With internet and computer access completely ubiquitous in the modern age, working freelance can be an excellent way to make money and do work from the comfort of your own home. For IT specialists, this can make even more sense, given that the nature of their work is online. So, here are a few ways to help create your IT freelance career.
Solidify Your Skills
In IT it is important that you make it clear what you can and can’t do. Most of the time when you freelance you don’t have the opportunity to talk through your abilities with your boss. “Potential clients HAVE to know exactly what you can do for them”, says Anisa Jiménez, freelance software designer at WriteMyx and BritStudent. “You have to reassure them that they can rely on your concrete skills, not vague promises that you can complete work.” If you tell a client you can code, it is very important that you actually can, to a level that goes beyond what they could possibly want from you.
Treat Your Clients Well
Respond quickly, complete work exactly how they ask, clarify what’s needed from you etc. Given that your work is based on the internet, that means that you are working in a sphere in which clients can easily review you to all of your potential future customers. No matter how difficult a client proves to be, always treat them with respect and behave as if completing work for them is your number one priority.
Find A Niche
There are millions of people who are capable of general IT work, so finding where you fit into the whole scheme of things can be a really important part of guaranteeing yourself a constant, reliable stream of work. Gerard Deacon, a web engineer at 1day2write, says that “We’re extremely fortune in the contemporary tech and IT industry that there is now such a vast selection of roles which need to be filled. Only twenty years ago, that wouldn’t have been the case. Whereas now, having a very specific IT skill can be extremely valuable.” Market yourself in the field you are most accomplished at and you’re more likely to succeed.
Start Small
When you start out in freelancing, it can sometimes seem like there are a lot of jobs, but no-one is hiring. Sometimes this can because clients looking for freelance work, without the ability to veto you in person, look to your track record to see if they can rely on you. If you don’t have a track record then this can be a problem. Find a small client, take some less than ideal pay but earn yourself those first couple of positive reviews and you’ll be off.
Brand Yourself
Get a website, a logo, a sign off at the bottom of your emails. It may seem like the opposite of freelance work, almost as if you’re starting a company but, in reality, all of these small pieces of branding contribute to an overall image of you as a reliable and professional individual who will be a pleasure to work with. No need, to go overboard, but a bit of self-marketing can really inspire confidence in a potential client.
Conclusion
Without any face-to-face interaction, hiring an IT freelancer can be a bit daunting for a client. It’s your job to do everything you can to ensure that you reassure your potential clients through round the clock professionalism, a good CV and concrete, deliverable skills in your niche of choice. With this recipe, you’ll be earning in no time!