. “Freelancing in America: 2017“, a study from the Freelancers Union and Upwork, reports high growth for freelancing:

  • In 2017, 57.3 million Americans did freelance work (roughly 36 percent of the US workforce), contributing about $1.4 trillion annually to the economy (up almost 30% since 2016).
  • For millennials, 47 percent of the generation did freelance work (higher than any other generation).
  • If this growth rate continues, freelancers will make up the majority of the US workforce by 2027

These numbers show that freelance opportunities exist for you. Focus on the projects you want to do by identifying the types of clients you hope to work with in advance.

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Treat Yourself Like a Business

If you’ve worked only for other people in the past, freelancing is a big transition. You are now responsible for convincing potential clients to hire you, selling them on your work and expertise. To do this, you must first see yourself as a qualified professional.

Be intentional about how you describe your work. Don’t use minimizing language like “I’m just a freelance writer” or “I’m doing some design gigs on the side.” Instead say, “I’m a self-employed writer who specializes in science and technology” or “I run my own design business, creating responsive websites and mobile apps.”

Define Why Someone Should Hire You

Clients typically hire a freelancer because they have a problem. Ask yourself how you can solve this problem? What do you offer that adds value to their business? Why should they hire you instead of someone else?

Make a list of your professional skills and strengths. Collect project examples, case studies and portfolio pieces that demonstrate your best work. Ask former colleagues and employers for testimonials. Use these pieces to develop a list of services you can provide freelance clients.

Create Your Online Presence

No matter what kind of freelance work you do, you need a website. Here you can showcase the work examples, testimonials and service descriptions you started to put together in the previous step. Your portfolio website is an important sales tool and a strong first impression to clients, demonstrating what you can do for them.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be a web developer to create an attractive and functional website. You can choose from many different platforms to display your portfolio that require no design or coding expertise.

Keep the content simple at first, but be sure to include information that highlights who you are and what you do: a brief bio, contact details and several strong work examples. If you don’t have many paid projects to include in your portfolio, create them now—  even if that means doing some pro bono work:

  • Write a well-researched article on a topic that interests you
  • Design a logo for a friend’s company (or a fictional brand)
  • Offer a free coaching session to a small business owner

Set Up Systems for Success

As the owner of your freelance business, you need to manage all the financial and operational details that come with that title. This role intimidates many new freelancers, but don’t be afraid. If you do your homework and establish structured systems in the beginning, you can run your business with minimal stress. Start with these steps:

  • Choose a business structure: For freelancers, this structure is usually a sole proprietorship or a limited liability company (LLC). Comply with any state requirements, register for an Employee Identification Number (EIN) and set up a schedule for self-employed tax payments
  • Test out project management systems: Successful freelance work depends on you staying organized and keeping track of what’s due and when
  • Invest in good bookkeeping tools: Choose an accounting software that makes it as easy as possible to send invoices, track payments, manage cash flow and prepare for taxes

Connect with Others

When you’re ready to take on freelance clients, spread the word. Reach out to your existing connections — friends, classmates, former colleagues — and let them know what kind of services you offer. Share your new website on your social media profiles, and invite your connections to share with others.

Finally, put yourself out there, both online and offline. Follow industry accounts and leaders on Twitter. Join professional associations, and seek out LinkedIn groups. Attend Meetups and networking events. You can even cold call and email businesses to pitch your services. When you snag your first freelance client, start building a pipeline of steady business right away.

Freelancing is an excellent way to pay the bills and move your career forward when you’re between full-time jobs. And who knows? You may decide freelance work is a good fit for you long term.

 

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Your #Career : The 7 Best Websites for Landing a Freelance Gig with Skills you Already Have…Whether you are Looking to Earn some Extra Pocket Money, Turn a Hobby into a Side Job or Go Freelance Full-Time, There are a Number of Incredibly Helpful Resources at your Disposal.

