Freelance for Beginners – 5 Tips to Help You Break the Ice on oDesk, Elance, Guru and Other Freelance Sites
Posted by bogdan247 on January 26th, 2011ODesk, just like Elance, Guru and other top free lance writing sites offer great opportunities for freelance writers. No matter if you’re a seasoned professional or just a rookie looking to wet your feet in the business of online freelance writing, there is a good chance that you will find plenty of projects.
In fact, when I discovered free lance websites, I had absolutely no experience in writing for money, online or offline. I filled my profile according to my professional experience as a software tester and support technician and looked for job offerings in that field. My profile title on oDesk is still Freelance QA Engineer / Tester (I think I should change it, though, I am primarily a freelance writer now)
The crazy-looking nuclear-powered Yamal Icebreaker
I soon find out that there are far more opportunities to start working as a free lance writer than there are for quality assurance specialists. For each testing opening there were dozens of job offers for free lance writing – from the dumbest articles to complex academic papers.
Of course, I had the problem encountered by beginners in any area – no proven experience (here’s your vicious circle, sir!). Here’s what I did to break the ice on oDesk:
- I applied for the fixed fee jobs – Fixed fee jobs are safer for employers. When they are billed on an hourly base, online employers tend to be more cautious with their money and are less likely to assign a contract to a beginning free lance writer. Go for the fixed fee until you gather enough references to go for the hourly jobs. It can also be a good idea to offer a fixed fee, even if you apply to hourly billed jobs. The employer will feel more comfortable with your application.
- I wrote a couple of articles and put them online on a free WordPress blog. You can pick any topic that you like (OK, maybe you can skip your impressions on last night’s bar hopping) It’s a great way to prove that you have what it takes to make it as a free lance article writer and to show that you command the language – not just English, any language that you master.
- I offered a great price – “I am gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” said the Godfather. No, I am not telling you to act like Don Vito Corleone when talking to potential employers, so no dead horses. But a great offer will eclipse a not-so-great experience. You can ask a smaller fee, until you get your game going. Once you’ve gathered your stars, you can start to really make money from free lance writing.
- I went for the simple jobs – even if knew that I could write top notch articles on almost any topic, I deliberately picked the easy jobs. Online employers are more likely to assign a small freelance writing task to beginners. Don’t hesitate to go for the bigger jobs, though, especially if you are confident on your skills.
- I took tests – Elance, Guru, oDesk and the other free lance platforms encourage or even require you to take tests, in order to prove your skills. If you know you’re particularly good at something, don’t hesitate to take a test in the area. It will look great in your profile. Don’t worry, you can hide the results if you fail them ?
- I kept trying – don’t let refusals break your spirit. Due to the strong competition, a success rate of 10% or less is quite common on most top freelance writing sites. Keep applying to all projects you think you could complete successfully. I need to stress successfully. A bad review from a disgruntled employer will weigh more at the beginning of your freelance writing career, so make sure that you can nail the job.
I got my first job on one of the best freelance working sites out there in about two days from the moment I completed my profile. I don’t think it was a matter of luck. You’ll find out that these tips work for you on any freelance platform, no matter the area of your expertise.
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[...] To see how he quickly got his first job on oDesk, visit http://www.superscriptor.com/blog/break-the-ice-on-odesk-elance-guru/ [...]
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