Lifestyle Desk: The story of becoming independent through freelancing is often seen in TV channels, newspapers and even online. People's interest in freelancing is increasing especially due to the headlines like 'earn from home', 'earn online' or 'earn millions in freelancing'. It is natural to ask the question, is it really possible to earn so much money freelancing at home?

Freelancing

'Yes of course it is possible, even more income is possible,' freelancer Mahrufur Rahman (26) told Voice of America, 'but before that you have to be efficient and take yourself to that level as a freelancer.'

Rahman is a content writer. He has been freelancing since 2016. According to him, success in freelancing can take a person three months, six months or 1-2 years depending on dedication or hard work.

Freelancing or full-time employment?
Freelancing- what is called free profession in Bengali. It is not a specific profession like doctor or engineer; A means of working. For example, you are a graphic designer, working full-time for an organization, or freelancing on an online marketplace. In both cases, your identity remains as a graphic designer. In this case only your place of work is changing.

Freelancers have several advantages over other full-time employees. Freelancers can choose work according to their choice and set the price for that work themselves. Also there is no catch time for them to work.

A freelancer can take up his work as per his convenience. There is no rush to cross traffic jams or rain barriers to get to their office on time. Since skills are of utmost importance in freelancing, the question of educational qualification is not a hindrance in most cases. Mainly due to many benefits people are more interested in freelancing than full time job.

Is freelancing an easy way to earn?
Rifat Ahmed (25), director of a freelancing agency, thinks that 'freelancing is an easy way of income' is a misconception. "Of the 20-25 people I know who started freelancing with me, only one has succeeded," he says.

Ahmed started freelancing as a content writer but currently manages a freelancing agency. When he started freelancing after getting into university, he had two avenues open to him other than freelancing; tuition or employment. He has taught many students in his college life and does not want to tread the path anymore. If you work again, you will not be able to give time to study. After considering everything, he finally chose freelancing as a livelihood. "There are many successful people in freelancing but the success rate is very low," he said.

Becoming a successful freelancer is not easy at all. There are no shortcuts to becoming a successful freelancer overnight. But if you have (learning) skills, then the work becomes easier, feels Ahmed.

Key to Success in Freelancing: Skill Acquisition
There are countless jobs for freelancing in online marketplaces. Data Entry, Graphic Design, Content Writing, Video Editing, Logo Design, Software Development, Web Development, Web Design, Game Development, Digital Marketing, SEO, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, PHP, Android Development, Blockchain, Project Management, Coding and more There are many job opportunities.

Think about it, no matter what you want to do, you have to compete with skilled freelancers from different parts of the world. If you want to survive in that competition, you have to develop yourself in that way.

According to Rifat Ahmed, blockchain projects are growing globally, but in Bangladesh it is still not very popular. "There is very little competition here, so this sector has a lot of potential for now. There are jobs in these sectors like graphic design or web development,' said Ahmed, 'but it can be seen that there are more people working than jobs.'

Meanwhile, Marufur Rahman believes that without skills, it is never possible to succeed in freelancing.

According to him, the income opportunities in blockchain or software development can be very high now. That doesn't mean you have to lean in. Sectors you are not interested in or don't like to work in, no matter how profitable that sector is, you cannot earn from it, says Ahmed. If you like graphic design, your first task will be to become proficient in graphic design. If you are competent, you will get work no matter how many competitors you have.

So first you need to decide what you want to work on. Start with something you're good at or something you've always had an interest in working on. If work comes, you can take various trainings to make yourself more efficient.

You can take admission in different courses of different institutes if you want. Online training is also available for free or for money. Remember, this path is very long, so you need to show patience and confidence here.

Everything you need to do to get work on the marketplace
Marketplaces basically connect freelancers with clients or customers. There are many popular online marketplaces like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, Peopleperhour, Guru etc.

In the marketplace where you will work, you have to create an account by submitting the correct name, address, email etc. Then you need to create a very nice and organized profile, because the client will see your profile first. If your professionalism isn't there, clients won't be attracted.

advertisement
Add a professional photo of yourself to your profile. Try to include a picture of yourself smiling at the camera instead of a selfie. When writing a profile heading, you should summarize your skills and work style in two sentences. Add some samples of your work or a portfolio. Add a short description of your previous work and some pictures.

Many people are hesitant to focus on quality or quantity to make the portfolio heavy. "When you have very little work in the beginning, you can focus on quantity," says Rahman. But as your work grows, add only the best work to the portfolio.

Be aware of marketplace rules. Otherwise, breaking the rules can get your account terminated, no matter how old a freelancer you are. Account termination can happen for different reasons in each marketplace. Apart from them, Rifat Ahmed has highlighted some other issues. These include asking for payment outside, talking about one marketplace to another marketplace, asking the client for money too much and messaging the client unnecessarily.

Long-Term Clients Needed to Get Regular Work
Just as a client needs reliable freelancers for outsourcing, a freelancer needs long-term clients for regular income. Regular income from online marketplaces is very difficult except for long-term clients.

So whenever a new client gives you a job, first check if you understand the job well. If there is any question, ask the client to clear it. You have to be very professional in this whole process.

The client cannot be questioned about anything other than work. You must submit the work before the deadline. If due to any problem you feel that you will not be able to finish on time then inform the client in advance.

According to Marufur Rahman, submitting the work to the client is not the end, it has to be delivered properly. "You have to communicate with the client until the client explains his work," said Rahman. Sometimes after submitting the work, the client asks to add something new. He has to submit it correctly again.

Rifat Ahmed said, when the client sends you a message, if you reply after 2-3 hours or the next day, then the client will assume that he is joking about the work. More importantly, don't negotiate the payment. Some clients have to negotiate. According to him, in most cases, after two or three jobs, it is better not to talk too much about payment.

If the client asks you to send the bill, you will send the bill. Otherwise the client will accept the payment. A relationship with a client is good if you don't negotiate too much on payment. 'The client will not pay less than your expectations. "Underpayment is very rare," he said.

There will be mistakes in the beginning, many people
can't understand about the time gap at first. The client you work from will need to work during the client's country time. For example, most of Rifat Ahmed's clients are from the United States. So he works according to the time there.

Newbies have to face a lot of trouble with payment. At Upwork, payment is fixed by analyzing work efficiency, working hours, quantity etc. But in gig-based marketplaces, you have to decide your own remuneration. In that case, look at the gig prices of other freelancers working on the same gig to get an idea of ​​how you should price your work.

Not being able to communicate with clients in English is the most common problem of freelancers in Bangladesh, said Marufur Rahman, 'If you don't understand the client, your output will not be acceptable to the client.'

Post speculation about Messi's Saudi Arabia

That is, no matter how good you are at work, it will be difficult to get a job and work if you do not have English skills. Therefore English should be emphasized in the beginning for communication. Try to quickly bring your skills in this language. Also check that there are no mistakes in spelling or grammar in the profile or cover letter.

Source: Voice of America