If you do not want to be tied down to a specific employer, but do not want to start your own business, working as a freelancer could be the right career move for you. These are seven of the most popular types of freelancing jobs.
1. Photographer
As a freelance photographer, you will book photography work with clients for jobs such as weddings, baby portraits, school pictures, prom photos, fashion shoots, parties, and more.
Working as a freelancer gives you the freedom to choose what kinds of shoots and clients to work with; however, you will need to purchase your own photography equipment, which can be a big investment.
2. Graphic Designer
Graphic designers create the images used on websites, in print media, on television, and in the movies. As a graphic designer, you may do jobs such as designing company logos, creating graphics for advertisements, or designing original art for video games.
A talent for drawing and knowledge of graphic design software may be enough to get you some jobs, but most designers attend an art school or graphics design related college program.
3. Web Designer
Web designers create websites. In this role, you will be responsible for designing the layout, user interface, graphics, color schemes, and other aspects of your client’s website.
Some jobs may only involve the visual aspect of creating a web site, while others may require significant programming skills to make all of the interactive elements of the site function. You will need to have a good working knowledge of popular web development front-ends and graphic design software.
You may also need extensive knowledge of HTML coding, javascript, databases, and other backend development tools. College coursework in website design or computer programming can be helpful.
4. Freelance Recruiter
Recruiters match job seekers with employers who have positions to fill. As a recruiter, you will handle the initial application and interview process for your clients.
Experience in human resources and a background in hiring and interviewing candidates is helpful. You will likely need to have industry expertise in the field you intend to recruit for.
Most freelance recruiters work on a commission basis, which means you need to be good at choosing the right candidates for the right jobs to make money.
5. Transcription
Transcriptionists listen to audio recordings and type out everything they hear, usually using some type of transcription software.
For some jobs, the client may use a software program to automate the transcription process and then have a human correct the errors and fill in anything the software could not understand.
Medical and legal transcriptionists usually need some formal training and knowledge of the specialized terminology used in those fields. For other transcription jobs, such as closed captioning for videos, strong typing skills, good grammar, and attention to detail may be enough.
Some transcriptionists contract directly with clients but many work through transcription agencies. You will probably need a transcription pedal and you may also need to purchase your own software.
6. Data Entry Jobs
If you are looking for a job that does not require a college education or a lot of industry experience, data entry may be right for you. Most people hiring for data entry work, expect a typing speed of 60 words per minute or greater.
If you are being paid by job completed, the faster you can type, the more money you can make, though you will need to maintain accuracy as well. Data entry jobs can be extremely repetitive, so this is probably not the job for people who do not like to do the same thing all day long.
7. Writer
There are many different types of jobs available for freelance writers. A web content writer creates articles, blog posts, and other text for websites and blogs. Copywriters create copy for commercial clients, such as press releases, ebooks, articles, white papers, and case studies.
There are also writing jobs for resumes, instruction manuals, movies, video games or product reviews, and numerous other fields.
Working as a freelancer can be a good career choice for people who prefer the flexibility and freedom of working for themselves, over the steady income of working as an employee. If you are considering working as a freelancer, one of these seven jobs might be a good fit for you.
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