This time last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 15.5 million people in the United States were self-employed. By 2020, that number is expected to shoot to roughly 60 million, or more than 40% of our nation’s workforce.

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                                            The rise of the freelance economy is palpable.

Coffee shops and coworking spaces abound with freelancers plugging away on their laptops, and office spaces are increasingly empty as the best and brightest leave traditional work behind to claim more flexibility and autonomy in their jobs.

Whether you are looking to earn some extra pocket money, turn a hobby into a side job or go freelance full-time, there are a number of incredibly helpful resources at your disposal.

Here are the seven best sites for finding work as a freelancer today.

1. Toptal

Toptal is a freelance network of elite software engineers and digital designers from over 100 countries around the world. The company’s screening process weeds out all but the top 3 percent of talent in multiple categories, which means that once accepted, you’ll join an exclusive community of experts.

Toptal lets you decide if you want to work hourly, part-time or full time, and you set your own rates so you’ll never be stuck in a bidding war. What’s perhaps best for freelancers is that Toptal also screens clients — and works with top companies like AirBnB, IDEO and JP Morgan— so you’ll always have a steady supply of interesting projects and clients who appreciate the value of your work.

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2. Upwork

In 2014, two leading freelance networks, Elance and oDesk, merged to form Upwork, which is now the largest network for freelancers by a long shot. With more than 10 million registered users, four million clients, and three million jobs posted every year, Upwork has something to offer for everyone from writers and architects to legal aides and photographers.

You can sign up for short-or long-term projects, and elect to work by the hour or be paid per-project. The site features an easy-to-use chat feature, a time-tracker and a payment protection plan to make communication and collaboration with your client a breeze.

 

3. 99 Designs

99 Designs is a freelance job site with a twist. As its name suggests, the platform is exclusively for designers, and every job comes members in the form of a contest.

Rather than browse through a catalog of portfolios and résumés, clients are prompted to crowdsource their projects, setting a budget and giving instructions, then letting designers submit work based on the project brief. At the end of a week, the client chooses the best design, and that designer gets paid. This is a great site for designers looking to really test their talents and shake up their workflow.

4. PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is a freelance site for all skills related to web projects, including software engineers, digital designers, SEO specialists and marketers.

The site features a tool called WorkStream, which simplifies the business side of your work by organizing payment, communication and management, all in one place. You can browse jobs, get notifications for new openings to your inbox and send up to 15 proposals for work for free before signing up for the premium plan.

 

5. LinkedIn Profinder

With over 420 million members in over 200 countries, LinkedIn is indisputably the go-to place for learning about all things job-related. Recently, LinkedIn decided to begin its foray into the freelance economy by quietly launching LinkedIn Profinder, which is helping freelance professionals find their next job.

Because of its enormous amount of user data, LinkedIn is able to quickly connect freelancers with strong leads based on their keyword searches and companies followed. Profinder is a great option for expert professionals in countless fields.

6. SimplyHired

SimplyHired offers the largest variety of freelance jobs of any site on this list. From construction to concierge work, the site boasts a bounty of opportunities for anyone seeking extra work, and it helps freelancers find jobs in over 24 countries. It also isn’t limited to English-language work, offering 12 different languages in which you can find jobs.

7. Freelance Writing Gigs

Freelance Writing Gigs is a job board that is updated daily with fresh freelance writing and blogging jobs. The offerings vary from technical writing positions to writing about recipes, photography and healthcare, making it a great site for writers interested in testing their hand at different types of professional writing.

Whether you’re an expert programmer looking to leave the office world forever or an amateur photographer looking for hourly gigs, there’s something on this list for you. Check out these sites to join the ranks of the rapidly growing freelance economy!

Read the original article on Entrepreneur. Copyright 2016. Follow Entrepreneur on Twitter.

Businessinsider.com | July 9, 2016 |

Entrepreneur

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Your #Career : Ready To Leave Your Corporate Job And Start Freelancing? Here’s What You Need To Know…Projections of More than 40% of the Workforce Will be Made up of Freelance Workers by 2020.

