Freelancer - for the first time

[r_valcheva]

Hi all

I have never worked as a freelancer and I have no experience. When I found out about this site, I thought - "Oh, that should be easy. I'll translate and write as before, it will just be online. Great!"
But the truth is, I don't know what's missing from my profile that will lead customers to my translations or articles.

I know I'm good at what I do. But I probably don't have presentation skills.
Can you give me any advice?
Thanks for your time!

[richard_wein]

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Rayna V wrote:

Hi all

I have never worked as a freelancer and I have no experience. When I found out about this site, I thought - "Oh, that should be easy. I'll translate and write as before, it will just be online. Great!"

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When I found out about the site I thought "That'd be tough. I'd be competing with huge numbers of freelancers from all over the world, many from lower-wage countries who can charge much less than me, and many who have more experience than me." So I didn't try it for a long time. Eventually I gave it a try as I had limited alternative options. And it's worked for me, but it hasn't been easy.

Don't expect it to be easy, and you may succeed too. Good luck.

[gilbert-phyllis]

Richard is correct, there's nothing easy about freelancing and conducting business online with clients you don't meet in person and competing with other FLs around the world carries additional challenges. Recognize all of that and devise strategies for succeding, and you can.

Re. your profile: I would reorganize it. The first paragraph should convey what you do: the types of translations and target language(s). I wouldn't mention things like excellence and accuracy -- those should go without saying.

Do a search of FLs here who work in your langugages, with credentials comparable to yours. Find the ones who are successful and study their profiles. 

Good luck!

[r_valcheva]

Thank you so much for your feedback.

I won't give up, just I will slow down a bit 🙂

Good luck!