How did you become a freelancer?

71c25ad0 · ‎02-20-2020

Hi everyone, working as a freelancer means being your own boss. You have lots of freedom and can decide what project you work, when, from where and with whom. But of course there are also downsides to being a freelancer. First off, it's not easy to get started. If you are new to Upwork or new even to being a freelancer you are a facing a lot of challenges. At least that's how I remember my start as a freelancer. So what made you take this step? When and how did you start your freelancing career? Maybe we can share some ideas and experiences to come up with new forms fo collaboration and networking?

holly79 · ‎02-20-2020

I would totally support a little collaboration and networking. I started a few years ago as just a side way to make a little extra cash. I wanted to do it full time, but I had no idea where to start and it just was not the right time. That was 4 years ago.

I have 16 years of experience in animal care, and 7 years specifically in veterinary medicine as lead tech. I have spent the last year and a half killing myself working at a nonprofit for a mission I truly believed in.

I deeply enjoyed helping my community. However, for over a year, I was told I they needed someone to run a new clinic in my dream city to live, Savannah GA. It would require relocation. For a whole year I worked 60 hours a week. I did PR, digital marketing, and administrative duties like tracking tens of thousands of dollars in grant money and collecting stories for image.

The first meeting of the year it was announced that they were hiring some random girl much younger than me, with no children. I am 31, I have a family to support, and I am sick and tired of being played like a fiddle. I am going to be my own boss for the forseable future. I get to help my children with their homework and do my work at 3 in the morning if I feel like it and then take the morning off, if I feel like it.

I'm still getting over everything, so I've been venting a lot. But that is why I am a freelancer.

71c25ad0 · ‎02-22-2020

Maybe you are interested in this job:
https://www.upwork.com/ab/applicants/1231151036359315456/job-details

bizwriterjohn · ‎02-21-2020

I started my freelance career on January 2nd, 2013. With a phone call to the project owner, 2am my time, as that equated to his 8am workday morning. I often use a time-activity recording sheet that sits outside but integrates into Upwork's time logging facility. This is the actual sheet from the first six weeks of that project. I remember the call to this day.

This sheet actually saved the project. The client underestimated budget (thinking a thousand or two, three to four weeks) when in actual nature, it was to be more than $8,000 and fourteen weeks. In week six, c-level mgmt asked to whom, and why they were sending these thousands of dollars to some contractor they had never met. They had seen no endpoint deliverables and what-the-heck-is-going on.

I had kept this secondary activity-time sheet set of "books" in anticipation of this perhaps happening. When it was seen - and could be easily so by management not on the Upwork system - all questions were answered. Hardworking guy. Looks over the pennies and keeps the plates twirling.

So that is how I became a freelancer.

It just took one call at 2am in the morning. Professional-caliber activity recording practices. Followed by more late night/early morning calls than I can count in the past seven years.

moonraker · ‎02-25-2020

It was out of desperation for me really.

I was soon to be out of work here in Thailand where decent jobs can be hard to find for expats. I was facing the very realistic, and very grim, prospect of having to return to the UK without my wife and (then) 1 kid.

I ended up replying to a local ad for writers with the mindset that "it won't hurt to try", without really thinking anything was going to come of it. I got a reply soon afterward saying that they liked my sample and asking if I would like to write some articles. Of course, I said yes, albeit still not confident I was up to the job. That's where it all started for me.

To begin with it was a plan B, or even plan C, but as time went by, I came to realise that I'm better at this writing malarkey than I had been giving myself credit for. Now it's plan A.

And to think that I was close to not replying to that ad.

hanitriniony · ‎08-18-2021

Hello! I confirm it's a great and a big challenge to be a freelancer. Before, I worked in an office but now, I find that freelancing provides us more flexibility. It i an opportunity to increase competence. Thank you for your ideas to share experiences with this networking

roberty1y · ‎08-19-2021

Being a freelancer means I don't have to comb my hair before going to work. That's why I prefer to dodge Zoom calls - people ten time zones away wanting to call me at 3am to say things they could have put in a message. I think I'll use my client account to hire a stand-in to impersonate me while I get some sleep.

sheheryarkazi · ‎08-19-2021

I guess for me, I was not planning on becoming a freelancer but then I saw the current climate in terms of the pandemic and I have certain goals that I need to fullfill - so I initially took a few projects but I found that for me, this style of working is very feasible, as I get to work with different people and the style of work keeps evolving and so far its going good.

For me, one challenge would be - since I came from a full time job to freelance, its in my nature to work everyday. Days that I don't see clients or any work to be honest for some reason I start to feel a little worried, stressed or heck even sad, its just emotions that I find very difficult to control but other than that until I feel like I am going really good making alot of connections and I feel comfortable and happy with what I am doing.