Freelancing is more than working in your pajamas in the middle of the night. It can be a fulfilling career path that is now on the rise.
As surveys indicate, 36% of workers in the US are work from home freelancers. They contribute $1.4 trillion to the nation’s annual economy.
As such, competition in this industry is fierce because many workers choose to work in the comforts of their homes. To successfully transition to a freelancing career, you must be able to have skills such as Leadership, and effective stress management, communication skills, and organizational skills.
- Leadership Skills.
You may be working alone typing in your computer, but one essential skill to develop as a freelancer is leadership. There are various freelance leadership roles, including project management.
This means you have a team working under your belt, and to manage a team efficiently, especially in a remote environment, leadership motivates and empowers. You must also learn how to make sound decisions based on the input of your team.
In the freelance environment, sometimes you work with people from different time zones and cultural background. You must learn how to sort the insights of each one to make a decision that will benefit the company as a whole.
- Stress Management Skills.
Working from home is much harder than it seems. There may be no daily commute to contend with, but there are household and family issues that need to be addressed in your presence. It may pile up and cause stress that may affect the quality of your output.
The stiff market competition is also a cause for stress. You may be tempted to lower your price and devalue your skills to get clients. Not knowing when the next payment will come from can also drive you to the brink of a meltdown.
In that sense, you must learn how to manage your stress. Remember you still have a life away from your home office.
- Communication Skills.
Often, communication in the freelance world involves video calls, emails, or messaging services. You must learn how to express yourself in any medium so you can score jobs and close deals.
As a freelancer, the world is your workplace. So be prepared to send your message respecting other people’s culture and beliefs.
You must also learn how to talk to your team so they will heed your directions. Since you are at the mercy of deadlines, a delivered message will save you and your team’s valuable time.
- Organizational Skills.
Being a freelancer, you need to be organized with everything you do. Without direct supervision, you may be tempted to do as you please.
But if you want to get more projects and clients, you must maximize your time and the resources you have. Following a strict schedule and project plan will allow you to finish more work. Remember, work equates to money in the freelancing world.
Today’s generation is fortunate to have more options when it comes to career pathing. Freelancing is a choice that many workers are now taking, allowing previous corporate workers the freedom to work anytime and anywhere.
But just like any other job opportunity, a freelancer needs to have these skills to become successful, even when you are working in pajamas!
