How To Become A Freelancer With No Experience In 2024

Many professionals are embarking on their freelancing journey this year for the very first time. Approximately 70 million Americans have indicated that they will start freelancing in 2024, per a recent report, while it appears that the majority of the freelancing population are constituted of Gen Z and Millennial workers.

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If you are just graduating from college and embarking on your career, or are at a point in your life where you are re-evaluating your career choices and seeking to establish financial and career stability—but have not had any prior experience as a freelancer—the very idea of freelancing can be quite daunting, right?

Even if you decide to do freelance work in the very industry or role you were in previously as an employed professional, the thought of striking out on your own and becoming a self-employed contractor can provoke feelings of fear and anxiety, as if you are operating in a totally new world.

One of the most significant worries that aspiring freelancers face, is how to start freelancing when they have no previous experience in running their own business. This is usually because they are very comfortable and familiar with providing the actual service to the client, but are not comfortable with running the business admin and marketing side of things. This is due to them never having to worry about these aspects of the job when they were employed in a traditional role, or preparing for their first job out of college.

After all, who learns freelancing as a class in college? It’s very rare indeed.

Here, then, is an eight-step guide on how to become a freelancer…even when you have no background in freelancing or running a business.

1. Identify Your Skills and Interests

Undertake a self-assessment and reflect on your hobbies and interests, and any skills you might have picked up from college or a current/previous job. Has anyone told you that you have strong talent in a specific field? Leverage it.

2. Learn A High-Income Skill

If you lack formal skills, start by learning the basics in your chosen field through undertaking online courses, watching tutorials, or attending bootcamps and workshops. Platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, Google Career Certificates, and Khan Academy offer free or close-to-free courses.

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3. Create A Strategy

Without a solid plan, your freelance venture is doomed to fail. With the help of ChatGPT, you can create a strategy for every aspect of your business until your freelance career kicks off.

You can give ChatGPT your business idea in detail and ask it to provide you with a business plan, simple marketing strategy for you to use as a freelancer, and even a day-to-day checklist. This helps you stay motivated (which can be difficult to do if you’re not accustomed to working on your own) and ensures you achieve your personal career and financial goals.

4. Build A Portfolio

It can be difficult for potential customers to choose you if you don’t have any formal experience working on similar projects. For this reason, before selling your services, develop sample projects or do pro bono work for friends or non-profits, which you can compile into a portfolio. This helps establish your credibility.

5. Establish Your Online Prescence

Create a website using a drag-and-drop website builder such as Wix, and share your portfolio on your website. Include other basic, essential information, such as contact details (try to set up a professional email address for your business), FAQs, testimonials from pleased customers (these can be the friends or non-profits you did pro bono work for), and a blog section to help you establish trust with website visitors by sharing your relevant knowledge.

This blog section can help you develop yourself into an industry thought leader later on, and when done correctly, can boost your website’s SEO (search engine optimization), so that you rank more highly on Google.

You should also maximize social media, by researching the most appropriate social media platform that your intended client base would use, and optimizing your profile there.

6. Join A Freelancing Platform

Find the relevant freelancing website for your freelance business venture and join them/create a profile. Some of the most popular ones are Fiver, Freelancer, and Upwork, but you can also consider more exclusive ones that are reserved for highly skilled professionals, such as Toptal or Catalant Technologies.

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7. Research…Over And Over

Research your pricing to ensure you’re not overpricing, or undervaluing your worth. It’s a good idea when starting out to set lower rates to attract clients, then slowly and strategically increase your pricing competitively in line with what other freelancers at your level, within your industry and location, are charging.

Remember to be clear and transparent with your fees, as this helps to avoid potential misunderstandings and awkward conversations later.

You should also consistently research and remain updated on market trends and consumer preferences, as people are your most valuable asset at this moment in your career. The quality of your research will reflect in how much you get paid and what projects you’re able to obtain.

8. Focus On Quality

Deliver excellent quality work, every time, as if it was your first project. The more you develop a habit of excellence, the more inclined clients will be to leave positive reviews and refer others.

There are many other things that could be spoken about regarding how to get started with freelancing, such as contracts, networking, and leveraging LinkedIn, but for now, the above are the most important steps that lay the foundation for success in your freelancing career.