Are you struggling to get your first freelance project or job? If yes, you should consider reading this article because we are going to disclose a detailed guide about how to get first freelance project.
Freelancing has become the most desirable career that most people want to pursue. The benefits of pursuing this career make it the perfect choice for everyone. However, the most difficult task for a beginner freelancer is finding the first freelance project or job.
Most freelancers give up in the beginning and switch their careers to the new road because they fail to find their first project. If you are fed up thinking about how to get hired as a freelancer, you need to spend a few minutes with us because we will explore some easy steps that you must follow to land your first freelancing job.
8 easy steps that you need to follow to obtain your first freelancing project
Getting the first freelancing project is not easy, especially when you are new. High competition and low experience are two significant reasons people fail to obtain their first freelancing client. However, you can easily get your first freelancing project by following the steps mentioned below:
Choose the right skill
Before finding your first freelancing project, you should figure out what skill you have. Remember, the right skill will help you offer the right service to your potential clients. Therefore, you should initially try to focus on determining the right skill.
Some of you might find this step fairly easy to perform if you have worked as a web developer, graphic designer, or in other fields. It will help you identify the way you can help your potential clients with their projects.
A few of you might find it difficult to discover the right skill in yourself. In this case, you should consider wondering whether you have ever worked in any field in your life. Suppose you have previously worked under the marketing field. In that case, you can consider providing social media marketing services. Similarly, if you have ever written something or have a hobby of writing, you should consider becoming a content or blog writer.
Also Read: Top online jobs for students with no experience
Create a winning portfolio
Once you have found the skills and services you want to offer, you should develop an attractive portfolio to win your potential clients' hearts with ease. Building a portfolio might sound old-fashioned or hectic, but most clients ask for a portfolio because it demonstrates professionalism.
Most people make common mistakes by assuming the resume is the same as the portfolio website. Remember, portfolio websites are not only for you but it is also for your clients. Therefore, you are required to build your own portfolio website efficiently.
You can create a portfolio website using a commonly used theme available on the internet. In addition, you may propose to work on a project for prospective clients for free. Remember, you are allowed to use this work or project in your portfolio website if your client permits it.
Outreach on LinkedIn
As mentioned above, working for prospective clients for building portfolio is essential. Outreach and prospecting on LinkedIn are among the best things you can do to reach a potential client. There are two primary methods you can use to reach out to clients on LinkedIn. We have mentioned both of those methods below:
Outreach for people looking for freelance help: Here, you should use the search option of Linkedin by entering phrases, like “we are hiring”, “looking for (your service)”, or a similar phrase. From the search result, you should find a post that matches your services and reach out to the author of that post with a solid proposal template. Keep reading to know the best method to develop a solid portfolio.
Building a new connection: This step is simply similar to seeding a tree for the future fruit. Indeed, it would not help you get your freelance platform instantly, but it would help you reach relevant people and those in the same industry.
Choose the right platform
When it comes to freelance platforms, you might consider Fiverr, Freelancer, or Upwork. Indeed, these platforms or websites are the kings of freelancing. Still, there is a high competition on these platforms that might be hard to crack for you if you are thinking about “How To Get First Freelance Project.”
Choosing the right platform is essential to get a freelance project for the first time. You should consider finding a platform with less competition, like Work For Impact, People Per Hour, and more.
You may also think about opting for social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, and more. On these platforms, you can share your work and outreach to potential clients in the same manner as you do on LinkedIn. We recommend you consider Facebook because there are countless groups for freelancers where you can find your potential clients.
Also read: 25+ freelancing websites for students in 2024
Create attractive proposal
As we mentioned above, creating a proposal for reaching to potential clients is essential to get your first freelancing project. Once finding the right freelancing platform, you must create an attractive proposal that you want to use to reach out to clients.
Here, it is essential to disclose all your offerings, initiating steps and charges to save your potential clients’ time especially when they are reading many potentials.
There are countless existing proposal templates you can use to reach out to potential clients. However, it’s best to personalize your proposal as per the client’s requirements mentioned in the job post.
You can personalize your proposal by analyzing the client’s page and seeing what other people have included in their proposal. From there, you can reference a specific need or pain point in the job posting and instantly mention how you’ll help them in your proposal.
Ask for competitive and discount rates
We recommend you set your rates at the beginning minimum to break down the competition in your industry. If possible, you should try to provide your services free to let your clients know about your work quality. However, you can increase your prices once you start gaining experience.
The best method you should follow to set your price is to know what your competitors are charging. Once knowing this, you should keep your charges around the charges that your competitors are asking. Again, we remind you that you are allowed to increase your charges after getting enough experience.
Don’t hesitate to say No
Indeed, you have guessed it right! You should never hesitate to say no to your clients. We understand that your primary motive is to get your first freelancing job. Still, if you think you are not able to meet your client’s requirements, you should directly say no because it’s better than disappointing a client with low-quality work.
Do you know the worst part? Providing low-quality or wrong work to your clients can affect your ratings and reputation on most freelancing platforms. Therefore, you should only select projects in which you are a perfect fit.
Keep working without clients
We know this step might look frustrating for most of you, but it’s key to making your freelancing business a big success. In addition, you will also improve your chances of getting your first freelance job.
In the beginning, most freelancers forgot to perform this step which increases your waiting time to get clients. Therefore, you should create your work to drive your first project.
You need to constantly work on your freelance business and passion projects in order to create a piece of your work sample that you can showcase on your freelancing platform’s profile. This will demonstrate to your potential clients that you are professional as well as committed for your work. By doing so, you are going to get your first client instantly.
Also Read: Complete Guide to Start Freelancing with no experience.
Conclusion
In the initial stage of freelancing, most freelancers fail to get their first project due to several reasons. Still, you can acquire your first project by following the right steps. Today, we have tried to provide all the essential steps that can help you acquire your first project as a freelancer. We hope this guide was helpful for you in understanding How To Get First Freelance Project. If you have any questions about getting your first freelancing project, you should freely contact us.
Disclaimer: We recommend you read our disclaimer before following any tips mentioned in this guide.
FAQ - How To Get First Freelance Project
How do you get a project in Freelancer for beginners?
You are required to create your profile on Freelancer to get a project in Freelancer.
How do I start freelancing for the first time?
Choose the right skill
Create a winning portfolio
Choose the right platform
Develop attractive portfolio
Set competitive rates
Keep working to find clients
3. Which skill is best for freelancing?
AI engineering, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), graphic designing, project management, and more are the best skills for freelancing.
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