Cheat-sheet to freelance genius: Highlight your skills and thrive in the best market
Freelancing is all about positioning. Here's how to ensure you're in the right spot.
This article is part 2 (of 10) of Lightpost, a new USA TODAY Network series sourced by experts and focused on helping you achieve your goals. You can read this article as a standalone, or check out more of our career-focused checklists and keep developing your badass skills.
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✔️ Write it out: Why do you rule?
“For whatever reason, the compliments and kudos we get flit off our backs while the negative feedback and comments we receive steep into our souls. Start keeping a Win and Compliments book to keep all the positive feedback you get in regards to your work, and the milestones you hit. This will not only allow you to "own" your awesomeness, but it will help with branding yourself so you can do the work you want to do with the clients you want to do it with.” - Michelle Ward, the “When I Grow Up Coach"
You’re awesome! (And you’d better believe it.) Set up a designated place to keep your “wins” and “compliments” -- either in a notebook, in Notes on your phone, or aggregated in a document. (Keeping a record will also help you in the future.)
✔️ If you're lost, turn to career and personality experts
“These tests are great in helping you understand your needs, wants, priorities and values better, but don't let the career results they spit out be the be-all, end-all for you.” - Michelle Ward
Thinking of your strengths and hard skills has already given you a good starting point. If you need guidance, consider taking a career assessment test to help identify awesome traits that could be turned into a freelance gig.
✔️ Take stock of your hard skills
Whether it’s coaching or computers, what makes us marketable as freelancers is having a skill someone needs and does not have. Take a moment to write down the “hard” and “soft” skills you have now, and any skills you may need to build upon.
Feeling the need to bolster your skills set? Try these online educational resources:
EdX or Coursera: Take real classes offered by accredited universities like Berkeley and MIT. Some are free, and most provide at least a free trial of the class to see if it’s right for you.
Lynda: Online tutorials are their jam. Head over to Lynda for immersive tutorials on tech and design.
General Assembly: Take these classes -- either online with real check-ins or as a physical class -- to get a full understanding of lucrative freelancing genres like user experience and design.
✔️ Cross-reference your hard skills with your soft ones
Here are top freelance jobs, organized by “soft skill,” aka your people skills and the things that make you great to work with. What resonates with you?
Attention to detail: Corporate event planner | Wedding planner | Personal assistant | Technical writer | Project coordinator | Paralegal | Booking agent
Outgoing speaker: Life or career coach | Recruiter | Tour guide | Corporate trainer
Good written communicator: Copywriter or editor | Translator | Ghostwriter | Project coordinator | Social media specialist | Tutor
Creatively driven: Design consultant | Interior decorator | Floral designer | Web designer or front-end developer
Good with in-person interactions: Health aide | Life or career coach | Counselor or therapist | Dog walker | Tutor
Numbers-oriented: Financial planner | Bookkeeper | Tax preparer
Commit to researching for 15 minutes about each job that strikes your fancy.
✔️ Do some market research
Obviously you want to choose something you're skilled at, passionate about, and, well, something that will pay off! That takes a bit of research, too. Freelancers Union, Upwork, Glassdoor and other expert websites are a good place to start when scoping out what will make you the most money.
✔️ Seek inspiration from the greats
“They're just regular people. If I can be “The When I Grow Up Coach” of all silly things (and full-time for 6+ years at that!), then you can be and do whatever you want, too.” - Michelle Ward
Make a list of people whose careers you admire by searching for personal blogs for “how I got my start” stories. Demystifying their paths will help you understand valuable next steps for the future -- there’s a reason why so many successful freelancers have strong followings!
A few to get you started:
- Fortune’s “How I Got Started” blog hosts a series of stories and insights
- Eventual Millionaire podcast focuses each episode on how a different millionaire got started
- Tiffany Han, creator of the Raise Your Hand Say Yes podcast, tells her story
✔️ Scope out your competition
Check out job listings, resumes and proposals you see on Upwork, Guru, LinkedIn ProFinder, College Recruiter, Simply Hired. See how others have presented themselves. Write down the things you hope to emulate as you become a successful freelancer.
This article is part 2 (of 10) of Lightpost, a new USA TODAY Network series sourced by experts and focused on helping you achieve your goals. You can read this article as a standalone, or check out more of our career-focused checklists and keep developing your badass skills.