Build a Career as a Freelancer

Freelancing is an independent, self-employed way of working or providing services to clients in exchange for payment. In the last eight years alone, India has added more than a whopping 4 million gig workers. This is likely to increase further in the coming years.  

The reason is simple. The recent advancements in technology, the desire for flexible working, the rise of the remote work culture, and the need for cost-effective solutions for businesses have changed the mindset of employees and employers.  

As per a report by StrideOne, 90% out of the 500 companies reported that more than 70% of their employees were gig-based workers. This is probably due to the following benefits of freelancing: 

• Work on your own schedule, from anywhere. 
• No formal education or specific qualifications needed 
• Opportunity to improve your income 
• Great opportunity for freshers wanting to gain experience 
• No limit to earning as you earn per gig 

• Complete autonomy over your work 

With the help of freelancing, you can easily use your existing skills to build a thriving career. Here are 5 steps to get started as a freelancer:  

• Identify skills and services to offer 

• Build a portfolio or create a website 
• Network and market oneself to potential clients 
• Manage finances and establish a pricing strategy 
• Continuously improve skills and stay updated with industry trends. 

If you’re looking to start your career in freelancing, we have listed the top skills in freelancing today and the average starting salary per month–   

• Web Development– INR 20,000  
• Digital Marketing– INR 30,000  
• Graphic Design– INR 20,000  
• Content Writing–INR 20,000  

• Video Editing– INR 23,000  
• Mobile App Development – INR 33,000  
• Data Analysis- INR 30,000  
• Accounting and Bookkeeping- INR 20,000  
• Project Management – INR 60,000  

• Customer Service- INR 15,000 

(Source: AmbitionBox) 

After acquiring the skills, the next step is to learn about the best freelancing platforms to kickstart your freelancing career.  

You can also earn as a freelance Q&A Expert at Chegg. We are a leading online tutoring platform that offers freelance opportunities for tutors to answer students’ queries in a wide range of academic subjects. You can earn up to 1 Lakh/month as an expert at Chegg. 

Many other freelancing platforms help you earn money for every gig. The top ones include Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, Guru, etc.  

What else can I read about? 

• What is Freelancing? 
• Top 10 Freelancing Sites 
• Freelance Job Search 
• How to Become a Freelancer 
• Freelancing Jobs for Students 
• Freelance Marketplaces