Remote work has garnered lots of attention since the beginning of the pandemic, chiefly because many people have been forced to work from home. We’ve heard common pros and cons coming from work-from-home mothers and CEOs alike, who are failing to adapt to this otherwise beneficial practice. However, these are people accustomed to office work and traditional “work values.” Freelancing is another matter entirely. Let’s discern among the two terms first: Remote work is any kind of work performed remotely. While it doesn’t equal the term “work from home,” it is commonly confused with it. You can work remotely from your home, backyard, a nearby café or from anywhere else on the globe. Freelancing or, more precisely, online freelancing, is a subtype of remote work. The difference between freelancing and other types of remote work is that it doesn’t have to be coupled with a contract with one company. Many freelancers work on a per-project basis, and many more still transform into digital nomads. In this sense, freelancers need to build a reputation to be offered better projects/jobs, meaning they need to continually improve their skills and have decent marketing skills to be able to represent themselves successfully. On top of that, they need to be tech-savvy, no matter their profession, and always have a backup option should anything go wrong. Let’s see which skills are important for freelancers to be successful. 1. Hard Skills The hard skills freelancers need don’t really differ that much (if at all) from the hard skills office workers need to have. These are linked exclusively to the choice of education and vocation. Common occupations among freelancers include writing, editing, tutoring, marketing, customer support, graphic and web design, virtual assistance, photography, sales, bookkeeping, accounting, sales and coaching. Any kind of consultancy is also common. However, freelancers absolutely must be tech-savvy and versed in a variety of online tools, particularly communication tools and at least common freelancing apps (Slack, Asana, Trello and similar). 2. Soft Skills When it comes to soft skills, on top of the usual ones deemed beneficial in any business environment, freelancers also need to learn to be culture-sensitive because, sooner or later, they will find themselves working with clients from different countries and often in international teams, keeping in touch exclusively online. Interpersonal communication and critical thinking, therefore, top the list of soft skills all freelancers should develop, regardless of their profession. Additionally, keep your operations lean , and become an excellent judge at what costs are absolutely necessary, and which are not. 3. Time Management Skills As we’ve all seen during this pandemic, newbies to remote work often have difficulties with time-management skills. The chief reason for this is rooted in the misconception that freelancers tend to procrastinate a lot. This view is not only offensive but is also removed from the truth. No matter where your workplace is, the tasks you need to perform remain the same. That being said, people who decide to become freelancers and have no […]
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