Make Your Own Lane: Are You Ready To Deliver Independently For An International Client?

A few beginners I have worked with want to be advised on what skills they should get started with to establish freelancing income online

How exactly is the coach expected to know what you are good at? If you specify what skills you want to offer as services, a coach can provide a few avenues relevant to that.

The next thing the beginners expect the coach to confirm – if it is the right time to go ahead and create an online profile in any freelancing portal and begin bidding.

This is seriously so juvenile. If you know what skills to offer and ready with your offering, why do you need an external nod to get started with your side hustle related efforts – When to get started is absolutely your call

Then you have another type of beginners who are driven by what skills pay more. I guess most of us, at least once think from this angle unless reality strikes hard.

Recently my interaction with one of the beginners goes like this – I have captured inputs I received about skills date wise here.

20^th September

Aspirant expressed interest in the following however realized soon enough that these require a great deal of learning.

a) Graphics and Designs            

b) Digital marketing              

c) Fun and lifestyle 

d) SEO – Keen to learn

22nd September

a) Advance Excel

b) Power point Presentation

I normally offer to review their samples to see if it meets international standards, before they upload their portfolio

29^th September

a)   Power point – I receive a sample.

b)   Excel – I receive a couple of worksheets

I shared tips how to do a good presentation and suggested the aspirant to send a revised version.

2nd October

Immediate (Based on current knowledge)

a)   Power point

b)   Research

c)   Word

d)   Excel

In future (Subject to learning)

a)   SEO

b)   Blogging

c)   Whitepaper

A practical demonstration was shown to the aspirant (Beginner) – how you read raw draft slides and develop it to a sleek 7/8 slides presentation with a strong storyboard.

14^th October

a)   Web Research and Power point

b)   Article Writing

c)   MS Word and MS Excel

15^th October

Resume shared by aspirant with following inputs, seeking my thoughts

a)   Efficient in MS word, MS excel, MS power point.

b)   Efficient in creative and content writing in English

The aspirant had created a profile in a portal and wanted to create gig for content writing

After multiple rounds of discussion, sharing examples, reviewing samples etc. for power point presentation (one skill) – this went on for close to a month and the first gig being offered is Content writing (completely different skill) for which I have not seen any sample from the aspirant.

17^th October

I asked sample of content written by aspirant with the same objective –to check if it is good enough and meets international standards

I have not received:

1] Any sample for content writing

2] Revised version of power point presentation incorporating my tips

3] Revised version of resume for which I shared my perspectives.

18^th October

Gig was created for power point presentation.

Please read the above sequence again date wise. You can tell easily that the skill choices are being done without much thought or rationale.

In this context, here are my tips for beginners:

Identifying the right skills is critical in freelancing. If unsure, take time to get there, micro learn to bridge the small gaps

There are basically three types of thinking the beginners entertain in their minds.

1] I have this skill (say Content Writing). I know how to do this and I will learn the rest when I have an order to deliver.

Are you planning to practice with real time client's assignments?

2] I have created a few slides (Power point presentation) – I kind of know it is not quite up to the mark. I do not have time for any more rehearsals and revisions at the moment - I will do what it takes in the final stage. I will offer multiple revisions to client

Do you think client has time for all those revisions? Will the client ever return to you with his future assignments?

3] I cannot waste time now in learning. I want to deliver orders first to see how it goes.

Will the client waste his time and money for this kind of expertise?

Few of the beginners have 25 years experience in corporate roles and never thought they were wasting their time doing the same thing for years together for a steady pay check. If suddenly they have all the urgency to get started with real time clients, though under prepared, without adequate skill enhancement and learning, this pursuit is likely to end as abruptly as it started.

Prepare. Practice. Perform. 

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