Earning a living through remote work or trying to make your way as a digital nomad is challenging. Working anywhere in the world comes with apparent advantages, but the supply of jobs does not always meet the demand of the increasingly growing freelancer population. That’s why it is more important than ever to differentiate yourself and your work from the rest of the competition. Below we outline some of our favorite platforms and websites to sell your abilities and services and land a great freelance gig.
Personal Portfolio
Developing an online presence and portfolio can go a long way towards landing a job that makes freelance work viable. For writers, photographers, marketers, or designers a portfolio should be viewed as a requirement. Not only is it a convenient way to showcase your talents, but portfolios also allow you to add flair and personality that lacks on other platforms. It is the most personal glimpse into what you do and why you do it. Everyone who isn’t a graphic designer doesn’t need to panic though. Building a personal website is easy to do thanks to helpful sites like Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly.
LinkedIn’s revolutionary dive into the professional world has been wildly successful. As a tool for job seekers, recruiters, and employers it is definitely here to stay. Making a comprehensive profile with experience, skills, and education can make your applying and hiring process more straightforward. It is also a perfect place to market yourself. Take advantage of the multiple areas on the profile to complete an “About Me” section. That’s where freelancers can write a brief, detailed summary of their expertise and let recruiters and employers know about the type of work they are looking for. This is also a great spot to link to that portfolio we mentioned above.
Admittedly LinkedIn is not the most accessible place to find remote work. While their “Jobs” section is pretty comprehensive, it is rare to find remote opportunities advertised on the site. Despite this, LinkedIn provides an ideal opportunity to promote services and for talent seekers to find profiles that fit their remote worker needs.
Upwork
Upwork is quite literally a platform to hire freelancers. Only four years into its existence, Upwork has already become the world’s most trusted way to connect companies with quality freelancers. Trusted by companies like Airbnb and GE, it is common to find not only small projects but also potential remote careers. Freelancers can showcase their past work and reviews from their previous project managers on Upwork. The site has also figured out ways to streamline global communication and payments between client and freelancer.
AngelList
Designed exclusively to connect talent and start-up companies, AngelList also allows those seeking a position to set up a LinkedIn type profile for themselves to talk about their experience and show what they can do. While AngelList is not explicitly designed with digital nomads in mind, many start-ups are saving money by not renting office space when first getting started and/or by employing freelancers who work in countries with a lower cost of living.
Toptal
Toptal, as its name suggests, is for top talent. To get your services posted onto this job search platform, you must first pass a screening process to ensure your skills and experience reflect someone that has proven themselves professionally. For those that do get admitted, they will find that unlike most freelancing websites, the projects offered are for top clients that will not low-ball compensation rates.
Freelancer
Competitive? Then Freelancer might be an excellent place to get your name out there. That’s because Freelancer offers remote workers the chance to compete with other freelancers to prove their competency. While the gladiator style approach to finding a job may not be for everyone, Freelancer has one of the most extensive reaches for finding freelance projects. Also, it does have opportunities that adhere to a more traditional style of hiring.
Guru
Marketed as a “freelance marketplace,” Guru strives to make the freelance process easier. The website is made specifically for commissioned work, making it a great place to pick up quick projects. Guru is also one of the more user-friendly platforms for freelancers; many others cater primarily to employers’ needs. Job seekers can sign up for a daily job-matching notification, so they stay up to date on all the opportunities out there.
Fiverr
Fiverr is explicitly made for creatives. While many writers (learn how to start as a freelance writer), photographers, and filmmakers can feel buried by developers and virtual assistants on other sites, they know when they come to Fiverr employers will only be looking for someone like them. While it has expanded recently to include jobs for techies and digital marketers, Fiverr stays true to its roots and aims to promote the work done by creative freelancers. It is a phenomenal platform to present a look at your services and past work.Written by Zack Davisson