Intuit projects that more than 40% of the workforce will be made up of freelance workers by 2020. Other research shares that by the end of this decade over half of the private workforce will be independent. If these projections holds true, millions of Americans will transition into a freelance career over the next four years.

Free- NYC Skycraper

To learn more about how corporate professionals can transition seamlessly and effectively to the freelance life, I caught up with Constantine Anastasakis, Senior Director of Business Development and Strategy for Fiverr, an online marketplace that matches freelancers with buyers ranging from SMBs to major corporations. Fiverr reports having facilitated more than 25 million transactions since 2010 across more than 100 categories of services.

Constantine shares his tips for freelancer success:

Kathy Caprino: Constantine, what do you think are the key criteria and questions one should consider when thinking about the transition from full-time to freelance?

Constantine Anastasakis: Any successful freelancer will tell you that the transition from a full-time career to independent work is challenging, especially if you want it to be lucrative. Compared to a corporate career, the world of freelancing can be unpredictable and intimidating. While issues like finding work and creating income stability are often seen as the top barriers to doing more freelance work, it’s important to remember that it’s been done successfully by thousands upon thousands of others. Preparing for the transition before diving right in can help make it less choppy.

Before you start freelancing full time, consider doing it as a side gig first. Redd Horrocks, one voiceover actress on Fiverr who earns six figures annually, started working independently on Fiverr while she held a full-time job as a stage manager for an event production company. At first, she used her side gig to help her pay off thousands in credit card debt. Once she paid off her debt, she started banking her income from her full-time job and using her freelancing income for living expenses. Redd’s success didn’t happen overnight, and she didn’t start freelancing thinking she’d make six figures right away. She set small attainable goals, like paying off one credit card, then moving onto the next. Eventually, she saved enough to make a down payment on her house and still had a deep savings bench that eased the transition to freelancing full time.

It takes hard work, persistence and patience to successfully transition into a freelance career. While it won’t happen right away, you have to start somewhere. Freelancing on the side (while working a corporate job) first is a good way to mitigate some of the risk, save money and decide that you really love it before taking the plunge.

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Caprino: What do you think differentiates very successful freelancers from those who struggle?

Anastasakis: Most freelancers have the passion and drive to be successful, but many don’t know where to start when it comes to finding clients. Look at starting a freelance career like starting a business from the ground up. You have to build a strong customer base, then fortify and expand that base. Whether you’re working in a more traditional environment or through a marketplace, the reality is the same: your clients are everything.

Successful freelancers service their clients with any eye towards organic business growth. They develop individual relationships with new customers to convert them into long-term customers. Eventually these relationships will pay dividends down the road without outbound marketing efforts. A strong network will always reap multiplier benefits.

One freelancer who can speak to this is Ryan Heenan. He sells custom jingles and animated videos online and has more than 4,000 positive reviews from his buyers. His secret? He builds personal relationships with his customers by asking a lot of questions up front, specializing his offerings and following up to make sure his customers get what they need. As a result, about 40% of his customers are repeat buyers.

Caprino: What do freelancers need to know that they weren’t aware of as corporate employees?

Anastasakis: One of the worst mistakes new freelancers can make is selling themselves short . You see it time and time again: a new freelancer offers to do too much work for too little money  in an effort to over-service their clients. While you should always provide top-notch service to your clients, you have to know the market. If you’re going to start selling copywriting services, research what other freelancers are charging for copywriting. You want to be competitive and you absolutely want to keep in mind your experience and breadth of portfolio, but charge your clients what your skills are worth.

You should also differentiate your offerings to help them stand out. You can do this through a variety of tactics including offering a wide portfolio of work to create a simple buying experience, or utilizing marketing tools like videos to draw attention to your services and offer greater visibility. Another essential step is to carve out a niche for your offerings. You can be a video photographer and specialize in only one type of video photography or style. It may seem counterintuitive and limiting, but it actually enables you to charge more for your services thanks to the unique set of offerings.

