How To Become a Freelancer in 2024: The Complete Guide
Eager to become a freelancer but not sure where to start? In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps you need to take to become a freelancer on Upwork.
Freelancing offers an incredible opportunity to control the way that you work. As a freelancer, you have the freedom to work from anywhere at any time. You get to create your schedule, set your own hours, and decide which projects you take on. These perks are why many people decide to start freelancing part time as a side hustle or make it their full-time job.
In fact, 38% of Americans freelanced last year, contributing nearly $1.3 trillion to the U.S. economy, according to our Freelance Forward Report.
But how do you get started as a freelancer? If you want to take the first step toward becoming a freelancer but aren’t sure how to begin, you’re in the right place.
This article will discuss nine steps to becoming a freelancer in 2024 and landing that first client.
Popular freelancing occupations
Clients are looking for successful freelancers to solve their problems across almost every industry, job, and skill set. Businesses ranging from startups to 50% of the Fortune 500 have made hiring freelance talent on Upwork part of their business strategy.
Regardless of your skillset, a client is looking for a freelancer like you to solve their problem. Below are some of the most popular freelancing jobs in 2024 and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’s projected job outlook.
- Software developer – 25%
- Writer – 4%
- Digital marketer – 6%
- Web/mobile developer – 16%
- Graphic designer – 3%
- Virtual assistant
- Social media manager – 6%
- Translator – 4%
- Photographer – 4%
- Content developer
Businesses in over 180 countries use Upwork’s work marketplace to find talented freelancers across 8,000 skills and 180+ categories of work. Thousands of work opportunities are offered every day.
When freelancing on Upwork, your clients and work are in one place. You can find new jobs, message clients, submit work, and get paid all within the platform
Becoming a freelancer in 5 easy steps
Being self-employed and taking on freelance work can give you more control over your career. Working remotely and setting your own hours can also help with work-life balance. Start freelancing as a side hustle to earn extra money and gain experience, or approach it as a full-time career.
Regardless of your journey, the nine steps listed below will guide you past many of the common hurdles that new freelancers face.
1. Define your service and offering
Turning your skills into a marketable service is the first step to becoming a freelancer. Think about the skills that you have and then check Talent Marketplace™ to see the jobs available. These are the most in-demand work skills on Upwork for 2024.
Once you’ve identified your skills, you’ll need to market them. To do this, you’ll need to understand how your skills can help a prospective client. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your ideal clients. Consider the problems that they have and how your skills can resolve the issue.
Remember that clients are looking for a solution to a problem. To be a successful freelancer, you need to understand the client’s situation and use your service to address their issue. You can then speak to your client’s pain points in your profile overview and proposals.
Come up with a brief description of your freelance service that helps you sell it to companies. Try to concisely explain what you can do, how you do it, and what types of business or client it helps. Don’t worry about the price yet; we’ll get to that in the later steps.
2. Find your target audience
Now that you have a freelance service to offer, you’ll need to find a target audience. Start by identifying the type of clients that will be a good fit for your service. Do these clients have a shared problem and common characteristics? Are they in a specific industry?
As a new freelancer, merely being great at what you do is not enough to automatically have clients seeking you out. It’s crucial to position yourself in front of your potential clients so they can learn about your services. You’ll need to take an active role in finding potential clients. Most freelancers use three ways to acquire clients:
- Participate in freelance job posting platforms
- Leverage existing connections and networking
- Conduct marketing, advertising, and outreach
Understanding which of these options works best for you is key to finding relevant clients for your services.
“I started my freelance business on Upwork and found my first freelance client through Upwork’s platform. Over the next year, I grew my business exclusively through Upwork and client referrals without paying for advertising or having to attend a networking event.”
—Sean Cope
3. Develop a pricing structure
Once you have clearly defined your service and your target market, it’s time to set your price. The goal is to maximize the amount you’re paid without losing out on potential jobs. So, start by looking at your competitors in the market. What are they charging for similar freelancing services?
In reality, there is no perfect formula for pricing your freelancer services. Many variables can impact the amount that clients will be willing to pay:
- Experience
- Demand for skills
- Industry
- Project duration
- Deliverables
- Project complexity
- Client’s geographic location
- Urgency
Fortunately, Upwork has some useful resources to help you navigate how to price your freelance services. You can take this Upwork Academy Learning Path for tips and best practices. The Freelance Rate Calculator can help give you an idea of what your minimum hourly rate should be based on your current expenses like rent and utilities.
As an Upwork freelancer, you can charge clients hourly or fixed-price fees based on the project. You’ll need to identify an hourly rate for your profile, and you can set up specialized profiles and set a different hourly rate for individual skills. The hourly rate guide can help give you an idea of the average rate for popular skills on the platform.
Don’t let uncertainty about your pricing structure keep you from getting started. Your rates are not permanent. You can change them in the future. Start with a price you feel comfortable with, and try not to overthink it
4. Build an amazing portfolio
Creating a compelling portfolio is an integral step to becoming a successful freelancer. As a freelancer, your portfolio establishes your work quality by showcasing your accomplishments and past projects. This is your opportunity to show—not just tell—clients what you’re capable of doing and the value of your expertise.
Having a portfolio is equally important for creative and technical skills. Your Upwork portfolio lets you showcase your best work to clients, no matter what form it takes.
Your portfolio should highlight your most impressive projects related to your service offering. Each piece in your portfolio should paint a clear picture of your contributions and how that project benefited the client.
Some of the things that a strong portfolio could include are case studies, testimonials, data-driven results, images, charts, work samples, and mock-ups. It’s important to receive permission from your past clients before incorporating their project materials into your portfolio.
5. Write a great proposal
Your first Upwork projects should closely match the skills listed in your profile. When you find a project that you’re confident that you can provide excellent service for, it’s time to submit a proposal.
The right proposal can mean the difference between securing a job or not, so it’s critical to have a proposal template that works for you and then personalize it for each specific job. Taking that extra upfront time and effort demonstrates your sincerity, enthusiasm, and professionalism.
You can use Proposal Tips powered by Uma, Upwork’s Mindful AI, to help craft stronger proposals. After writing your proposal, you’ll receive personalized tips based on the job description to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward.