5 Ways to Make Freelance Friends
If you ever feel a little lonely as a freelancer, you’re, uh, not alone…While your non-freelance friends are out celebrating a colleague’s birthday or sharing their
Your freelance website is polished up and ready to promote you, your workspace is organized, and you’re ready and raring to tackle some awesome projects. But, you’re left with just one small problem: You don’t actually have anything to work on.
Yes, finding freelance work is a struggle for freelancers across the board—from newbies to experienced veterans. And, while traditional methods of networking and marketing can definitely help to grow your client base, sometimes you need to turn to the internet to find some opportunities you can sink your teeth into.
However, separating the scams from the legitimate jobs can be a challenge. So, if you’ve been struggling to find quality freelance gigs in one of the following fields, take a minute to peruse one of these platforms. Filled with numerous different opportunities, you’ll hopefully find something that piques your interests and gives you the chance to roll up your sleeves and get to work!
In addition to the great options below, be sure to check out Fiverr Workspace’s expansive list of freelance jobs (and add your own as well!)
For Freelance Developers
Stack Overflow
Stack Overflow bills itself as the largest online community for programmers to learn, share their knowledge, and advance their careers. The forums are super helpful, but you’ll want to turn your attention to the jobs page. There, you’ll find thousands of posted opportunities. Filter them to only view contract employment, and you’ll be presented with listings for all sorts of different freelance developer gigs.
We Work Remotely
We Work Remotely is a site completely dedicated to jobs that aren’t limited by your geographic location. They list gigs in numerous different fields—from design to copywriting. But, with a huge assortment of programming jobs (all of which you can do from home in your pajamas—no questions asked!), it’s definitely worth a look.
CrunchBoard
As a developer, you’re likely already familiar with TechCrunch—a site all about breaking tech news. But, have you ever checked out CrunchBoard, their official job board? There are tons of different startup and engineering jobs there, including numerous different developer opportunities. Again, use the dropdown menu to view only contract positions and start looking for your next awesome gig!
For Freelance Designers
Behance
First and foremost, Behance is a place where creative professionals can create stunning online portfolios and showcase their best work. But, the site also boasts a pretty impressive job board—geared toward people in all sorts of different creative roles. There are numerous full-time jobs posted there. However, doing a search for freelance options will yield some results worth consideration.
Krop
Krop is another site that offers jobs (both full-time and freelance!) in numerous different creative industries. So, it’s worth a look for those who aren’t necessarily designers. But, there’s no denying that the site has a bunch of opportunities for those with an eye for design. Create your profile and prepare to impress companies that are seeking creative talent just like you.
For Freelance Writers and Marketers
As a freelance writer and content marketer myself, LinkedIn is often the first place I check for new, high quality freelance gigs. Visit the jobs page and type in a variety of search terms using “freelance” in the title—such as “freelance writer” or “freelance content marketer”—and you’ll be met with an assortment of projects. Remember to make sure your LinkedIn profile is polished up before submitting your application—it’s likely the first place people will look to find out more about you!
ProBlogger
As a site meant for bloggers and writers, ProBlogger’s jobs page has a seemingly endless variety of potential gigs for freelancers. There’s a simple checkbox you can use to filter out any jobs that aren’t classified as freelance, so you can easily zone in on the ones you really want.
For Freelance Photographers
theCreativeloft
If you’re searching for an awesome photography freelance job, you’ll definitely want to scope out theCreativeloft. As yet another creative job site, they always have plenty of listed opportunities for shutterbugs who are seeking new projects.
Freelance Photo Jobs
As the name makes obvious, Freelance Photo Jobs is a site that’s all about connecting photographers with, well, awesome freelance photo jobs. Admittedly, the site can be a bit of a mess to navigate. But, if you’re willing to do some digging, you might just find some gems!
Tips for Effectively Using Freelance Job Board Sites
Of course, finding the jobs that interest you is a great first step. But, as you likely already know, that’s really only half the battle. With so much competition out there (not to mention so many scams!), it can be tough to actually experience great results from using sites that so many freelancers flock to.
So, what can you do help ensure you have a good experience? These three key tips are a great place to start.
1. Research, Research, Research
When you find a freelance job that interests you, take a few minutes to do some research about the company. Poke around their website and social media accounts to get a better feel for their vibe. Dig up some reviews to see what other people are saying.
While this won’t reveal everything, it’ll definitely give you a better sense of whether or not this opportunity is legitimate, as well as if you and the company would be a good match to work together!
2. Stand Out From the Crowd
Let’s face it—these sites make searching for freelance gigs much easier and more convenient, which also means there’s usually an abundance of competition applying for the very same projects.
So, you’re going to need to find some ways you can stand out and separate yourself from the freelance pack. Maybe that means emphasizing a certain skillset or piece of experience that very few people possess. Or, perhaps it means completing an amazing sample project. The bottom line is this: Figure out what you can do to be memorable. That’s important.
3. Follow Up
If you’ve ever utilized a job board, you know it can often feel like you’re submitting your materials into the great, big internet black hole. It’s for this very reason that following up on the opportunities you’re interested in is so important.
If you can find someone to contact personally, that’s always best. But, never hesitate to use a general “jobs@company.com” or “info@company.com” email address. Any effort to follow up adequately emphasizes your level of interest and engagement in the position.
When you feel ready to roll up your sleeves and get your freelance business moving, not having any projects to work on can be frustrating—and finding freelance work can often present a challenge.
Take a deep breath and unclench your fists—there’s no need to be disheartened yet. Instead, turn your attention to these different websites and prepare to fill up your schedule with awesome projects!
