Freelancing gives you financial freedom and exposes you to international markets before college graduation. This experience is handy when you tap into the job market or start a freelance business.
This article guides you on how to start freelancing as a student. We’ll share a complete road map with eight steps to kickstart your freelancing journey in no time. Alongside these steps, we’ll also share the top freelancing platforms to choose from as a beginner and four hot niches you should tap into now. So, let’s start.
How To Become a Freelancer As a Student?- 8 Experts Recommended Steps
Freelancing as a student is no rocket science. You just have to spare some time to learn a skill, master it, build a portfolio, and then pitch it to your ideal clients. And these eight steps are about how to start freelancing without experience. Let’s jump right into it.
1. Set Your Goals
Those $10000/month success stories on YouTube might rush your adrenaline to the top, but you’ve got to hold your horses. Before diving straight into freelance platforms, first define your goal.
Answer this simple question, “Why do you want to start freelancing as a student?”.
Do you want to source your college fees? Is it because you want to flaunt some cash?
Or are you after building a successful freelance business?
Freelancing requires extreme patience and resilience. Answers to these questions will fuel your continuous motivation to complete your journey.
2. Research 4-5 Niches
Now that you know the WHY. The next step is researching popular niches. A niche is the industry you’ll be tapping into, such as content writing, SEO, blogging, graphic designing, website development, etc.
Hop onto YouTube and your social platforms and research different niches. Find what excites you. What can you be good at? And most importantly, what guarantees more money?
3. Choose your Ideal Niche
Pick one that suits your interest best and offers the best monetary value from those five niches. I get it! You’ll want to tap into every niche, but that’s different from how freelancing works.
Remember the quote! “jack of all trades and master of none”.
So, pick the one you think might be an easy yet promising option. For e.g., if you’re good at writing, pick content writing. If you’ve been an outstanding art student, pick graphic designing. If you’re into tech stuff, go for website development. Got the idea?
4. Give it atleast 4 Months
There are already 1000s of writers, designers and developers on freelance marketplaces. If you want to stand out, you’ve got to be a master in it. How?
Give it four months. Pick your freelance mentor and wait! You don’t need to buy a paid course right now. Simply go to YouTube. It’s 100% free and overloaded with knowledge.
Make a timetable for these four months and learn every new needle in your industry. Learn interpersonal skills like communication, listening, client handling techniques, proposal pitching methods, etc.
5. Build Your Portfolio
No one will hire you if you just state, “You’ve mastered a skill in 4 months”. You’ve to build your portfolio first. And I get it; your next question will be, “How can I build my portfolio without working?”
The answer is simple. Work for FREE. Give yourself 20 article ideas to write on or 50 new logo designs to try in Adobe Illustrator. How about creating a free website for your friend?
Working for free may seem exploitative, but believe me, you’ll learn more than you’ve learned in those four months.
Once you’ve got a decent collection of samples, go to Google Drive and create your portfolio. There is no need to host it on premium websites.
6. Leverage your Network
Congratulations! You’re ready to start freelancing as a student. But before jumping to freelance platforms, why not grab some local gigs?
They say it right: Your Network Is Your Networth. Look around to see if anyone in your contact list needs a website, wants some written content, or is looking for a proficient designer. Pitch them your services.
Moreover, go for social platforms. Tons of freelance jobs are posted daily in niche-specific Facebook freelance groups. Apply atleast to 5 opportunities, and you’ll surely grab 1 or 2.
7. Create Accounts on Freelance platforms
Now that you have strong knowledge of your niche and even some experience in client dealing while working with your network, you’re ready to freelance internationally.
Simply create accounts on freelance platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, Guru, freelancer.com and people per hour.
Follow their guidelines to build a strong profile and apply for jobs. Moreover, keep reading to find out which freelance platforms will suit you the best as a beginner.
8. Be Consistent
Whoever told you freelancing is all a bed of roses has lied. Face it. Freelancing, like every other business, is challenging. It’s time-consuming and demands consistency.