Once you determine what services you’ll offer and how much you’ll charge, learn how to market those skills. Corporate employees certainly know what they’re good at, but many don’t know how to promote themselves. Don’t underestimate resources like Coursera and Udemy, where you can learn valuable marketing skills. You can also turn to other freelancers to find marketing materials on a budget. As you expand your network, you’ll find new customers and gain new insights into the services you can offer and how your value-added services differentiate you.

Caprino: How can people research and determine accurately if they’ll end up enjoying freelance work and make it a success?

Anastasakis: Freelancing is quite different from most full-time careers and the transition starts with a frank inward discussion. Think about your personality and your interests. Freelancing requires you to work alone (a lot), be solely responsible for the work you produce and to always put your clients’ needs first.

Are you a self-motivated person? Can you devote time each day to developing your freelance career? If you’re the type of person who needs a set schedule to be productive, you’ll probably have to set that schedule yourself. To be a successful freelancer you need self-discipline and accountability.

Also consider what makes you passionate. As with any job, you’ll be happiest doing something you love day in and day out. The great thing about freelancing though is that you’re not stuck doing one thing forever. As I mentioned earlier, once you build up a clientele, you can start to offer additional services that will add variety to your daily tasks and more depth to your portfolio.

Caprino: To offer some inspiration, what are the latest data/stats on freelancers, and the potential success they can achieve?

Anastasakis: : According to Inuit, 60 million Americans will be freelancing by 2020, making up more than 40% of the workforce . In fact, the number of Americans who voluntarily quit their jobs climbed to the highest number since April 2008 in November, as 2.8 million Americans left an employer. As the freelance workforce continues to rise, millions of Americans will branch out on their own and more and more resources will be available for people who want to start freelancing. As with any job, there’s never a guarantee that you’ll be a success, but if you’ve ever considered starting your own thing, now is a great time to start taking steps.

Caprino: Anything else we need to know?

Anastasakis: A great deal of freelancers limit themselves to local work and immediate needs in their communities, which while effective, is a fairly traditional approach to freelancing. There is a much larger market for freelancers if they look beyond their own backyards. The beauty of freelancing is that you not only can work from anywhere, but you can also work with clients from anywhere. Using a global platform can make a big difference in the initial lift it takes to build a customer base. For many new freelancers, a strong local or professional network may not exist and the overhead of time and energy required to build one is intimidating. Leveraging a massive global marketplace allows a new freelancer in Boise, Idaho to do business with a small business owner in Paris. That same mechanism will also help new freelancers build out their portfolios. While experience can’t be bought or sold, it can be accelerated.

The transition into a freelance career isn’t easy, but we’re at a unique juncture in the way people work that’s making freelancing even more appealing. In part thanks to technological and societal shifts, freelancing today allows you to work from anywhere, be your own boss and explore a career you may have never thought possible. By preparing for the transition before making it, you can jump in with the confidence that you made the right choice.

******

As one who left corporate America after 9/11 and launched a coaching and consulting firm, I know that Constantine’s tips are solid and helpful, for sure. I’d also add this: When you’re considering making a leap to another career or going freelance, you need to “try on” this new direction – physically, behaviorally, financially, and emotionally – before you jump, to make sure it’s something you’ll thrive at and enjoy. So often, professionals fantasize about chucking their unhappy and stressed corporate life, only to find that the new direction is not what they dreamed it would be, and their professional strife follows them in this new chapter. Here’s more about the 5 biggest mistakes career changes make and how not to leap before you’ve tested out if this new direction is right for you.

For more information, visit Fiverr.com.

To transition to a happier, more flexible and independent career, visitKathyCaprino.com, The Amazing Career Project, and Kathy’s new Amazing Career Coach Certification training.

Part of the series “Living and Working Better”

 

Forbes.com | February 8, 2016 | Kathy Caprino