Help - I Want to Start Freelancing But I Don't Have Any Skills!
When I started my freelancing career, I remember telling my boyfriend that I had no skills that anyone would pay me for. He just looked at me and said, “Are you sure about that?”
Determined to prove him wrong, I started to list off things that I was positive I couldn’t do. “Well I’ve only made like five PowerPoints this year for school, so I can’t do that. I’ve written medical-based papers for school, but that’s not the same as blogs… etc., etc., etc.”
You can imagine that by the end of this conversation my boyfriend was just staring at me as I listed off areas that I have proficient skills in that I could offer as freelancing services. Surprise! All of us have skills that are not only valuable to others but also highly marketable.
It takes time and a shift in mindset to understand the multitude of talents and skills you can bring to the table as a freelancer. I promise, if you are a person with interests, hobbies, or professional working experience, you have the building blocks to create a successful freelancing career.
Yes, You Have Skills That People Will Pay You For
So as we can see, there are clients out there for every level of freelancer, whether you are just starting out or are looking to build a consistent working relationship. But what skills are people even willing to pay for?
As it turns out, people are willing to pay for a very wide variety of services depending on the area in which they work. From general services like website design, presentation creation, and blog writing, to more niche services like video animation, industry-specific technical writing, and location-based services, there truly is an audience for most freelance services.
If you have made it through your entire life and have not developed any interests, areas of passion, or things you are proficient at, I am truly amazed.
The thing about freelancing is that you don’t have to be the best of the best expert in your field to be successful — you just need to be able to provide a service that solves a problem for your clients. So let’s sit down and figure out what services you can provide to start your freelancing career today.
Identifying Your Marketable Skills
Everyone has skills they can sell to clients — even if it feels like you have nothing to offer. To get serious about starting a freelance career, spend thirty minutes doing the following action steps:
1. Make a list of things you have expertise in
Everyone has skills in certain areas that they don’t even think about. Write down things you feel like you are able to do at an average or above-average level. A helpful tip is thinking of things your coworkers or family members are always asking you for help with.
2. Write down things you enjoy doing
Do you have a lot of hobbies? Physical products like art, baking, and self-care items can all be ramped up to be sold as a small self-owned business.
3. Search popular freelance sites for others offering similar services
Finally, remove your self-doubt by searching for others who have been successfully doing the same thing. Popular freelance sites like Fiverr and Upwork have freelancer profiles that you can search to hire. Search for people working in your niche and I promise you’ll find many successful freelancers earning good money offering similar services.
Get in Touch With Me
Are you struggling to figure out where to start when it comes to starting your freelancing career? I would love to help you get started. Feel free to reach out to me using my contact me form or through my social media - I will get back to you with some of my suggestions!
Best of luck!