So before starting freelancing as a student, remember that getting your first high-paying client will take at least a year.
Even then, you’ve got to be consistent in polishing and upgrading your skills to meet new challenges. I am not demotivating you. Indeed, the success after this patience and resilience is jaw-dropping.
But it’s better to lower your expectations and focus more on grooming yourself when you’re starting out.
How To Start Freelancing As a Student?- Choose These Top 3 Freelance Platforms
In 2024, there are a lot of freelance platforms out there, but only some are beginner-friendly. E.g. toptal, people per hour, and guru.com require extensive experience. But here are three of the best freelance platform goldmines for students.
-
Fiverr
It is one of the most popular freelance platforms that takes only about 45 minutes to set up your skills. On Fiverr, you create gigs (your services for different keywords), and then SEO optimizes them. Once the gig starts to rank, you’ll have many orders.
Bonus tip: While starting on Fiverr, make sure to be online most of the time. The algorithm prioritize freelancers that are online 24/7.
-
Upwork
Contrary to Fiverr, where clients search for you, you’ll have to pitch your proposals to the client jobs on Upwork. This is much easier than Fiverr, as you don’t have to wait for the right client. You can just build a profile and start sending proposals to ideal clients.
However, Upwork also allows clients to invite freelancers directly, so optimizing your profile for visibility is necessary.
Note: Both Upwork and Fiverr have some policies that approve your profile. So, ensure your profiles meet their policies and are good enough to be accepted.
-
Freelancer
Last but not least, one of the most beginner-freelance platforms is freelancer.com. Just like Upwork, you’ve to bid for different jobs.
The competition is 2X that on Upwork, but your chances of getting hired are higher if you have a decent portfolio. The best thing about freelancer.com is that the entry barrier is not as stringent as Upwork or Fiverr.
4 Hot Niches to Start Within 2024
You’re independent enough to research and pick your skill, but here are some proven and highly demanding skills that every freelance student can blindly start with.
-
Website Development
Average hourly rate in the US: $45.12/hr
Every business in 2024 needs a website to convert visitors into paid customers. Being a web developer means a never-ending supply of jobs in your pipeline.
-
Graphic Designers
Average hourly rate in the US: $34.67/hr
Though Canva can do most of your university projects, you’ll need an expert designer for promotion materials, logos and UI UX designs. That’s where a graphic designer lands in.
-
Video Editors
Average hourly rate in the US: $32.27/hr
More brands are switching to video platforms like YouTube and Instagram to promote their business. They need quality video editors to make their content stand out.
-
Content writing
Average hourly rate in the US: $23.27/hr
Content writers write articles, blog posts, website content and marketing content. As long as brands exist, their demand will be at an all-time high. There are tons of freelance writing jobs for students on freelance platforms. Make sure to check them daily.
People Also Ask
How Can I freelance with Zero Experience?
Explore your network and find possible opportunities. Moreover, start working for FREE for at least one month to gain some experience.
Which skill is best for freelancing as a student in 2024?
- Content and copywriting
- Video editing
- Web development
- Digital Marketing
- Social media management
- Virtual Assistance
What is the best freelancing site for students?
There is no such specialized freelancing site that serves only students. Still, out of all of them, Fiverr and Freelancer.com have a low entry barrier to getting started as a student.
Is freelancing difficult?
Freelancing is difficult and requires patience, but it’s rewarding once you’ve mastered a skill and built a brand reputation.
How to start freelance writing with no prior experience?
Find 20 highly demanding blog post ideas and write a 1000-word sample on each idea. This will be your portfolio. You can use it to grab freelance writing jobs.
Wrapping Up:
So, this was all about how to start freelancing as a student. Start defining your goals, then pick a niche/skill and work on it consistently for four months.
Then, develop a strong portfolio and serve your network with free work to gain experience. Finally, launch yourself on to freelancing platforms and earn your first buck as a student.
If you want to know the top high-paying freelancing skills in 2024, read our guide above.