With a global pandemic upon all of us, working remotely from home has become a new reality. However, some people have been doing it long before COVID-19. Freelancers.

Working as a freelancer has become incredibly popular. People of different professions can work as freelancers. They receive an order from a client, execute it, and get paid for it. Sounds easy as pie, but how can you start and change the office desk to a cozy, working place at home or elsewhere?

In this article, we gather together some useful information on the best online freelancing options for students so you know where to start.

Types of Freelancing for Beginners

Freelancing is becoming more and more in demand and gaining wide popularity. It provides certain freedom in choosing a profession and which tasks/orders to accomplish, and, even more important; it makes it possible to independently plan a working day as it is convenient for you.

It would be extremely easy for a college student to become a freelancer and work online if they are involved in a creative field.

People of creative nature can work as:

• Photographer – a specialist in creating interesting photos and videos for advertising agencies, private customers.

• Artist – creates illustrations and visual concepts for marketing campaigns, websites, and any other fields.

• Copywriter – writes unique content for companies, private customers, websites, etc.

• Designer – creates designs for websites.

Working as a freelancer in these fields enables students to discover their creative potential and gives precious working experience.

Another freelancing field you can choose for yourself is any kind of freelance connected to organizational, managing work. You can easily choose this type of freelancing if you have the following qualities:

• Being responsible, attentive.

• Having leadership qualities.

• Being competent, decisive.

• Able to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.

Currently, on the freelance market, there are such options for students like:

• Accountant.

• Project manager.

• Sales, advertising, technical support manager.

• Personal assistant.

If you feel that communication is your strongest suit, you can look for freelance offers in communications. It is always a good choice for students who can get along fast with different people, know how to control their emotions, and who are stress-resistant.

Students can try their luck in such professions like:

• Online consultant, whose task is to induce a person to buy products in an online store.

• Dispatcher – answers customer calls and consults on a related subject.

• The administrator of groups in social networks, whose task is to promote the page on social media, fill it with unique content, and increase traffic, handles the incoming requests.

• The content manager deals with writing or searching for useful content related to the business articles, photos, pictures, videos, and posts on the website or a page on social media.

• Coach – conducts master classes on various topics, in which the person is well versed themselves.

What Is One of the Most Popular Professions on the Freelance Market?

Currently, the leading place on the market is occupied by rewriters and copywriters. Rewriters rewrite the text in their own words while retaining the original meaning. Copywriters write sales, advertising, educational texts for private customers and the big companies as well.

It is pretty easy to start working in the field of copywriting. You don't need to have lots of experience here; just a good command of your native or foreign language will open the doors for you into this profession. And there are great career opportunities in this field as well. Lots of former copywriters create their editor service and become not just the writers but the managers of their own business.

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Benefits of Freelancing

First, let's take a look at the benefits that a freelancer gets when working on the Internet.

• The absence of a direct superior.

  Perhaps one of the main advantages of working as a freelancer is the absence of a direct boss and supervisor. You depend only on yourself, and you decide whether to perform the assigned task or not. Nobody will reprimand you for not showing up at work and for taking an extra day off.

• Irregular working hours.

  The working day of a freelancer is not standardized, which allows you to wake up and fall asleep at a convenient time. But do not forget that the more you sleep and the more days off you have, the less time you will have to work and, consequently, less money will be earned.

• No commute.

  You don't need to spend money and time on a daily commute.

• Working from any convenient place.

  You can perform your orders at home on the couch and in the park, café or even the sunny beach in another country. The only thing you need to have is a laptop and access to the Internet.

• Financial independence.

  Freelancers do not depend on accounting and get their payment directly from a customer. Some of the freelances might not even pay taxes, but this is on their conscience.

• You set the amount of work and terms yourself.

  You can independently define your workload. When the customer finds you, you will be able to negotiate all the conditions and decide what terms will be optimal for you. But do not forget that besides you, there are many more freelancers who can place an order faster, cheaper and better. In general, no one canceled the competition, so do not relax too much.

• Payment for the result.

  Your monthly and annual salary will depend on how much work you have completed. In this case, payment is made for the result; the faster you complete the order, the faster you will receive the agreed amount.

• Doing what you love.

  Almost all freelancers do jobs that are really interesting to them. This allows you to get pleasure and income at the same time.

Disadvantages of Freelancing

Let's also take a look at the disadvantages you might experience.

• Independent search for customers.

  Freelancers spend part of their working time looking for customers. Although now many resources have appeared on the Internet where you can place your services, this is not always enough.

• Lack of social package and vacations.

  If you decide to go freelance, you should immediately forget about sick leave, paid vacations, and other benefits of the social package. If you get sick, the work insurance won't cover it, and the customers won't be pleased with the possible delays as well.

• Problems with loans.

  Most freelancers can't get a loan from a bank. Even by registering as a private entrepreneur, most banks won't approve many funds for you.

• The need to be registered as a private entrepreneur.

  At the start of a freelance career, few people think about registering as a private entrepreneur. However, if your income continues to grow, then the tax service will certainly pay attention to you, and non-payment of taxes is a violation of the law, which entails a fine or imprisonment.

• Self-organization of your work.

  As it turns out, not every student can properly organize their work. If you lack self-discipline, then freelancing is not for you. It might seem that freelancing is a freebie. It is extremely hard work. To make good money, some freelancers have to work 10 hours a day, seven days a week.

• Work experience is required.

  Any freelancer must be well versed in their field. Customers will first pay attention to an experienced employee with a good portfolio and a lot of reviews. Therefore, it might take some time until freelance work will bring you significant income. But practice makes perfect. Start with the easier, less paid projects, and eventually; you'll build a reputation that will speak for itself.

• Out-of-office environment.

  It is difficult to create a working environment in your apartment that will allow you to do the task at hand without being distracted. If you have a 2 or 3-room apartment, it is better to allocate a separate room for your freelancing.

• Unstable earnings

  No freelancer can boast of a stable income. It all depends on the customers, who can have a dozen orders for you to accomplish in one day, and nothing at all for the rest of the month.

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Conclusion

There are tons of possibilities for prospective college students on the freelance job market. Our main advice for you would be to analyze your likes and dislikes, your abilities and qualifications, and choose a related field of occupation.

Though freelancing has cons and pros, it can really make you a happier person than if you were to have an office job. However, be ready that the way of a freelancer is challenging, and it'll take you a lot of effort to combine studying and freelancing.

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