How to Start Making Money Online as a Freelancer (Part 1)

There are several kinds of freelance careers you can have. Some people choose to be writers, while others become graphic designers, data entry service providers, account & admin support and web designers. Increasing number of people are discovering the ease of landing virtual work and managing projects online.

Project managers do not choose the best freelancer, as there is no way one can determine who is the best. Winning a bid is more of an elimination process, rather than a selection process. It all boils down to how you market and sell yourself successfully. If you have a winning strategy to market your skills and make all the right moves, you will never have a dearth of projects.

After having made the decision to be a ‘freelancer’, how do you take off? Where do you find the work you are looking for? There are tons of options for you that help you in becoming a free agent. Some are free while others require you to pay a small membership fee. All of them will help you find freelance work.

Sites that list projects
There are several sites that help match employers and freelancers. Employers post details of their requirement and freelancers place their bids, outlining their expertise, how much they would charge for the job, and the turnaround time etc. Some of the best sites are:

www.craigslist.com
www.guru.com
www.elance.com
www.rentacoder.com
www.freelance.com
www.getafreelancer.com

Craigslist
Craigslist is a great place where you find freelance work. Here reputable companies post advertisements, in order to find individuals to do their work. Jobs are posted daily and this is free to join.

Rentacoder and Getafreelancer
Both rentacoder and getafreelancer are free to join and require no fee; however, once you land yourself a project, they take commission from the money earned. You will have to be smart enough to bid slightly higher than you would normally, so that the commission fee is taken care of.

Job Boards that charge
There are several job boards that charge a small fee for the service provided. They have listings for freelance projects. They all work on the same lines as rentacoder etc. The initial amount they charge may be higher, but it could be advantageous if you get plenty of work from those job boards. freelance.com, guru.com, and elance.com are some of the paid memberships.

Getafreelancer also has a gold membership apart from the free membership. You will not have to pay a commission if you join this. Elance offers you an opportunity to auction your professional services to the highest bidders.

Register at these sites. Register at several such sites to increase your chances. Just ensure you don’t take on more than you can handle. Not only registering, you must submit your skills and your resume should be in perfect shape. It must be current and detail your expertise and skills. If you are not good at preparing a resume, take the help of a professional, as you do not get a second chance at making a first impression. Search for projects that fit you and bid for them. There will be many people who are equally qualified that you would be competing with.

Other sites
There are several job boards that you can look at. Every type of freelance career has job boards specific to the subject that always have listings of jobs. You can find lots on the internet if you Google. Even places like www.monster.com sometimes have freelance job listings.

To read part 2 of this article, please click here.