With more and more people seeking to attain a work-life balance, many have chosen to work online freelance jobs because it is considered to provide more flexibility and freedom compared to being permanent employees.
With the technology that enables us to connect with one another online, the freelancing opportunity becomes even wider. You can seek work or hires across geographical boundaries. Are you planning to be online freelancers to earn extra income, or are you planning to build a career out of freelancing?
In this article, we will talk about being online freelancers, its pros and cons, and some of the job ideas.
What is an online freelancer?
First, we must understand what a freelancer is. A freelancer is essentially a person who earns money on a per-job or per-task basis. They are independent contractors who are not formally part of any firm or organization.
Therefore, they have bigger liberty compared to formal employees. They can work on multiple projects simultaneously as long as they don’t sign a contract that requires them to work exclusively on one project until its completion.
They can find work via words of mouth or online. They can advertise their skills and showcase their work portfolio through social media platforms. In addition, there are websites where online freelancers can find work such as UpWork and Craigslist.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being online freelancers?
Being an online freelancer has its ups and downs. Because they are not a formal member of a company, they have more flexible work hours. This allows them to get a better work-life balance. In addition, they also have the opportunity to work remotely. It allows them to work at home or even other places like cafes and libraries.
However, because they work on a task-per-task basis, their income can be uncertain at times although they can also earn considerable wages once they build their portfolio. Also, because they are not a formal employee, they don’t have access to benefits that are commonly received by employees such as medical insurance and retirement plans.
Due to the uncertain and volatile nature of their jobs and income, it’s essential for online freelancers to plan for their financial future. One of the ways to build a robust financial future is by investing. Read the article below to learn more about why we must invest to plan for our future.
Related Article: Reach Your Financial Goals for Your Future by Investing
5 Online Freelance Job Ideas for you
Many freelancers work by providing services from their skills. Here are five of the many freelance job ideas that you can
Graphic Design
With the growing number of social media users and the growing field of digital marketing, graphic designers have been an essential part of digital marketing. Their role is essential in making eye-catching marketing campaigns.
Of course, their role is not limited to that. Graphic designers can also create visual communication materials for books, magazines, or other media. So, if you are proficient in graphic design and have the adequate equipment for it, why don’t you give it a try? Find your first clients, create your brand, and build a viable portofolio. You’ll be a successful freelance graphic designer eventually.
Translation
If you are fluent in two or more languages, have an excellent grasp of their grammatical systems, and love bridging people through language, being a freelance translator might suit you.
Master the tools required to assist you in translating, including applications and websites, and learn the cultural nuances of the languages you are working with. If necessary, take a certification program to attract clients and show them that you are taking your job seriously.
Content Writing
Like graphic designers, content writers have also been an important part of digital marketing. They craft copies for ads, social media posts, landing pages, blogs etc. If you feel that writing is your hobby and passion, why not try to be an online content writer?
Find your niche, generate ideas, and begin writing your finest copy. As written by Hubspot, the first step of content writing is to write without judgment. Once you finish your pieces, begin editing their spelling, grammar, and structure. And then, you can edit their style and formatting.
Online Tutoring
Teaching is not only a way to make money, but it is also a way for us to contribute and make impacts on others. However, as offline social activities have been restricted since the pandemic, online classes and courses have provided solutions to the inability to attend offline learning.
You can provide online tutoring to students across all levels. You don’t need formal credentials to help students understand math, english, and other basic subjects. To give tutoring online, all you need is a stable internet connection and applications like Zoom or Skype.
Video Editor
If you have an excellent videography skill, being a freelance video editor might bring you more fortune than being a fulltime employee. According to the Fiverr blog, the majority of internet traffic will be to videos in the future. Hence, the skills of video editing are in high demand.
If you feel like you still need to hone your skills, there are plenty of video editing tips and resources available on the web, such as Justin Odisho and Tutvid channels on YouTube.
If you are a full-time freelancer and wondering how you can develop your money, why not try funding MSME projects through ALAMI? ALAMI offers up to 16% of yield p.a through its sharia-based peer-to-peer funding platform. By chipping in to fund the campaigns available on the platform, you are creating positive impacts by taking part in helping MSMEs which are the backbone of the Indonesian economy.
Download ALAMI P2P Funding app by clicking the buttons below!