March 21, 2023 3:46 pm What Moms Need To Know About Freelancing
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Are you struggling with a good work-life balance as a working parent? You may want to consider working as a freelancer to provide equal time for your career and your family.
Many professionals desire more freedom over their work, which is why it’s not surprising that there are around 59 million freelancers in the United States of America in some capacity today. The main reason for this choice is flexibility in terms of where they can live and work. Some freelancers are also able to move to cities with relatively low housing costs as they are not tied to office jobs. There are plenty of benefits and opportunities that you can enjoy as a freelancer, and with more freelancing jobs becoming available, now is the perfect time for moms to consider it as a career choice.
How Can Moms Benefit From Freelancing?
Freelance work sounds alluring because it gives you the freedom to choose your tasks and to work wherever you want.
However, an article entitled ‘How to Get Started as a Freelancer’ points out that another benefit is that you can set your own rates and earn more money through these gigs. Freelancers with enough work experience can justify higher rates for gigs, which can make it easier for you and your partner to save up for a new car, a new house, or even your kids’ tuition fees.
On top of that, freelance work allows you to create a better schedule for your family. Our post ‘What Do Children Really Want?’ explains that most kids simply want their parents’ time and attention. By pursuing freelance work, you can schedule your tasks easily and work from home to be able to spend more time with your kids.
How to Find a Freelancing Job
Look for openings on freelance websites
You’ll have an easier time finding a freelance job, especially if you know where to look. You can start with platforms that specialize in connecting freelancers with prospective clients, such as Upwork for various industries, 99designs for graphic design, or FlexJobs for IT. Do note, though, that you may need to pay transaction fees, job fees, or even monthly fees on these platforms before you can score a gig. If you want to find freelance work for free, you can also look for work through LinkedIn or Facebook groups.
Craft a cover letter that highlights your skills
Once you find a project that you like, you can express your interest to your prospective client through a cover letter. This one-page letter is supposed to explain why you’re a qualified candidate for the project, so you have to include key details about your skills, work experience, and strengths. A list of cover letter samples by LHH outlines how you should include bullet points of your educational background and work experience to highlight your qualifications. You can also state that you’ve been referred by a colleague to the role, especially if that would be advantageous in booking the client.
Develop a strong portfolio for your field
You can also get a better chance at booking a client, especially if you have a strong professional portfolio to show them. Portfolios are a collection of your previous work samples, so it’s much easier for clients to see your capabilities and talents through this document. The Balance’s guide to building a professional portfolio shares that you can include media files that you’ve designed for a past employer, school project, or even a class for this document. You can also include licenses, certifications, and letters of recommendation to further prove that you have the skills and capabilities to create great work.
Freelance jobs can help you achieve the work-life balance that you want. So if you’re interested in finding freelance work, prepare your documents and start sending in your applications.
Article Written by – Bethany Lucas