COVID-19 made working from home and later, working at a coworking space, the norm. And even after the pandemic has receded, a lot of companies have retained such options for their employees. Freelancers, on the other hand, have been working from home or at coffee shops and coworking spaces for ages.
Today, more and more traditional office workers are hoping to make the jump to freelance jobs.
What is freelance work?
Before we get into your options, you might be wondering what exactly freelance work is. Unfortunately, there isn’t one set answer.
Some freelancers call themselves “self-employed” while others prefer the term “contract workers,” “independent contractors,” or “contract consultants.” Though there may be different nuances to each role, the one thing they have in common is that they work independently.
Instead of being categorized as a regular employee, meaning working for usually eight hours five days a week, freelancers provide their services part-time and aren’t subject to long-term commitment to an employer.
Whether you’re thinking of working freelance as a part-time gig or making it your permanent day job, here’s a list of 10 popular types of freelance work you might be interested in.
1. Designer
A freelance “designer” can be a graphic designer or a website designer, creating content that’s both functional and visually appealing. A graphic designer create flat designs or logos for ads or publications. A website designer, on the other hand, would need to create websites according to their clients’ needs and vision for their business.
Both types of designers normally do multiple revisions throughout the process before their designs are published. These designs become part of their portfolio.
2. Writer
Writers make up a big chunk of the freelance community. Clients would pay big bucks for high-quality captions, articles, blog stories, and other textual content such as press releases. For many freelancers, writing is their first work-from-home side hustle.
A freelance writer’s output depends on their client’s needs. If the client creates videos, they might ask for scripts. If they build websites, they might need blurbs and blog articles. It’s a very versatile field.
3. Software Developer
The world is only getting more high-tech, which means software developers will always be in high demand. In charge of creating mobile applications or computer software programs, developers and programmers are a must-hire at businesses that use technology and view themselves as competitive. Developers help with a brand’s online visibility and user-friendliness, making them essential despite working behind the scenes.
4. Marketing Professional
Their tasks depend on what a client needs at a certain time. Marketing professionals need to understand the inner workings of a brand to come up with plans, and execute them to perfection to help meet its goals.
5. Translator
Being a freelance translator means translating clients’ texts to a certain language. If you’re already bilingual, then this would be an easy option for you! Take note that translation gigs are based only on written text; oral translation is called interpreting.
Freelance translators normally focus on specific languages, so concentrate on your source and target languages when practicing.
6. Captioner
Not very well-known outside working student communities, captioning jobs are low-effort gigs that require freelancers to transcribe videos. These could range from short online videos to full-length feature films. Captioning doesn’t involve just matching text to specific scenes; it also means providing timestamps to particular captions, so that the audio and video are able to match.
7. Artist
Artists belong to a separate category from designers because of the nature of the work. Instead of creating whatever a client asks of them, artists–who may specialize in mediums such as painting or sculpting–view their clients’ requests as inspiration for commissions. If they don’t accept commissions at all, they are still able to sell their art online or elsewhere. Their work very rarely centers around corporate missions and visions; their goal is to create.
8. Social Media Manager
A job that exists thanks to the digital age, social media managers or specialists are in charge of ensuring their clients’ social media pages thrive. This includes creating strategies for visibility, engaging with the target market online, and generally cementing their clients’ social media presence while still staying true to their brand goals and values.
9. Videographer
Photo-only social media posts are dying, and video is rising to the top. With apps like TikTok quite popular worldwide and other social media platforms encouraging short videos, freelance videographers have become crucial to any company’s success. Their job includes not only filming ads and other content, but editing them as well.
10. SEO Professional
Another job situated behind the scenes, being a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM) professional is no easy task. These freelancers study search engines and algorithms to determine how a company could best reach their target market. Without SEO/SEM professionals, companies’ ads and social media posts would just be shots in the dark.
The Advantages of Freelancing
Excited to try any of the freelancing gigs above? Here are a few reasons you should make the leap.
Flexibility. Freelance work means being able to work anytime and anywhere. Achieve the work-life balance you’ve always wanted by taking an online job.
More control. You wouldn’t just have control over where you work. Most of the time, you’d have control over everything from your work hours to work days.
Endless opportunities. If you feel you’ve gotten and learned all you can from one job, you can always move on to the next. Never feel stuck in a role again.
Variety. Because you won’t be tied to just one client, you can take on multiple projects from several clients at any given time, diversifying your portfolio while expanding your clientele.
Weremote: The Perfect Working Space for Freelancers
Freelancers or those looking to dip their toes into freelance jobs are more than welcome to station themselves at any of our Weremote coworking spaces where you can meet like-minded people and experience a diverse and vibrant work environment.
Check out Weremote’s membership options and become a valuable part of a community where success is not just encouraged but cultivated. Reach out to us at hello@weremote.com today.
Weremote stands as a community where professionals and businesses thrive, offering a dynamic environment for growth. As the coworking brand of Wrkspace Office Management and Solutions Inc., Weremote continues to foster professional development and build vibrant communities. Weremote is a portfolio company of AHG Lab, the largest independent venture builder in the Philippines.
