At Home With Nicole

The new American Dream is freedom from the office, time clocks, and commuting.  A lot of the world’s workforce got a taste of working from home during the pandemic. But now a lot of big corporations have decided that they want their employees back in the office. The problem is no one wants to go back to the office. 

After all why would you? You get to stay at home with your kids and pets, the commute is to where ever you want (even your couch), and there are no long lunch meetings. 

But you gotta do what you gotta do right? Thankfully, no you don’t, starting a career as a freelancer is one of the most rewarding things you could ever do. 

There are so many different fields of freelancing you’re bound to find something that fits your skills. Today I’ve put together this list of 5 legitimate freelancing jobs (and where to find them) to help you get your search started.

1.  Freelance Writing

This is one of the most common freelancing positions there are. There are a lot of businesses that need someone to write content for them. The most common writer gigs are bloggers, copywriters, and grant writers but you’re not limited to just those. 

Bloggers (like me) write content for businesses to add to their blogs in order to help drive more traffic to their websites. This is normally done through SEO, or search engine optimization, which is what google and other search engines use to index your web pages when someone searches for particular keywords. I’ll be adding an article going over SEO in a bit more depth soon, so be sure to sign up for the newsletter to know when it’s posted.

Copywriters write promotional materials in the form of ad slogans, email campaigns, social media posts, and more. These kinds of jobs are in high demand but typically require a bit of writing experience. 

Grant writers help find funding opportunities, research these opportunities, and write highly polished proposals in order to secure funding. Typically clients wanting this kind of writer are looking for a freelancer that has a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience. 

When considering a career in freelance writing it’s important to always keep up to date on best practices for your particular field, and have strong research and proofreading skills. It’s also important to maintain an updated writer’s portfolio.  

2. Freelance Developers

Do you have any experience with coding? If so this could be a huge opportunity for you. There are so many companies needing little projects completed like:

• An app
• Website plugins 
• Computer programs 
• Games
• Etc.

Developers are in high demand and are usually paid very well if you find the right clients. Be sure to have an updated portfolio of work you’ve done in any coding languages you may know.  Some of the most in-demand languages and skills include:

• Java
• Python
• C#
• C++
• Unreal Engine
• Blueprints
• Unity 

3.  Graphic Designers 

This is another skill that is in very high demand among clients. Many clients need things designed for them like: 

• Logos
• Website pages
• User interfaces 
• Book designs 
• Layouts and color schemes

These kinds of gigs are easy to find on sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and even job search sites like Indeed and Glassdoor. 

4. Virtual Assistant 

There are a few professionals that look to freelance virtual assistants to help them with tasks while they attend to their business needs. This may include:

• Booking flights or hotels
• Scheduling appointments 
• Sending email replies 
• Scheduling meetings 
• RSVPing to events 

These positions are fully remote and can be done completely online if you have the right skills. When looking for virtual assistant jobs you may come across quite a few that may be scams. But there are plenty of real ones out there. 

You can find legitimate positions by searching hiring sites like Glassdoor, LinkedIn, or Indeed. Wages can vary in this field depending on your experience. Be sure to keep your resume updated as you take on more clients. 

5. Social Media Manager 

A lot of brands use social media as a way to expand their brands. For bigger businesses or owners who are inexperienced in social media they often look to freelancers to help manage these pages. 

If you are new to social media management there are a few skills you need to master to get the best gigs:

• Digital marketing 
• Monitoring tools
• Project management 
• Content Curation
• Community Management 
• Communication  

Finding Legitimate Freelancing Jobs

The internet is full of work from home scams, pyramid marketing, and sketchy sales jobs. These most often lead to dead ends and lighter pockets. 

Avoid any job listing you see that requires you to pay for “training” this is most likely a scam. If your pitching for jobs on sites like Upwork and Fiverr be sure not to communicate or send or receive money outside of the platforms. This is against their terms of service and if the client decides not to pay you they cant help if its outside of the platform.

Its also relatively easy to find these kinds of jobs on sites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, and through internet searches. As long as you are aware of what a possible scam looks like its easy to pick out the real offers. 

Learning More About Freelancing

Now that youve read about some of the most popular freelancing fields take some time and think about the skills you already have. Have you managed a team or a project before? Do you use written communication, or maybe youve done marketing, or finance. Knowing your strengths is the first step to starting a freelance career. 

Be sure to check out the At Home With Nicole Facebook page for more helpful resources for freelancers as well as giveaways, and a sense of community. In my next post Ill be talking about the process to getting your first freelancing job.